Wilderness Bliss: Prehistory of virtual Harbin in Second Life, Ethnographic Machinima

Harbin ethnography:


... Since OpenSim shares the same library of assets with Second Life, it's possible to connect the two virtual worlds via their grids.


Another prehistory of virtual Harbin in Second Life took form in the 14 minute, ethnographic Machinima I created in 2009 to characterize how the building of virtual Harbin works. One definition of Machinima is “a video of virtual world, particularly Second Life, action; it's a kind of 'machine animation.'” In “The Making of Harbin Hot Springs as Ethnographic Field Site in Second Life and Open Simulator” machinima, two avatars in a pool of water in the “Gardens of Bliss,” a beautiful 'build' (Second Life 'builds' can be creations of virtual terrain, in this instance made to resemble a mountain path with pools of water along the way), that no longer exists talk about Harbin Hot Springs as virtual field site and how to make it, and explore Second Life to see how this would work. With clothes on, Aphilo Aarde talks to Lizzy about how virtual Harbin will be built, and work, in Second Life as a field site. 'Builds' in Second Life can be constructed and taken down very quickly, and most builds allow most avatars to visit them, even if they didn't build them, so the making of virtual Harbin could happen very quickly. These two avatars then fly out over the, almost Yosemite-like, beautiful valley, constructed by Luna Bliss out of prims, or primitives, which are geometric shapes the size of which the builder can 'program,' and onto which the builder can add texture or color, to make, for example, this mountain terrain. This “Making of Harbin Hot Springs as Ethnographic Field Site” machinima characterizes most aspects of how virtual Harbin will emerge, currently, but doesn't explore in too much detail potential innovations.

'Holodecks' in Second Life are much more realistic than the current, somewhat cartoon-esque 'style' of SL. ....




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The Making of Virtual Harbin Hot Springs as Ethnographic Field Site in Second Life and Open Simulator - by Scott MacLeod in April 2009


Aphilo Scott MacLeod Virtual Harbin Introduction Apr 09

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3nhvcHw54GE










(http://scott-macleod.blogspot.com/2010/08/wilderness-bliss-prehistory-of-virtual.html - August 22, 2010)