Jim Kukral does his Daily Flip, Sam Harrelson does great how-to’s- see this one on the Amazon Kindle, Scott Jangro (from the days of the Jangro Cam) manages to Vlog too…practically everyone I know does video.

Everyone, except me.

To be frank I simply suck at video- I would much rather podcast. I just cannot get into the vibe…so I made a video about how I feel about making videos. You know how stressful making videos can get. (Yeah- I made alot of of gun videos…)

See Guns, Lights and Action

Target Acquired Video

Thank You For Your Business

P.S. Word to you Brian Clark…Bring on your RPGs Obiwan. I can’t wait for the  next ARG. 

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Developer Autodesk states with the next revolution of 3ds Max, it will be splitting the release into two products, 3ds Max 2009 Entertainment, for game and movie producers, and 3ds Max Design 2009, for architects, designers and visualization specialists.

The gaming/entertainment version will feature aa new Reveal rendering toolset to streamline iterative workflows, a ProMaterials material library for simulating real-world surfaces, and new UV editing tools. It will also include Recognize, a new scene-loading technology which it says will significantly improve the inter-application workflow with Revit Architecture 2009.

The “design branded version” will include all features of the entertainment branded version, with the exception of an included SDK (software development toolkit), used primarily in game and video markets to to integrate software into a production pipeline and develop in-house tools to be used in conjunction with the 3ds Max. The design version will also include “Exposure technology,” to simulate and analyze sun, sky, and artificial lighting.

Bottom line- Autodesk recognizes that entertainment and game makers have very different, and obviously strategic needs as to those who are say- making a building. When you start putting out dual flavors that usually means a market is set to bloom and become lucrative. One has to wonder what impact Second Life is or will have on the high end industry?

Where is Maya? I’ll have to dig around.

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IT UNFOLDS PART DEUX

In case you missed it Eldritch Errors Part II has commenced and was shot in the mountains of West Virginia. (See Production Crew) My only regret was not being able to make the journey due to health so I have to be content with story line development and watching it unfold. I do regret missing my acting debut, then again, maybe the world is better for it. Oh the lament as this ARG (not sure if that fits or just immersive fiction) was in my home state.

For marketers or story tellers, or SIM builders or anyone wanting to see the style of creation dissected I refer you to http://www.schmeldritch.com.

THERE IS AN ERROR IN MY SOUP
Eldtrich Errors

the story

You are a Sentry, part of a group that discovered something unspeakable in April 2007, something that has pursued you ever since. Together we are Providence, part of a dream prophecy about a city in chaos that fills the nightmares of B.A. Saint-Feline, who does not dream alone. This is your story, this is our story.
Book 2 (09.07): Scream in the Mountains

“Two minutes later, another cat came into the room. It was black as midnight, and as large as the biggest dog. It lay down among the red-hot coals, lazily batting them with enormous paws. Then it walked over to the other cat and said: ‘What shall we do with him?’

“The first cat replied: ‘We should not do anything until Emmet comes’.”

- “Wait Until Emmet Comes,” traditional folktale as retold by S.E. Schlosser

When JJason dared the Conclave to contact him via a maildrop, he didn’t imagine that the shadowy group would take him up on the offer. The letter from Exu hinted at answers, included the strange annontations and symbols he wrote on a map of swan migrations. The more we looked into the map, the more we found stories of telescopes, quiet zones and things hidden in the mountains of the Virginias. Exu implied whatever we had stumbled into was related to these tantalizing bits. That investigation lead us to fragments in a filesharing system from Dr. Elizabeth Riley — a presentation, a poem, a song and yet another map. Together, they suggested our world is full of unexplained noises, including something called the “Scream” in the Virginias responsible for the collapse of a radio telescope. What is Exu trying to tell us, and what have we gotten ourselves into?

OBSERVATION POINTS

From Eldritch http://www.eldritcherrors.com/about.php

protagonist

As an immersive experience, the story is as much about you and your experiences as it is any fictional creation. You will find yourself interacting with others, real and seemingly real, throughout your stay. The discoveries that you make, alone or together, can change your entire experience. The world may have been conceived by us, but the story is yours.

Brian Clark of GMD has always been light years ahead of the pack and I am fortunate to call him a mentor and collaborator on many strange projects. This is where I and others feel “advertising” might head. An experience of immersion where the backdrop is created, but people interact and move the story along. Sound familiar? Think Audi: Art of the Heist, or Sega’s Beta-7.

This one tackles the dangers of computer security in a way that is downright scary and meant to be. Challenging the one immersed to really think about “Pressing OK”. Because you SHOULD think long and hard…

computer security

Oh, the dangers that lie hidden in the bits and bytes swirling around us on a daily basis. The Sentry Outpost is filled with experts on all matters of computer security and, although danger will always be lurking in the shadows, the integrity of both your machine and your mind is of great concern. Don’t fear your lack of technical prowess; there is always somebody close at hand with a deeper understanding of these matters, and you’re always in a position to learn more. The question of “how” may often be asked, but it is no more important than the question of “why” - a question that even the most innocent computer user can answer.

Why computer security with Lovecraft? After years of fighting in the trenches I still do not feel we are getting the message across, and it truly is disheartening. What better way to teach than to immerse? It is no secret Clark plucked me up (used) as a primary character (I can say no more), but you can get his take here on Sentries.

Chris Boyd (a/k/a PaperGhost) and Wayne Porter are Sentries in a very real sense of the word. Capturing a taste of what their experience is like when they track down malware and the people behind it was part of the inspiration for the Sentry Outpost and what horrors might be waiting out there for you to discover. In the right circles, their exploits are legendary — not only for revealing whole new types of threats, but also for the sense of snarky humor with which they document those discoveries.

Snarky humor is more a function of Boyd’s legendary style and he had no idea… Aye- sorry Chris.

I still think the computer security industry could take clues from this model and there must be a push toward education. Paperghost’s VitalSecurity.org is a good start and some of the work at Spywareguide.com Blog hits the ribs. It is in the story telling and not dry reports and numbers that reach people. If we can reach people and entertain while we do it we might reform some of the more wanton and dangerous behaviors. That was my hope at least. The current path is not working and not enough is spent on prevention.

For that matter marketers, teachers, advertisers, even virtual world creators in Second Life or anyone creative or wanting to rise above the din might look at this and wonder if story telling is a more effective way to rise above the clutter of messages that people are barraged with everyday. I think so. However it is not easy and takes a talented crew to pull off a full-blast campaign. The number of cogs and wheels that must turn would astound a Swiss watch maker.

STILL PLAYING

NOW PLAYING: The Scream in the Mountains - CATCH UP & JUMP IN. Dive in or play it safe and watch from the sidelines…

Popularity: 7% [?]

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Once again, as the holidays approach, another photo printing service for those who are fans of avatar photography. I last covered dotphoto promotions, and Kodak coupons as well as Snapfish special offers. Some will scoff at the idea of real world gifts for a posthuman existence, but photo taking and machinima making are two very common activities and thus gifts that avatars give.

This is especially true with Second Life Marriages. As bizarre as it may sound this is actually quite common and I have attended several ceremonies across many different faiths. It is often referred to as having a Second Life Partner. You pay a fee and sure enough that special, virtual someone is featured in your profile as your Second Life Marriage partner.

It is cheap to get married, and a bit more expensive to have them dissolved- but still a bargain if you weigh it against Real World ceremony costs of marriage or divorce. I know of more than one couple, seperated by hundreds of miles, who actually go to bed in real life, yet their avatars stay online and “sleep” in their home using “stay alive” scripts. Bizarre or a sign of the times? I have found it is actually quite common. While gifts at these ceremonies tend to be a donation of Linden Dollars (money), or a handcrafted virtual item in one case I actually saw a couple gifted with land and a virtual home. So why not physical gifts? It is coming as more and more items spew from the virtual world and into real world existence. The logical starting point is photo-based gifts. While some see it as a “game” to many participants this is an important part of their life and relationships.

Photoworks is a photo gifting outfit meaning you can put a photo on just about anything cool from a mug to a calender to an apron or even a jewelry box. It is very easy to turn your digital photographs into one-of-a-kind gifts such as (my favoriate) photo-books, holiday cards, calendars and of course stunning prints. These products are great gifts- especially for virtual relationships- try the photobooks and you will see what I mean, and PhotoWorks’ stresses quality-so the gifts aren’t cheesy.

They carry the following sizes: Canvas Prints, Posters, Large Format Prints, Wallets, 3×5, 4×6, 5×7, 8×10, 11×14, 12×18, 16×20, 20×30

Paper Used: Kodak paper and Fuji paper

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Products Produced: Photo Books, Calendar, Calendars, Signature Greeting Cards, Greeting Cards, Slides, Canvas Prints, Posters, Large Format Prints, Mugs, DYI Greetings, Boxes, keychains- you name it- they probably make it.

