I can tell you that from my perspective, it was truly an honor and a privilege to lead a stellar organization team for Second Life’s sixth birthday festivities over the last several months. It was a labor of love that I can say with unbridled honesty has been the single most satisfying experience of my Second Life so far. I have such a tremendous amount of respect for the Second Life community, and consider myself so fortunate to be part of a world brimming with such startling creativity that both awes and inspires me daily. To those who participated and contributed to the event I extend my most sincere gratitude. Thank you for allowing me to be a part of the celebration.

I am rather nostalgic about Second Life in general. Having been involved from the final day of 2002, seeing how far it has evolved from that bare-naked baby of a world it was then to the full grown virtual environment that has literally set the benchmark for all that will follow; I feel a certain devotion to Second Life that cannot be easily explained. It has provided me so many opportunities that would never have come my way without it. It has given me cherished friendships that I have taken beyond the realm of Second Life, and into the heart belonging to my first life person. A very long time ago when I was very ill, the Second Life world fulfilled a critical human need. Back then, as sufferer of a condition called agorophobia, Second Life made me feel I had a purpose. I was an instructor, a mentor, an events coordinator in those early days. I was part of something bigger than myself with people whose talents I respected and admired. It was a small window into the outside world that I didn’t have access to back then. As a survivor of that condition today, I fully believe that this platform played an integral role in my recovery. I will be forever in the debt of Second Life, and the people who have made it what it is - both staff and community.

To have participated in the 5th Birthday in the final moments of it’s organization last year, I took on the task because I believed it was something truly remarkable; to be afforded the opportunity to help bring together an effort that marked a milestone in the evolution of Second Life and celebrate it’s wonderfully diverse community. Granted the circumstances were not ideal. I had come in a mere month before the launch, and was appointed lead organizer only after the previous ones had left. I was not aware of things that had occurred before my arrival, and so my knowledge was, at best limited. I could only do my best to move the event forward, and despite everything else I was glad to have been a part of it.

When the event was proposed to me again this year, I saw it as an opportunity to be involved from day one and really do my very best to create an event that would be unsurpassed. It was my love letter to Second Life and the people within it. I wanted it to be extremely positive and absolutely unforgettable. I believe that alongside some of the most gracious volunteers on the grid, that has been achieved. Second Life’s Sixth Birthday was the most successful birthday event ever. While it would be nice to say it was my doing - such a statement would be an untruth. If it were not for Dusty Linden, Poid Mahovlich, Toxic Menges, Glimmer Silverstar, Jewelkicker Spearmann and countless other volunteers who devoted incredible amounts of time to the realization of this project, of whom without it would not have achieved even half the success it has. Which, in my mind and heart takes it all full circle for me: It is indeed what the nature of Second Life has always been about, the engine that has driven the locomotive in a forward motion. That is collaboration and shared passion.

As quickly as the world within Second Life has changed, so has the one outside in that place we call real. Due to the economy I was laid off last August and became one of the many who found themselves a statistic of a historical economic low point. It was extremely disheartening and I had been living off of my savings. Well, thankfully that time has come to an end. I have been offered a community position with fantastic company that will inevitably require my full attention from this point onward, and it was with a heavy heart I have had to remove myself from the upcoming Burning Life event in Second life.

I’ll still be around though, toiling away with what free time I have making machinima whenever possible! I will always be a part of the Second Life universe. All this means is that I will be far to busy to commit my time to the events that I have really enjoyed participating in. The community definitely deserves someone who can give it their all and I know that there is someone out there willing and eager to collaborate with SL’s amazing volunteers to create some astounding interactive events! I think it was fitting that this phenomenal birthday has been my last. It was a blessed experience from start to finish and something I will keep with me always. Please accept my deepest gratitude for inviting me into your Second Lives during those events I was lucky enough to have been a part of, from those early days teaching new arrivals to build in 2003 to the Day of Remembrance to this last big Horrah! of a birthday party. I hope that your all find your Second Lives as beautifully enriched as you have made mine.

