Flinging Thoughts

I am not a good blogger! For me writing one is like pulling toes off of a fly’s leg: tedious and damn near impossible! But now I have the distinct pleasure of writing that my first real machinima collaboration, Morning Run Amok, won the Gold for Best Comedy and Silver for Best Sound Design at the Online Machinima Film Festival award ceremony last Saturday.

The best comedy gold took me by complete surprise because MRA was up against some awesome movies. But the sound design award was not a surprise to me whatsoever. Ricky Grove did top notch magic on the sound and Phil “Overman” Rice created a wonderful and inspiring musical score. I was so pleased to see their work rewarded by their peers.

Thank you to everyone who voted for MRA. It was such a fun project for me!

And thank you to the cast of my friends and family. Adam Albert, you gave me more than I asked for and nearly hyperventilated for your role. CJ Ambrosia, you let me run with your outtake and made it something fun and funny! Lisa Segien, your acting is the tops, girl. And you shined at the mic. David McElhinney, I miss you out there in Texas. I need to hear your jokes more regularly. Oh man! Love you, mean it! Chief Wilson, you made it fun! Ricky Grove, your talent and generosity really made my year! Phil Rice… Overman! My gosh, I can’t thank you enough for taking me under your wing and trusting me with your musical talent. Anna Berlin, you were awesome. Lori Highland-Fox, see I told you you could do it. And you did it great! JC Smith, Aunt Jeannie, you are a natural! Aaron Shelton, great job and thanks for letting me use your laugh. Gina Davis, thanks so much for playing along. You are one cool actor! Ingrid Moon, you were invaluable! And I still can’t get over how you managed to take only one line! Terry Copley, You’re my VO rock! It was great working with you again. See you at the next gig, old friend. Roxi Rhinestone, cousin you made it look easy; thanks!

These awards go out to you all! Here’s to the next project!

It’s always good to be nervous at an event like the Online Machinima Film Festival, especially if you’re one of the presenters! But even if you’re not involved in the workings of such a gathering, not being a bit nervous means that it isn’t fun and exciting for you. The OMFF was both for me, and more!

It was an honor to be in a place where so many of my heroes had come together digitally to celebrate the art of making animated movies. You “Anymation” folks are such talented geniuses doing something mostly for the love of it while using both your brains’ left and right hemispheres to tackle technical issues on the road to making art.

Ok gushing mode is off. I had yet another blast taking part in yet another machinima related endeavor. I can’t thank Michelle Pettit-Mee (Stormy Harker) and Hathead Rickenbacker enough for inviting me to be a presenter at such an auspicious occasion. They did a wonderful job - a tough one they made look so easy (I guess gush mode wasn’t off after all). Wytchwhisper Sadofsky and Rakos Ivanova were great to work with.

CJ Ambrosia (Ceedj Beaumont) and Hathead played great sets of music, and of course Hugh (Cairmen Pye) Hancock was the guy I leaned on the whole time. Without him up there with me my avatar would have been a quivering bowl of goo topped with prim hair, held up by a pair of overpriced prim shoes!

Congratulations to all the nominees and trophy winners! Here’s to next year!

As I dust off and start to perform my original compositions in Second Life to a potentially larger audience than they have ever had in the past, I get an email from the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP) announcing their call to action to sign their newly crafted Bill of Rights for Songwriters and Composers.

My initial reaction to the bill was, “Rah, rah, sis boom bah! You go girl!” But as it sank in I began to wonder just exactly what it was changing; what was it improving on?

I have plenty of questions I won’t go into here, but the one thing it still doesn’t address is my longstanding confusion about when money is not involved in any way with the release of my recorded version of a popular song.

