The Drax Files

Recently the talented Machinima maker Draxtor Despres started on a new series of short videos about Second Life.

Especially meant to show the other side of this virtual world, those people and communities who are part of something, behave or are involved with those things that most outsiders don’t know are possible in our online universe.

That side of Second Life that is not just about shopping, chatting or virtual hanky panky.

Because, unfortunately, most people who are not themselves a part of Second Life, seem to think that that is the only thing that happens there.

I feel that one of Second Life’s biggest problems is it’s reputation.
So many people have no idea what Second Life is about, all the options it has to offer, all the possibilities.
And if they have any opinions about Second Life at all, they are usually negative.
Shaped by the horror stories from the media but also because Linden Lab isn’t actively trying to change that reputation.
They themselves often promote Second Life with images that reinforce some or all of the preconceptions people may have.

There is nothing wrong with that side of Second Life and I am sure many, if not most people here feel that shopping, chatting and the horizontal tango, are the most important sides of their online adventures.
Not something as boring as education and history.
But even if that is true, it can’t hurt to let people know that this too is a part of Second Life.
After all, the secret behind Second Life is that it is what we make it.
WE and YOU build it and we can make whatever we want.
Once visitors realise that, they stick around.
So I feel that Draxtor’s series is quite important as it is spreading that message as well.

The first episode was about Kriss Lehmann the owner of Botanical and creator of some very nice trees.
Our 1920s Berlin sim is full of them!
You can see this episode by clicking here.

I was very proud when Draxtor asked if he could make his next episode about the 1920s Berlin project and me.

Over the course of a week, Draxtor immersed himself into our little community and shot lots of film, eventually editing it together into the second episode of ‘The Drax Files’.

The episode turned out very nice and we’re happy to say that it has been received very enthusiastically.

But we’re also very happy that Draxtor felt so much at home in our neighbourhood and has been returning to our streets even after his work there was done.

You can see the episode here;

New movie in 1920s Berlin; Pandora’s Box with Louise Brooks

A new movie is now playing at the Asta cinema on Unter den Linden.

The very new and exciting ‘Die Büchse der Pandora’ (Pandora’s Box) with the young but promising actress Louise Brooks who’s hairstyle has inspired thousands of women all over the world.

Pandora’s Box (German: Die Büchse der Pandora) is a 1929 German silent melodrama film based on Frank Wedekind’s plays Erdgeist (Earth Spirit, 1895) and Die Büchse der Pandora (1904).
Directed by Austrian filmmaker Georg Wilhelm Pabst, the film stars Louise Brooks, Fritz Kortner, and Francis Lederer.
Brooks’ portrayal of a seductive, thoughtless young woman whose raw sexuality and uninhibited nature bring ruin to herself and those who love her, although initially unappreciated, eventually made the actress a star.

If the movie doesn’t work very well in Second Life or if you crash, you can also watch it online here;
http://www.youtube.com/watch_popup?v=Y6TF7r8bu4M

And because we are now using a new way of showing movies in Berlin, here are some instructions;

We use “shared media” on a prim.

Sadly this option ONLY works with viewers from the second generation or more recent.

Click the movie screen to start your movie, this will now play a youtube video on the screen.
If it is too laggy for you or if you can’t finish the movie, you can get the url of the video from our cinema signs so you can watch it on your computer on another time.

When you hover your mouse over the screen you see a little toolbar floating above it.
It has a few handy options you can experiment with, such as opening the video in your regular browser.

If you click the screen once, the youtube bar appears at the bottom, this is very handy of you want to watch this movie together with a friend in the cinema or if someone comes in late and wants to join in.
Simply click the screen and tell your friend where in the movie you are, you see the time in the youtube navigation bar.
By clicking the bar you can move forward or backwards in the movie so you can be sure you’re both watching the same.
This is also very handy if you want to pick up where you left of after you’ve crashed or had to go to RL for a moment.

Please remember to pause the movie when you’re done watching it, or you will hear the music wherever you go in Berlin.
If you still can’t get the movie to play, here are a few things you can look at that may fix your problems;

More background information on the “Shared media” feature here;
http://wiki.secondlife.com/wiki/Category:Shared_Media

Check your media settings;
Click at the top of your screen;
Avatar>preferences>Sound & Media
And then select ‘enabled’ behind the ‘Media’ slider.

If all fails, make sure you have the latest flash and video player software updates for your computer.
And that Javascripts are turned on.

Enjoy the movie!

The 1920s Berlin Project 3rd anniversary!!

On may 30th the 1920s Berlin Project is celebrating its 3rd anniversary!

And in times of economic and political turmoil our community is doing better then ever!

To celebrate this wonderful occasion we’re organising 5 days of fun, events, frolicking and excitement!
You are invited!

As always, we have a strict 1920s Dress code and only allow realistic avatars… but on Saturday everyone is welcome!
Read on to find out more.

We have something planned for every day but there are also some events that continue throughout the celebrations;

-The contest
We have a photo-contest around the theme “The Spirit of Berlin”.
You can make as many photos as you want and upload them to our Flickr group, but they have to have the title “The Spirit of Berlin”, mention our slurl and of course they should be taken in the 1920s Berlin sim to be eligible for the grand prize of 1000 Linden!!
http://www.flickr.com/groups/20sberlin/

-Gifts
There will be something nice for all our visitors who come to Berlin during these days of celebrations!
What it is will be a surprise!

-Carnival
For once Unter Den Linden will have a few fun carnival rides and will be decorated, come and see!

For all events the times are SL time (PDT).

***Wednesday 30th of may 1929***

Noon: opening of the museum exhibit; the 1920s Berlin Project sim history
2 pm anniversary Dance at the feet of the Brandenburg Tor!
The mondschein Dance orchestra will be playing the latest tunes.
Evening-dress required.

***Thursday 31st may 1929***

noon Premiere of Herr Kornonen’s new movie at the Asta Cinema
1 pm car rally trough the streets of Berlin, fastest driver wins 500 Linden!
2 Special Happy Hour at Der Keller with special surprise event to be announced!

***Friday 1st june 1929***

noon football match!
1 Treasure hunt! Lovely free 1920s items will be dropped throughout Berlin!
2 Special Happy Hour at Der Keller with special surprise event to be announced!

***Saturday 2nd june 1929***

Open door day – Everyone welcome in Berlin, just today we are abolishing the strict dress code, you’re welcome to visit in modern clothes, as a unrealistic avatar, etc.
Only the no nudity and no nazi rules will be upheld.
Some of the private residences will open their doors to the public as well and show you how they live!

noon Special Party bath hour at the Volksbad.
For once we will allow music, dancing, smoking and drinking in the pool!

2 pm The infamous Eldorado Club ha another wild night planned with performers on stage, DJ Myron Byron playing some swell tunes and a Best Drag outfit contest with prizes!
So girls come as boys, boys come as girls!
Of course cross dressing is voluntarily…

***Sunday 3rd june 1929***
12 noon All kids (and parents) welcome at the school where they will be told about a brand new contest involving cake and then we will have a KIDS COSTUMED foot race trough out the city!

1pm we are all visiting the exciting ‘Summer in Berlin’ exhibit made by the wonderful people of the Berlin archives!

2pm as a grand final we will have a deluxe Happy Hour at Der Keller with an auction and lots of fun!
Got something you want to auction? Something you made, a service… a date?
Bring it to Der Keller that night!
All proceeds go to the sim and you get a chance to go home with something (or someone) nice!

Berliners are invited to organise parties or special events during these days as long as they first contact Herr Zeno McAuley to check times, dates and possibilities.

The schedule can be changed and new events added.

Asphalt (1929) – the new movie at the Asta Film palast

A brand new movie is playing at the Asta Film Palast on Unter den Linden!

Asphalt (1929) is a German silent film. The film was one of the last silent films released in Germany as the world was entering the era of sound film.

It is about a well-dressed lady thief (Betty Amann) who steals a precious stone from a jewellery shop. The aged jeweller prefers to let the young woman go, but the policeman who catches her explains he is obliged to pursue the case further. She tries to seduce the policeman (Gustav Fröhlich), and he gradually succumbs to her charms, but her criminal background dooms their relationship when an argument leads to…

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0019655/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asphalt_%281929_film%29

You can actually see this movie inside a cinema within The 1920s Berlin project.

New movie at the Asta Filmpalast!

Yes Damen und Herren, we’ve changed the movie at the Asta Filmpalast.
One very suitable for October…

Nosferatu, eine Symphonie des Grauens (1922), is an 1922 German Expressionist horror film, directed by F. W. Murnau, starring Max Schreck as the vampire Count Orlok. The film is an unauthorized adaptation of Bram Stoker’s Dracula! Very scary!

Remember, you can always telephone the Asta (Berlin 3408) to find out what is playing at the moment.

Nosferatu in Asta Filmpalast