Phaylen

Numbers was the third resident eliminated from “I Wanna Be A Celebrity” week before last (Whats this? I’m a week behind in my podcasts!?) and we were all sad to see him go. Computer issues unfortunately took their toll on his performance in the critical building round and I imagine it was ultra frustrating for a guy who makes his living in second life as a builder!

So, I caught up with Numbers for a post-celebrity discussion to find out how things have been going for him. He’s an absolute delight and we had a ball during our chat session. He shares his feelings on other cast members, tells us us wether or not he is a homophobic after comments made regarding his quips regarding ex-contestant ViktorKouture caused a stir, and even tells us a story about the Man-Panties he wears!

We come a bit unhinged in this episode, friends, sit back and enjoy the ride!

 

 Gabbing with Numbers Rossini [32:31m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Another week, another winner and another goodbye. I really enjoyed watching the resident team up with mentor Lumiere Noir on the building challenge last Friday. I think Lumiere is just the very picture of grace and I could totally see his schoolteacher roots because he was so considerate and thoughtful with the contestant.

Despite that, it was a particularly rough shoot. Number seemed to have ever problem his computer could possibly throw at him that day. Just hours before filming he notified us that his computer had gotten something called the Vundo Virus and it kept booting him offline. Somehow he manage to make it to the set, but throught the challenge crashed four times and he was really getting frustrated. Time was kept of his minutes offline so they could be reapplied to his half hour time limit in effort to give him a fair shot.

Edge had a really difficult start this week. Not everyone in Second Life is a builder, so for those of us who aren’t, you can imagine the real challenge of having to apply lessons learned from a single half hour crash course. He stayed pretty static for awhile, making a ball, then a stick, then deleting them. As he struggled, everyone in production chat noticed, it was almost painful to watch!

And then…

As if the skies opened up and a ray of sun shone down on him, something clicked and he got it. He just got it, and prims began appearing and taking shape at mach speed and suddenly there was this magnificent structure here and we all stood with our mouths hanging open like: What just happened here? Talk about a total 180 degree turn.

Amariah and Lucy both really stepped up their game, their builds were really powerful and professional grade structures. I had no idea that they’d turn out such quality work- but by far Edge was the surprise of the challenge… along with Numbers. Numbers is a builder by profession in Second Life so the challenge was really right up his alley. Most likely due to his technical complications and general anxiety as a result, the structure suffered.

At the elimination, Lumiere chose Amariah as the winner of the challenge, and she walked away with L$5,000 as a reward. When the moment of elimination came, Lumiere chose Numbers who told the cast they were awesome as he made his final exit. The technical issues he withstood were audible in his farewell interview, much of which they couldn’t air.

So now we’re down to three! And Thursday you can catch my interview with Numbers Rossini right here at the website!

Missed last weeks episode? Watch it below, or alternatively here (link) in HD.

For those of you who watch the Metaverse TV Reality Show “I Wanna Be A Celebrity,” two weeks ago (Last week was a holiday) you watched as the contestants took on a photography challenge and were mentored by the amazingly talented media expert AWM Mars. In the first REAL elimination (One person prior was eliminated by the other contestants for not showing up!), the show said goodbye to Harley13 Tigerpaw.

I had the opportunity, for the first time, to actually sit down and meet the charming Southern Belle about her experiences on the series, her elimination and even on a decision she now regrets.

Each week I’ll be having a discussion with resident contestants of “I Wanna Be A Celebrity” as they are eliminated to find out some behind the scenes info and get some insight on what it was like to live a televised and very public adventure.

 

 Standard Podcast [21:33m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

So tonight I gathered with the girls (Toxic Menges, who was part of the production unit on Celebrity and Trinity Serpentine, the host of the show) to watch episode three of the series, which aired on MBC in Second Life and went live on Blip TV. Although we shot the series a couple months ago, it’s really interesting to see revisit it in episodic format. Memories tend to come flooding back.

Initially, when we realized that Viktorkouture had inexplicably gone missing for weeks leading up to the filming of this episode, we realized that we couldn’t start the challenges with only 4 contestants - all of who had dedicated weeks of time and effort already. Micah had been voted out of the program last week when he failed to show up, and the contestants had to choose which of the two to eliminate in a group vote. The decision to oust Micah left Viktor safe… imagine our shock when Viktor didn’t show up for the second week of filming.