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GIFT IDEAS FOR VIRTUAL FRIENDS, GROUPS or OCCASIONS:

PLAYING CARDS: card playing is a popular metaverse activity, simply upload your print and you will have a customized deck of cards.

Metropolitan Oversize - Midnight Black Photo Book- Snap photos of your favorite group, club, or hangout moments and you have a regal gift that leaps fromm virtual to real.

11×16 Calendar - Classic Capture a photo a month and you have a cool gift that is unique and blows the store ready calenders out of the water.

Glossy Avatar Puzzle- Virtual relationships are like a puzzle and this nifty personalized gift is a great way to show it off.

Virtual Business Clipboard- With so many “shadow consumers”, creators, content makers and business owners growing the virtual GNP- a clipboard of their virtual business is a great way to get rememebered.

Nifty Avatar Collage Mouse Pad- Simply put together several poignant snaps of your friend’s virtual existence and you have a nice personalized keepsake they can use.

POPULAR DYI CARDS, STICKERS, APRONS, BUILD YOUR OWN, PHOTO BOOKS AND APRONS- SAMPLE PHOTOS of PRODUCTS

Popularity: 9% [?]

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Deconstructing only on what I know. Stream that acts recursively to site or dated.

- Ponder Path of Widgets on February 2, 2007 via Steve.

- Go Gonzo and exposed to Twitter via Sam. Post at RN January 21, 2007

- Note Twit to Sam March, 16, 2007

- Twitter Tracking with Fleep date unknown.

- Fleep makes a tweet (short post) about a teacher’s conference on March 14, 2007

- I follow her stream, blog on March 18, 2007.

- Meanwhile, Fleep reads my old post on March 14, 2007

- Her Read based on my blog on Steve’s embeded widget dated March 26, 2007,

- Retrograde Note: Know Steve via Brian Clark’s (circa 1999) and series of posts- summed up August, 28, 2006.

- Fleep tweets about the video. March 18, 2007

- The entire loop prompts me to document the action in a blog entry March 18, 2007

- Injected back into Twitter March 18, 2007

- This inspired by Sam on Twitter adoption story via WSJ March 16, 2007

- Sam’s blog based on Wall Street Journal story March 16, 2007

- Circle completes and I “meet” Fleep July 27th, 2007

- Recap with addendum. August 2, 2007

- August 2, 2007 injected into facebook…perhaps via twitter.

There has to be more. I cannot see it all- maybe Steve can shed light on widget views of the video? It still sits at University of Cincinnati and on blogs. What effect continues to pulse from this “frozen knowledge”

Commonly called “social media”- it is really only media that we socialize around.

Note the players in the pattern- blog, video, widgets, twitter, conversation, inspiration, virtual meeting…and elements unknown.

Popularity: 9% [?]

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Vacation time and as it is traditional- when I take them (like never) I give out a nod and this one goes out to my respected mentor- Steve Rosenbaum, who recently said,

“So a new class of producers is emerging, and within that class there is some very high quality material that speaks to audience with passion, authority, and conviction. This is a good thing. Its good for consumers, it’s good for new makers, and its good for technology providers.

The shift moves the power from the owner of the network, to the creator of the most compelling content. And that’s going to be important for all of us.”

If you want to see a taste of micro content, of the new rise of creators speaking with passion, authority and conviction read on.

These are the stories that fire me up, that make me believe that media is of the people and for the people. That it is what we do, and what we say that can move mountains. Small sparks that erupt into infernos, grass roots efforts like Paul at Castlecops, or kung-fu artists like Paperghost.

Steve here you go. From an earlier comment on accountability and fraud in virtual worlds Ms. Stewart posts:

What can I do here? What solutions or remedies can I offer? How can I make SecondLife better than I found it? What would I want my children to look back and see?

and…

Am I now just pointing fingers myself, and stirring the drama I dislike? Yes, I am. I am angry and I have good reason to be.

A friend told me this is a pivotal time, an important time and what we do, whether it is perceived as a game or reality, is shaping the world. I could grind axes until there is nothing but a tiny piece of metal left, I could keep up this warfare and allow it to serve no purpose other than an outlet for my anger.

What can I do here? What solutions or remedies can I offer? How can I make SecondLife better than I found it? What would I want my children to look back and see?

From here, the warfare will cease. This will be my time to cool off and offer up solutions to those willing to listen, instead of pointing fingers. We can share Ideas instead of pointless bickering.

and…

Life is full of deception. It’s how you handle the deception by prevention and education that helps mitigate losses, and ultimately risk.