The way I have always understood the traditional process to be is as follows:
• I record a song someone else wrote, of which a previous version has already been published. In this example I record it without their prior knowledge or consent.
• I write a letter of intent to the person who holds the rights to the song, or their representative (Which 9 times out of 10 seems to be the Harry Fox agency), stating my intention to burn and sell X number of copies of the song on CD. In the letter I offer to PRE-pay a reasonable percentage of royalties to the rights holder in anticipation of my own profits on the sales.
• Now according to what I understand I am covered legally and can proceed to publish the CD - even if I haven’t received a response to my letter.

Well my question has to do with the interpretation of the law: If I make money on the covered version, the original artist gets a cut. But what if I give away my version by allowing free downloads of the mp3 or by having it included in a music video being freely distributed on YouTube? I make nothing, so there is no cut to give to the songwriter. Can the rights holder demand money when none is changing hands?

Now, I have asked myself how I would feel if someone covered a song of mine and threw it out on YouTube, but I have no frame of reference to answer. I have never written a song that anyone has bought - let alone bought a million copies of. So, if someone had done that, I would be shocked and most likely flattered. There is no way in hell I could know how, for example, Paul McCartney would feel if he’d heard a version of one of his songs posted for free in a video on YouTube.

I asked my question in an email to ASCAP many months ago but haven’t received a reply. Legally I don’t know what to do because I have recorded a cover I want to make a machinima of and of course post it as usual for fun and no profit. I had essentially forgotten about the project until this Bill of Rights notice came today in the mail. Don’t know if I want to sign the petition for it. Still have to think about what it really accomplishes in this rapidly changing music landscape - for me as a songwriter or against me.

Some time in the early years of his life Illinois born John Charles Carter decided to change his name. An imposingly tall figure with a ruggedly chiseled face, he made being a leading man on the big screen look as easy as breathing on a clear day. As I write this the world is mourning his death. Would that have been the case had he not dubbed himself Charlton Heston? Maybe.

Maybe it would have been John Carter who got the chance to recite some of the most memorable movie lines ever.

“Soylent Green is people!” he might have shouted as Det. Thorn to a crowded theater from his 2-dimensional stage.

“Let my people go!” a sandal clad John could have demanded as Moses from the Egyptian ruler.

“Take your stinking paws off me, you damned dirty ape!” Carter playing astronaut Taylor may have growled.

Maybe John Carter would have done just as well as Charlton Heston did in the acting business, but how many men named Charlton have you known — or will probably meet — in your life? Had I not been enthralled by so many of his performances I still would have respected him at least for choosing such an uncommon handle for himself. It was a risky gamble I wouldn’t have taken. I think it paid off in spades for Mr. Carter.

As a boy growing up in LA’s San Fernando Valley I was carried along on so many fantastic trips by Heston’s sheer strength in front of a camera. He was the original blockbuster magnet. Every look given from his characters’ faces would make me want to know why they happened and what was going to happen next.

I saw “Soylent Green” on its public premier night in a Hollywood theater; I had never seen an audience cheer so loudly for light and shadows being cast on a silvery backdrop. Had Heston actually been there we would have all tried to carry him out on a blanket of humans. I bet it was the same reaction in theaters when “Ben Hur” premiered; of course, I can only guess because Hur was released in the same year I was born.

I read a bio of him recently. It was undoubtedly written by some modern Hollywood-type because it had to end with a line about how Heston was spending his later life advocating “right-wing” causes. Like it fucking matters what the man’s personal beliefs were. Like it fucking matters what any person playing pretend for a living in La-La-Land thinks about politics. One would have to be very full of themselves or think very little of their audience to place so much emphasis on the assumed power of one’s own celebrity.

I would probably NOT want to waste one minute hanging out with most of the actors I can’t get enough of on the big screen. Yet, that doesn’t even enter into my respect for their on-screen talents.

No, I do not think Heston was perfect or a greater soul than any of the unsung heroes I’ve personally known in my life; however, even though he’s quoted as saying, “The Internet is for lonely people. People should live.” I think in Heston’s case I might have enjoyed his company. He had class. He was a man of his generation, a family man, married to one woman since 1944, put the work before his persona, never missed an opportunity to praise the writers and directors he worked with while crediting them for his success. I would imagine it must be a gargantuan undertaking to retain even the slightest amount of humility while knowing there is hardly a corner of the planet that doesn’t know the name Charlton Heston.

Thank you, Mr. Blockbuster, for so many years of fun and escape you gave me. Rest now and live on forever.

I’ve been working with documentary filmmaker Nonny de la Pena in Second Life (TM) helping, along with other builders, to construct her Gone Gitmo interactive virtual experience.

My Real Life (TM) schedule has been so hectic that I was only able to make the Camp Delta long term maximum security detention barracks. I worked in a modular fashion so that whoever finishes the camp can lengthen or shorten the building as their needs require.

Here are some shots of my work in progress:

Each set of cells facing one another is a linked chunk which can be duplicated and moved down to extend as need be. Judging from the original photos, the buildings are quite long, but prim limits might necessitate a very scaled down facsimile.

As you may or may not know (or care) I am hopelessly addicted to building things in Second Life (TM) — and it’s no laughing matter for me since I’m supposed to be shooting machinima in the darned place!

The target date for the Gone Gitmo exhibit opening is rapidly approaching. If you’re interested in the project, you’ll find more info at Nonny’s web site.

As I began writing this blurb about my presentation at the American Film Institute’s Digital Content Lab production cycle orientation I learned that Arthur C. Clarke had died at age 90. What would the state of today’s technology have been like without the imagination of Clarke? I shudder to think. There went a mind well shared! He brought real life to science fiction and science fiction to real life - and what a long life he had! I will consider myself very fortunate if I could someday look into the mirror for just one morning and see a man of 90 smiling back. Wow! That just made me think of Dr. Dave Bowman sitting in the white room near the end of 2001: A Space Odyssey.

Now to the AFI news: this coming Thursday afternoon, March 20th, I will have the distinct pleasure of presenting a machinima demonstration using Moviestorm to a group of folks starting their production cycle at the Digital Content Lab in Hollywood. You really must read about AFI’s DCL at their site for the best explanation of its purpose. This blog post just couldn’t do justice to the work people will be putting into finding and nurturing the next latest & greatest things in mass media.

My fifteen minutes of fame (literally) will consist of me making a quick machinima movie using Moviestorm before an audience made up of mostly those uninitiated in the ways of Anymation, and then trying to answer any questions which may be tossed my way. My part has nothing specific to do with any of the DCL’s new projects being started (at least not that I know of). It’s billed as simply an after-lunch diversion for the group as part of their day filled with “Go here,” “Meet them,” “Do this,” “Learn that,” activities.

Thank you to AFI’s Lisa Osborne and the folks at Short Fuze for inviting me to participate.

I don’t know whether I should ask you, dear reader, to wish me luck or tell me to break a leg. Actually, I’ll appreciate either.

Just came down from 30,000 feet and boy are my avatar’s arms tired!

Hathead Rickenbacker’s Second Life Sky Tower Lounge was the place to be tonight. Hathead was generous enough to host the well-attended Online Machinima Film Festival’s Pre-awards Cocktail Party where we danced, chatted, and listened to live performances by guitarist Ceedj Beaumont (PEDS’ CJ Ambrosia) and Hathead himself at the grand piano.

I got to meet some machinimators I’d only heard of before now, which is always an honor and a treat for me. My thanks go out to Hathead and Stormy Harker (Michelle Pettit-Mee) for pulling off such an enchanting evening. Here are some pictures I took of the event.

See you all (And more) back in Second Life for the official OMFF Awards Ceremony on May 10th!

As I was on my way to a particularly intense client meeting this morning I received word that Peter Rasmussen had passed away. The meeting took very long and was packed with information which I both received and disseminated, but almost all I could think about was the few short hours I had spent on Skype with Peter. It was just a couple of weeks ago when I tried to help him work out technical issues he was having with voice chat in Second Life.

I remember thinking at the time that he was such a nice man and interesting conversationalist, and how that was so opposite of what I was prepared for. As someone who was so accomplished in his field, he could have easily maneuvered me into the role of the nobody to his somebody, but that was far from the case. I was so looking forward to meeting up with him at future machinima talks, hearing his thoughts and throwing mine back at him.

I feel robbed, but it’s not really my feelings that are important right now. Turning back the clock is not possible, so it’s the closest survivors that have lost so much who now need everyone’s comfort and good will. I wish to offer my condolences to his dear friends and loved ones. My thoughts and prayers are for them and for Peter.

As I scramble to remodel my entire site because of the demise of Stage6, I’m kicking myself for betting on the most beautiful horse in the race instead of studying the handicaps and weighing the pros and cons of the odds on favorites in the video streaming site wars.

I had the feeling early last year that Stage6 might be just a marketing vehicle for that company’s hardware products; but I thought a codec which produces such a gorgeous compression couldn’t possibly do anything less than sell itself in banner advertising revenues. That’ll teach me to think!

I guess the greedy muckety mucks at the UMG feared DivX was a little too gorgeous. They apparently set their attorney’s sites on DivX and kept on shooting.

I can’t help but wonder, had Stage6 been some company’s primary source of revenue, would they have fought harder against the onslaught of sleazy lawyers who were pounding on their door? Might they have leveraged such junk lawsuits into free publicity and taken advantage of their army of users to turn the fight into the classic Underdog vs. “The Man” conflict? Would they have devoted more manpower to seeking out the pirates and taken a more proactive role in policing their servers? We will never know now.

The way they issued a, “Gee, we’re sorry but the good news is you have three whole days to make other arrangements for your videos!” kind of statement will leave a sour taste in my mouth for some time to come.

I just hope they find a good home for their infamous hamster rather than simply dumping him off in the breakdown lane of the nearest freeway.

Well, I’ve been trying for days to write something about this past 24/7 A DIY Summit put on by the Institute for Multimedia Literacy School of Cinematic Arts (IML) — at least the part I played in it. I’m not much of a diarist or journalist, but I will say, I had a blast!! And here’s why…

• The people putting it on were warm, kind, enthusiastic and generous with their time and fortune.
• The academic atmosphere was a welcome change from my day-to-day routine. I’ve always had an affinity for the scent and surroundings of a structured learning environment.
• The DIY multimedia content I got to watch was varied, entertaining and thought provoking.
• And the food was great.

I had the distinct pleasure of leading the Hands-on Machinima Workshop on Sunday afternoon. It took place in a basement PC lab on USC’s main campus. Chris Wittenberg and his impressive tech crew made sure that Moviestorm was loaded up and ready to run on all of the machines.

There was a full house of workshop attendees, and they all came motivated and open for fun. I was amazed at how easily the folks took to the application. It almost taught itself. I thought my job would be to lead everyone in the methodical step-by-step process of creating a short scene, but I quickly became the guide to all of the hidden treasures in the software, hurriedly trying to keep up with everyone as they built sets and dressed and placed actors, like it was a game to be enjoyed and conquered.

We conversed a bit about what machinima is and even touched on Second Life as a platform for animated movies. Everyone seemed to take away a good foundational knowledge of Moviestorm; at least I hope they did. And I got to meet some talented and interesting people.

I want to thank Paul Marino for asking me to take his place in the workshop. He had scheduling conflicts for that Sunday, and I wasn’t expecting to see him at the summit. To my great fortune, we did get to meet and hang out at the reception Saturday night. So how cool was that? Very!

I also got to meet The Kid from Stage6 as well — another unexpected pleasure. He demoed a DivX device that hooks your TV to your computer network and plays the media it finds on the network shared hard drives.

A huge thank you to IML’s Mariko Oda, Virginia Kuhn, Mimi Ito and the many summit organizers I got to meet. They took care of everything for this out-of-towner and made his experience a joyous treat.

Here’s to next year!