The conversation you see at the beginning of the episode tonight was real and unscripted - as everything is with Celebrity. When we had to have a meeting that had any effect on the show, the contestants or the outcome, it was always recorded once a skype call commenced. Trinity had notified us that she needed to speak with Rob and I and it needed documented - the video shot to accompany the dialogue that transpired was shot later so that viewers would not have to watch a black window and simply hear voices.

Our original intention was to reintroduce Micah into the series even though he had been eliminated the week before. With Viktor gone, it seemed the fair thing to do - except that Micah himself was incredibly difficult to nail down. At that point, since the contestants were bound to confidentiality agreements, we knew that Micah didn’t even know that he had been eliminated….

Or did he?

In an odd turn of behind-the-scenes events, we came to suspect that someone had leaked the fact that Micah had been eliminated. Every attempt to contact him, he skirted us. He probably thought we were trying to contact him to tell him he had been voted off… if indeed someone had leaked the results of the previous weeks events to him, however, nobody but three of us knew we were going to ask him back in light of Viktor’s absence - and without that knowledge, Micah completely avoided contact with us throughout the following week - and when Trinity and Robustus finally did track him down for a meeting, he said he had technical difficulties and couldn’t be on voice.

Ultimately, I decided that because of our inability to synchronize with Micah, we had to move forward with someone else from the interviews. That person was Lucy, who appeared in tonight’s episode for the first challenge - and the first elimination. It proved to be the right decision because even despite the difficulty we had with getting Micah to respond, we still tried to include him in as many aspect as possible. In collective photoshoots, while he was notified two weeks before, he didn’t show up to appear in a session or interview with the rest of the cast. To that effect, I decided to take the bull by the horns and contact him myself and got him to agree to come for a photoshoot by himself the following day, and he did show up!

I think he’s brilliantly talented, and would have loved to have had his participation and communication. Alas, it just was not to be.

Lucy blew into the show like a storm - Tonight featured the contestants being mentored by he indomitable AWM Mars, an expert in visual arts and media and a creative force to be reckoned with! The challenge was virtual photography and he spent a great deal of time with the contestants (Although heavily edited for time) teaching them different techniques in manipulating in-world photography. Lucy said it was right up her alley and she wasn’t kidding apparently, she came, she saw, and she conquered the first challenge. AWM chose her as the winner of the challenge!

And sadly, Harley was eliminated. I remember it was our first elimination, so while we all knew it was coming, I don’t think anyone was prepared for the emotional consequences of it. Let me preface by saying these contestants are absolutely the cream of the crop of Second Lifers. They are all talented adults, immeasurably kind and generous with their support for each other - they had all established strong bonds and friendship. While there was some light spirited competitive heckling going on, none of them - not ONE - took it out of context. I couldn’t have chosen better people had I hadn’t picked them myself.

Over the previous weeks while we, as the crew, had to maintain a distance from the contestants beyond the show (No fraternizing due to potential conflict of interests) we did develop a sort of one side relationship with them. They were our kids, and we came to really, really appreciate them for who they were as people.

When AWM called Harley13’s name as the individual eliminated, I swear it went quiet for a good 60 seconds. Nobody spoke. I remember looking down at production chat and seeing Robustus suddenly say “Say something!” And then heard Trinity on voice. I think we all, including AWM who had just spent a couple hours with them, were a bit gutted, because Harley is an extremely sweet and genuinely real person.

I wouldn’t have wanted to be in AWM’s shoes. I suppose it’s fortunate for me that I sit behind a camera rather than being the one having to make these choices, because they are not easy ones to make.

But! Can I just say that AWM Mars is beyond awesome. He taught me things just in watching that even I didn’t know - which is ultimately what the whole series is about!

See you next week! Watch the show below or in high def on blip!