This is Shania. I have officially spoken my peace.

You can accept me for who I am and what we can do together, or you can point your fingers in the mirror, keep in mind the mirror will point back.

This is Shania. I have officially spoken my peace.

That is what it is all about- our stories, our lives, our convictions, our passion and knowing that what we do and what we say can make a difference. That difference can ripple the fabric. We are people and we are human but we know what to do, and what must be done.

But back to Steve….who has inspired many posts:

History:

We ended up conversing back and forth after a brief intro from collaborator and another mentor, Brian Clark, as I had been blogging on censorship in India and javascript injection and caught up in what I called Rosenbaum’s dilemma.

We bonded around our views of that “Web 2.0″ thing, and I was intrigued by his Magnify.net platform- with the ability to create channels and get feedback it led to my own thoughts on ways to do this tool- we talked. Takeaway- Think niche, think long tail, think community. (And I think I showed Steve a thing or two about thinking like an A.I. agent.). During that time I wanted to see if any community could be built with just a lump of symmetrical media. Would we, as people, seek to put order to the mass? No other agents. No big budgets, just media on a niche topic and some passion.

Yes. It worked shockingly well, and the little known niche of “machinima” (Hat tip to moo money) gets a little more exposure. Then we talked about monetization since I had some experience in that realm and a strange hybrid of security genes. It is a long story- maybe I can get movie deal Steve? Not with Clark…

So going on into my vacation I wanted to leave some thoughts- and perhaps the conviction of Shanai Stewart as we talked about how do you make it sustainable? Ack…boring inventory…Well you could widget around it, but no- that isn’t the full answer. Steve I think the key is, as I keep harping to you on skype over and over- break it out and hand over inventory control to platform users on the 50/50 model…let the users decide for themselves what and how to monetize the channel (watch out for those “Adware” deals- stop that cold) or not too monetize it. The know it. It is their passion.

The choice of coin is in their hands. As Sam and I like to say- it could be influence, or making a difference, or just having different and unique ideas to expose. At the least you and they can always use the mass of the collective and if they can’t beat that- they can join it. Some will fail, some will fail badly- but we will learn.

Open up the inventory at Magnify and just as we know what to magnify or to create, and measure we will figure out what to put there too…or work together and find that solution.

I am Wayne Porter…off to rest on my vacation and think about what I may contribute in the way of solutions and more importantly recharge with my wonderful wife (saint) and two kids who tolerate the crusader inside Dad…and Steve- the Monkey Phone Call is on the house…and another chapter is written on media I hope we can read in 100 years. Video your thoughts…or twitter them.

The Sounds of Thunder echo…Snowcrash has arrived at our doorstep…and the fiery chain reaction is closed in loop or rather it spreads further as I finally meet Fleep today and we talk about education, memes and graffiti moving to tee-shirts; on to zines and into blogs. This as we move and socialize around what we create and others create for us. “Social Media”.

I thank you all for your campfires, your stories, and your convictions. As a jedi master once told me- find your Zen.

ADDENDUM: Gigaom’s property covers Rosenbaum’s decision. Steve just keep the malware or adware out!

Popularity: 9% [?]

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Funny to see this in the New York Times. I guess they figured out Mr. Skin wasn’t porn. Having met Jim McBride I can say he is a very down to earth fellow.

Mr. McBride, 44, a former futures trader, made nude-scene compilations on VHS tapes as a hobby before starting the site in 1999. Today his privately held company has nearly 40 employees, and Mr. McBride, the majority owner, appears frequently on radio shows (including Howard Stern’s) to highlight the naughty bits on new theatrical and DVD releases.

Given that Mr. Skin is in the business of selling access to copyrighted material without permission, it might seem logical that the company would be mired in legal challenges, but it is not. Mr. Skin bills itself as a movie-review site — though one that assesses only starlet nudity — so Mr. McBride argues that the clips can be shown under the fair-use doctrine, which permits excerpting copyrighted material for the purpose of criticism.

That legal defense turns out to be moot, though, because the movie studios not only tolerate Mr. McBride but also court him by sending advance screeners of DVD releases.

“The movie companies aren’t stupid,” Mr. McBride said. “I’m a guest on radio shows at least 300 times a year as the expert on celebrity nudity in film. If I’m on the radio talking about a movie like ‘Ask the Dust,’ and telling guys, ‘You’ve got to check it out: Salma Hayek has a full-frontal at the 33-minute mark,’ it’s going to make guys want to rent or buy the movie.”

Popularity: 4% [?]

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