I came across a couple very interesting pieces of Second Life machinima this week. Interesting, not just because of their quality, which is certainly way above average... but also because of their style and subject matter.
The videos in question are, in fact, some of the first corporate-created machinima that I have personally seen. (Thanks, Shel Holtz, for clueing me in.) They have the same level of quality as something like Lip Flap, but that's where the similarities end. These are cleverly crafted marketing tools, real businesses selling real products and services. It is a thought-provoking development, and one that warrants our attention and discussion, because it remains to be seen what the serious business discovery of machinima as a medium means for it as a genre, and as a community.
The first video is for a public relations firm called Text 100 (video is here). They are selling Second Life as a business collaboration environment as much as they are selling their own services as facilitators of virtual business-to-customer contact. The film is a phenomenal showcase of Second Life's capabilities like in-game streaming video and custom visuals. Voiceovers could have benefitted from a professional touch in this video, but the script is textbook marketing language and very effective.
Even stronger production-wise is the second video, one for NMC Campus (video is here). This film focuses on more creative kinds of interaction, and basically sees the world of Second Life as a three dimensional extension of the World Wide Web. Very compelling, and extremely well made.
Having only been born in Second Life less than a week ago, I have already developed somewhat of an appreciation for the hard work and creative skill required to construct well-designed architecture, objects, and even avatars. And let me say, the degree of work which went into the locales shown in these videos is stunning, in both scope and professionalism.
What I am keeping a healthy dose of skepticism about right now is the long-term ramifications of corporate participation in a world like Second Life, and more particularly in machinima. To a degree, it's probably an inevitable co-mingling; congregate a lot of people in one place, real or virtual, and sellers will be attracted there in order to find buyers. The money infusion which can follow can fund projects which need it. Corporations are, of course, just groups of people organized around an objective, which is why a kneejerk panic is unwarranted.
I guess its having seen some of the side effects (*cough*) of corporate prescence on the WWW itself that brings about a cautious wait-and-see attitude before I go rolling out the red carpet.
Is it hypocritical that I do not have nearly the same sense of skepticism about smaller-time entrepreneurs who are trying to etch out a living in SL? I am not alarmed by their prescence at all. I know what you're thinking, and the answer is: NO, I am not being at all influenced by the cute Second Life Amsterdam "escort" I chatted up this weekend. Let's just leave her out of this, okay?
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I've always had an interest in Second Life, but worry that it might be too comsuming has kept me from joinging. I'm not suprised at this development in SL towards commercial use. I read an article a few months ago that mentioned that a dept in the federal government set up an island display for tsunami's. Once the feds were paying to get in, I knew that Linden Lab was going to hit paydirt eventually by creatively combing business AND pleasure. There' money to be made in virtual space, boy howdy. Exploitation? Of course, but somehow it doesn't seem so dirty in Virtual Space.
The two machinima you link are fascinating examples of the new effort to include business in SL. I have a feeling that, for good or ill, the synthesis of entertainment and commerce that's comsumed our present culture will certainly appear in SL. However, after reviewing the "escort" link, I wonder whether it might just be for the better. She's cute.
I'll be following your adventures in SL with interest. Please post when you find something interesting.
People have sex with each other in that game? People paying real money for virtual strips and sex?
Only the elephant man has an excuse in that situation.
Those guys who put in 120 hours of WoW time a week are off the hook.