I know the plight of the Second Life content creator is a challenging one. An insurmountable amount of time goes into crafting with great precision something that will bring you pennies. And while you toil away, you have the ever present threat of copybot hovering on the horizon like a dark cloud. Sometimes it’s hard to stay inspired. And then, to top things off, you’ve got innumerable Hunts happening on what has become a constant basis for every event imaginable and they’ve lost that ever-so-special feeling of truly being an event. The community is torn between the pros and cons of free items made readily available, and that debate continues - even by those who don’t even make content at all writing scathing blogs on the subject.

I have been a content creator in Second Life. I have been the recipient of free items, and I have been the one who gives. I have been copybotted (Although he only got my vendors - and then left them on my neighbors land along with all the Bare Rose demos he botted and disassembled… hello.. Wesleybottwo Dotson is STILL searchable in world.)

I appreciate the hours upon hours you invest in your efforts.

I have spent a good while thinking about what I’m about to propose. Six years ago when I began second Life, there was no currency exchange. The world itself was not driven by economy, but by the desire to create and to share. Help was readily available, and it was never undermining to ask for it when one needed assistance. We collaborated on a great many things and back then, there was never concern about IP theft or the fearsome copybot. A DMCA was probably a big haired rock band from the 70’s I’d never heard of. However, as with all things, our world has evolved. With the advancements in our tools and skills and the burgeoning economy with real world implications, the complexity of commerce has grown with leaps and bounds… but one thing remains the same. The world of Second Life was build on the backs of content creators, and it is today’s content creators that keep things moving in a forward motion, in essence, inspiring the world that will be here years and years from today. Regardless of the direction Second Life takes in the years to come, this era of creation will have an indelible influence on the virtual worlds of the future. No matter who you are or what you create, be it for entrepreneurial purposes, creative satisfaction, or both, you are not just creating a Second Life item, but instead paving the road that hundreds of thousands will follow in your wake.

With Second Life’s 6th Birthday upon us, we are moving into the second half of a decade. By comparison to the real world, it has evolved at warp speed and continues to do so. One year is Second Life equates to ten in real life. Everything happens much faster, technology is being revealed at a neck-breaking speed (Remember a time before Flexi’s and lighted object? Next will be dynamic shadows.) Socially, things seem to move even faster, we regard people born in 2006 as “oldbies.” Milestones met become the markers of the past, and those of you here even just a couple of years have enough root in SL to look back and remember the world before*insert change here*.

So, this year the theme of Second Life’s 6th Birthday is The Future Of Virtual Worlds. And as I thought long and hard about how to encompass that term and make it into something tangible rather than just doing the obvious, I decided to go backward in one instance. Back to a time when the world was just a mere echo of itself as it is today… when the terrain on which the future residents would create was still fresh with potential undiscovered. When we eagerly created things and enthusiastically shared them as we pushed the envelop of the capability of this new frontier.

I decided that I would approach Second Life content creators and ask them to make an item for or contribute a pre-made item that represented THEIR vision of the future of virtual worlds on behalf of the Birthday quest that has been organized. Because I know your work is valuable and so is your time, I didn’t want to ask any content creator to give us anything that would we would give away free, indefinitely, but instead just for the duration of the week long event, and in moderation. If a content creator said “Phay, I am only really comfortable giving away 7 copies of my futuristic prefab” I am able to ensure exactly that. With a program created by the talented Gypsy Paz, we have created a system that will allow tiers of items to be given away. Some finds will be common and then some will be rare. They will not remain static in one position, but disappear after being discovered… and reappear somewhere else with another gift inside. The quest will always be a new experience for each player.

And, as I’m a writer, I could allow it to happen without the one thing necessary to keep even me interested. A great storyline! Near an enormous Birthday Box harboring all of the goodies, an alien spaceship has crashed. The rodent sized creatures with gangly arms and spindly legs have stolen the gifts and run off around the 20 region Birthday grid… and to get the presents for the Birthday back, our hunters must find them. And they are snotty, sarcastic little beings - so small they barely reach an avatars ankle, but big on attitude. Should you find one, watch your text, they’ll hand over the gift but not without telling you off first.

There is so much to this game that makes it unique. I’ve also made sure that content creators who contribute to this event have a landmark to their store given out - and we will also place your name on a Birthday Quest plaque on the grid so that all residents know which merchants contributed. When I decided to approach you, the community content creators, I wanted to be able to say I was organizing more than another hunt, but instead crafting an interactive event with a new twist that was deserving of your participation. My goal is to do something genuinely in the spirit of this Birthday milestone and to celebrate the content creators who, through thick and thin, keep making our world what it is, and what it will be.

Now for the downside - Because everything with regard to this event is scripted and run from an external server that tells our critters where to rezz with what item it can be a bit taxing on the regions, especially when the Birthday Festivities are in full swing, so I am only able to accept a limited number of items for inclusion. I mean, really when you think about it, a hunt with 300 items/locations or more isn’t so much fun when the idea of completing it is less a challenge and more a full time job that is overwhelming. So, out of consideration to region performance, minimize potential for system errors, I have to be reasonable with the number of items in rotation.

Now, if you’re still with me and interested, this is what I’d love to see. We’re trying to get you, the world’s makers, to envision what the virtual worlds will be like in the future. What will architecture look like? What will the fashion trends be? What will our Avatars be sporting for nifty gadgets and fun toys. From hair to transportation/teleportation pods, what will we see? I’d like you to share that with me by crafting something you may not have ever thought to craft before… go to extremes, visit that place in your mind and have a look around, and then share it with all of us for one week in the birthday quest.

If you would like to participate, which I would consider a true blessing to have any of you involved, be you a fashion designer, car maker, do-dad creator, sculpty artist, builder, avatar maker, whatever - please leave your Second Life name in the comments section of this post and I’ll contact you in-world.

Here is a brief FAQ for your consideration.

Q. Do I have to make something new?

A. No, if you’ve already made something that represents your vision of the future, please feel free to submit it!

Q: How much time do I have if i want to make something new?

A: We will need your items by June 3rd. The birthday begins on June 23rd and lasts until June 29th. We have to be able to have time to load all the items into the server and troubleshoot settings for each item and time sequencing.

Q: I have something I’d like to donate but also sell it in my store so I don’t want just everyone to have it and nullify my own attempts to sell. Can you limit the number you distribute for free?

A: Absolutely, just let me know how many items you feel comfortable with distributing and we can make certain that the script is set to only “rezz” that many copies over the duration of the week long event.

Q: I made a futuristic skin, but it is nude and the event is only PG! Will I get smacked across the knuckles for that?

A: No. Skins are considered a part of our world, and without them we’d be worse than naked. The PG standard of the Birthday event applies to elements exposed in public that any particular visitor may otherwise find disturbing of offensive. The PG content stands as our attempt to make all visitors to birthday comfortable and have the event remain accessible to everyone regardless of their varying preferences. However, you know that Manbeater 3000 cat-o-nine tails whip that bleeds on the slash command… yeah that I’d probably have to pass on but I appreciate the thought!

Q: Can I include a landmark to my shop/mall despite it being in a mature region.

A: Yes! Only content exhibited or experienced on the Birthday Grind has an enforced PG protocol. We maintain no control or impose regulations on the rest of the grid - their rating is their own, and left to the discretion of the traveler.

Q: What do the permissions of my object have to be?

A: When you submit your object to me, it MUST be full permissions. I’m telling you this now so it is with full disclosure that you know I will be responsible for the handling of your content and I know that is incredibly important. However, it will not be distributed as full permissions. I will modify the objects permissions myself per your directions. Please include with your submission exactly what permissions you wish the item to have on distribution and I will make sure to comply with them.

Q: So, I’d like to participate, how does this work?

A: Here’s how this works.

1: Leave your name/store name in the comments section below.

2: In the coming days I will be contacting you with a “Creator Package” that will include clear directions for submitting and a notecard for you to fill in and send back to me upon submission of your item. The notecard will ask you what permissions you’d like your item to have on distribution, how many copies of your item you are permitting us to distribute via the quest, and exactly how you would like yourself or your store credited on the contributor plaque. I will ask that you pack it all into a single package - be it a gift box or a plain prim cube. Try not to hand me folders, please! When the object you created is distributed, it must be boxed. Our aliens have small inventories.

