These slides illustrate the Virtual World Studio Presentation
"Virtual Worlds as Immersive Video Sets: Combining Online Virtual Worlds with Videographic Storytelling"
to the VLearn Conference on December 1, 2001
PANEL 3 - 1pm to 2pm PST - 4pm to 5pm EST - 9pm to 10pm GMT

Peer-to-Peer Mentoring in Living Knowledge Spaces
Chair, Bonnie DeVarco, VLearn3D, Media Tertia and the University of California, Santa Cruz
Panelists: Andrew M Phelps & Jeffrey Sonstein, Information Technology Dept. Rochester Institute of Technology,
Allan Lundell and Marian Sun McNamee Co-founders, Virtual World Studios
Virtual Location: VLEARN

VLearn Presentation by Virtual World Studios

Welcome all of you to our presentation. I am Allan Lundell of Virtual World Studios.

Hope you all enjoyed our little movie, made at our home studio in Boulder Creek, CA, high above the Redwood forests between
Silicon Valley and the vast Pacific.

For the geograhically oriented, this is where we are physically:
http://maps.yahoo.com/py/maps.py?Pyt=Tmap&addr=241+Dorrance&city=Boulder+Creek&state=CA&slt=37.137200&sln=-122.101700&name=&zip=95006-9511&country=us&BFKey=&BFCat=&BFClient=&mag=6&desc=&cs=9&newmag=5&poititle=&poi=

If you have not seen our 4 minute movie yet, you can click on the screens on the main stage and a web window should pop up on the
right side of your browser with available mirror sites. You need Real Player 8 installed on your PC. If you need the player, click here for the free download of version 8 from Real.

http://scopes.real.com/real/player/player.html?src=011011realhome_2,011011rpchoice_h2&dc=1221211130

Our goal with this simple flick, is to demonstrate how once very complex expensive storytelling processes, like the creation of
compelling cinematic movie sets for feature-length films,

are now within the skillsets of most reasonably-educated middle class first world families, and hence within the domain of online
family educational systems and networks.

How does one go about educating the famililial story-tellers and their cast of 'associates,' on the wielding of such powerful
illusion-generating tools?

Every familly has a story-teller, and often it is the one who is learning or is seriously interested in the camcorder/computer technology
in the home.

Some might even question the decentralization of such knowledge from a relative handful of directors in Hollywood, NY, Cairo,
Moscow, Hong Kong, and other dream factories.

We, however, feel that lots of others have dreams now ready for 'launch' into the 'meme streams' of the species.

The tools for major decentralization and pedagogical dissemination of this particular knowledge base are now here, and online virtual
world experiences are one of the best ways to teach them.

What is classically known as "the cinematic language," for example, can be taught very well via virtual worlds. The very nature of the
virtual worlds themselves lend themselves to learning this young language.

A good paper on cinema as language can be read at:
http://edweb.sdsu.edu/Courses/EDTEC653/EDTEC653s98/653.simmons.finalpaper.html

Even simpler than making videos, basic text-based online presentations in virutal worlds, like this one, can be visually enhanced by
using the built-in functions of the 3D browser we are currently using.

The very use of Avatars in a 3D world can teach elements of the cinematic language.

Avatar movements, for example, have more meaning when associated with what is being said in the text of the moment.

For example: "SEE ANY SUSPICIOUS AVATARS LURKING AROUND?" hit LOOK key..

Did you notice my Avatar looking around?

A simple example, and interestingly enough, this form of visual expression is just the opposite of subtitling in films.

Let me clarify this concept..

Typically, subtitles are following the pace of the film, rather than setting it. Describing, clarifying, but not leading. Here, in Avatar
worlds, the text drives the image rather than the other way around.

So, Avatar movements can be used for learning elements of the cinematic language, and variations of it. