For a couple of months we’ve been really looking forward to the International Machinima Expo - one which, by some circumstance will be held in Second Life this year! Woohoo! In our very own backyard! Now, there are many reason to be thrilled about this, it introduces people who may be otherwise oblivious to this new media film-making. Secondly, it’s happening in Second Life, a platform largely ignored by many of those who work across other platforms because of the unpredictability SL can throw at you - We know all about lag, clunky animations, sim crashes, oftentimes it can be frustrating, but we know the potential is HUGE, and we love it! So it’s nice to see many external machinimists step into the world and see… well, films mostly made outside of SL. Remember - It’s not an event intended to be SLcentric - It’s about machinima created globally in various engines and platforms - but it would have been nice to have seen a couple films made by some of SL machinimists, in my opinion - whatever thats worth! (We all know what they say about opinions!)
They will be hosting a panel called “Women in Machinima” during the festivities - Michelle Pettit-Mee will be on the panel. She has made some amazing shorts in the Sims 2 platform including the enchanting and poetic feature called “The Snow Witch” which is something every machinimist should see! Michelle is just one Machinimist whose talent was noted and embraced by real world game development company BioWare! Also serving on the panel is Beans Canning, who, along with her partner Michael, established a virtual office in Second Life for their production facility Pineapple pictures - together they have created quite a few animated shorts using Moviestorm and various other programs, and are filming a feature length film in SL (I think!) which should be really exciting!
I’m not altogether familiar with the other panelists, someone named LifeFactory Writer, and Lainy Voom who did a really lovely Sherwood Anderson adaptation entitled “The Dumb Man” about a year ago - but I was surprised and a little disheartened by the lack of presence of consistent machinimists who are, and have been making regular machinima content, or who are incredibly familiar with the trials, tribulations and triumphs of virtual filmmaking in a platform such a Second Life - Women who I would have tripped over my own feet to hear speak, and whom i would take notes from! There was no Chantal Harvey- a SL machinimist who has made some brilliant Machinima and also works in real life television production in the Netherlands, a woman who has crossed mediums and recognized and utilized virtual filmmaking as a viable storytelling tool again and again. Also, Kerria Seabrook, part of IllClan, who is breaking new ground with her fantastically funny Tiny Nations machinima is certainly a fresh voice that I think many budding or hopeful machinimists would love to quiz! Susi Spicoli is another ingenious machinimist who has made it a profession, she has done work for many real world businesses as well as documentaries within Second Life. CodeBastard Redgrave is a magnificently talented machinimist and innovator who invented the Machinicam AND the brand new FilterCam that many in the industry use within the platform, it has become a staple in the creative process, she, along with DiVAS, were invited to exhibit at the Virtual Renaissance at the Museum Of Natural History in Florence. She was also voted machinimist of the year by readers of The Avastar and is a remarkable photographer on top of everything else! Lyra Muse who does Machinima for Millions of us and has had her work shown internationally via the official GossipGirl Website and has translated many real world brands into Virtual machinima! Unfortunately, you won’t see any of these women at the Expo. 
There are so many women (And Men!) who are redefining machinima in Second Life and beyond, giving an industry that seems to typically get a dismissive eye-roll from outsiders some true validation! There are many exciting benefits to having the expo in Second Life, and, okay, aside from this small issue that makes my nose wrinkle, It truly deserves your full support! A whole new demographic can learn about machinima and get to know people making it happen, perhaps even be inspired to make some their own - that’s the original intention of Second Life, inspiration, imagination.
So head on over to the International Machinima Expo on November 9th, from 9am to 9om SLT. Visit the SLURL here: http://slurl.com/secondlife/Jamville/151/214/23 watch some amazing films!
See the program of events HERE.
***Edit***
It has been brought to my attention the indeed Kerria Seabrook is in fact participating in the expo! I’m thrilled! Their Tiny Nations machinima is one you shouldn’t miss! Thanks LifeFactory for correcting me!