3: Before June 3rd, you return the object for distribution and notecard to me for entry into the database.

Q: How will I know if you still have a slot for me to donate an item or if you’ve already met your limit.

A: I will update this post when we have received the number of objects permitted to ensure a smooth and diverse event without crippling the complex system in place. I will be accepting people on a first come/first serve basis in an effort to be fair. I will work with respondents to this article in descending order until we have filled our slate.

Q: I have something ready, can I send it to you now?

A: No, I can’t accept anything yet. It wouldn’t do anything but sit in my own dirty inventory until the system is ready to be used. Hang on to your item. Submissions will begin at the end of this month to give others time who wish to make something new, and allow the scripter time to perfect his system. We will have a four day window of submissions beginning Sunday, May 31st until June 3rd. After that we cannot accept anything else. If this seems hyper-restrictive with time and limitations, I urge you to remember that I am handling this with only one other person and at the same time coordinating the entire birthday event. It helps keep me organized when I know what to expect when.

Q: Can I contact you in world if I have questions?

A: You can! But I spend a great majority of my time in Second Life working and in meetings or in an external program like a skype conference. I cannot promise you that I will see your message or that it won’t get swallowed in the dozens that I receive when I return to my window or from busy mode. Sometimes I crash before I can grab any of them if I am AFK. However, I encourage you to ask any questions you may have below in the comments section. This way, I can respond directly and promptly, and others who may have similar questions will be able to reference the exchange. If you need to contact me in Second Life, please drop me a notecard rather than an instant message - lately (I never thought I’d be one say this!) my im’s are capped and I have missed quite a few things!

At this point I am only gathering a list of names of kind people who are giving me their trust and despite the current hostility toward freebies and overabundant hunts, interested in participating in something unique for the 6th Birthday of Second Life.

Whether you wish to participate or not, I hope that each of you will attend the Birthday Festivities this year. I know around this time it always appears a bit of a ruckus is kicked up due to policy or, well, anything else somebody can find to be exceedingly dissatisfied with Linden Lab over - but I hope you will remember that it is a group of volunteer residents, like yourselves, who have given so much of their time and talents to create a forum and event that others can be immersed in and enjoy. It is a love of this world, and this community that invokes the desire for us to undertake such a massive task. The best reward we can ask for is that you attend and enjoy the experience we’ve tried to create.

Thanks for enduring this long post! And I genuinely hope to see each of you at the Birthday Party!

If you caught the second episode of Celebrity tonight, you know already I had to show my mug on screen, which is something I intended not to do when setting out on this adventure… however I don’t think any of us could have prepared for the curve ball thrown at us during that evening.

We literally waited up until filming time and then over an hour and a half beyond hoping with all hope that the two missing contestants would arrive. Ultimately, it became painfully obvious that wasn’t going to happen. The cast was always kept in a public chat and on SL voice while the crew communicated via skype so we wouldn’t impede on their conversations. As you can imagine, with two contestants missing it threw everything off the mark - everything! Our mentor didn’t have a full cast to mentor, and we couldn’t allow any contestant to skip a session… that would have been unfair to those who arrived. I remember Robustus asking everyone on the crew if we should just cancel or reschedule. It’s difficult scheduling everyone to begin with, with so many different calenders to accommodate, including those of very busy mentors who are professionals lending us their valuable time as well as a crew in two different countries - not to mention at all the fact that it would have put us a whole week behind in our own production schedule, it didn’t seem like an option.

The cogs were turning in my head, everyone was waiting, there was still no Micah and no Viktor - so in an impulsive moment I made a decision without really anyone knowing what I was doing. I told the cameramen to put the camera on the doors and told Trinity I was coming in. There was no time to explain, it was already very late. As I walked in I was watching chat and seeing them say “What is she doing!?” but fortunately they trusted me - Heaven knows why… but it seemed the most appropriate thing to do was put the fate of these two contestants in the hands of those who DID show up and who had been waiting for almost two hours for something to happen. It kept us on schedule, and as planned, we were one down, 5 to go…

Watch it here! Or, alternatively, in HD here http://blip.tv/file/2087819

This Friday the second Episode of I Wanna Be a Celebrity airs on Metaverse TV. The premiere episode has been a runaway hit for everyone involved. I’ve been making films in Second Life for a few years now and I can say with all honest that I’ve never had a premiere of anything debut with such high viewership numbers!

The folks who participated in this program were simply stellar - both in front of and behind the camera. I’m convinced that no one could have been a better host than Trinity whose talent just blows me away. I suppose all her years in radio really primed her for such a challenging gig. I have known her for awhile, many years in fact, and had never worked with her before this. It really gave me the opportunity to appreciate a different side of her, the worker bee side that is no less dedicated and diligent than her loyalty as a friend. So yeah, seeing her pour hundreds of hours into this program for months and never one single time complain … definitely made me something of a fangirl. As I understand the anatomy of Second Life, I realize that the likelihood of ever finding a comparable gem to set upon the task she undertook is virtually nonexistent.

I feel the same way about the cast. While we were in production, I didn’t really get the opportunity to have “Getting to know you time.” I had to, like everyone on the crew, maintain a distance, and fraternizing with them was against policy so we didn’t face any conflict of interests. That was really difficult because while I spent my time behind the camera, I watched their experiences unfold and developed a one-sided relationship with each of them - I think all of us on the crew did - and thus each elimination became more and more emotional for all of us watching.

At times I think the drama behind the scene was more intense than what happened in front of the cameras during filming. The production team, and committed as everyone was, seemed cursed! Since we couldn’t anticipate issues that arose (Take your pick, everything that could happen, did!) we were often left scrambling in the final moments before production to find resolve. You’ll see a perfect example of this in the next episode-

AND speaking of the next episode: This Friday it arrives fresh off the production platter and ready to serve. Drama right out of the gate! Your feedback is critical, so please, let any of us know your thoughts - it makes us all better at what we do in the long run and is definitely appreciated.

SO watch this Friday! 5pm Pacific (or SLT for you Sec, 8pm Easten!

The last 6 months have been hugely busy for me! And now you know why. “I Wanna Be A Celebrity” premiered on Metaverse Television last night at 10pm EST 7pm Pacific! It was so amazing to sit and watch this things all together in one piece with those who participated - Last night was an awesome opportunity to reconnect with some of them I hadn’t seen in awhile. This was something new to all of us - while i had been involved in some context with Reality Shows in Second Life in the past (Big Brother) they just seemed poorly executed and missing a key component - that being the value of people character, the insight into their Second Lives. There was nothing intimate about things like Big Brother, we were monkey on Parade accruing votes to stay in the game… I wanted to do something both unique and contributory to Second Life, and I think, along with an incredible team and cast, we’ve made an insurmountable achievement.

Here is the first episode, and here in High Res - stay tuned until the very end for the trailer of whats to come this season!

You can watch I Wanna Be A Celebrity Fridays at 10pm EST 7pm SLT (Pacific).

So after 7 weeks of planning, filming and organizing,  Celebrity is has been put in the bag and is cooking in preparation for it’s May 1st debut on Metaverse TV. This last few months have been such an amazing experience for me, and one I’ll most certainly always remember. I’ve learned so much over the duration of the show about things, about people and most importantly about myself! I am really excited about the premiere of the show. It represents so much hard work by so many vastly talented men and women from around the globe who collectively invested hundreds upon hundreds of hours to make things happen. It was the perfect example of Second Life teamwork, and that is an environment I flourish in both professionally and creatively. So many people came to bat for us during our time in production and it was inspiring to be a part of.

Now I have some time to step away for ahile, get some sun and relax. I’m sure by the end of it’s airing I’ll have had more time to reminisce on the experience in general, and the freedom to talk about it more openly, but in the meantime, I hope that the show benefits people in that they learn, or are motivated to learn something new within the platform.

Cheers to all involved!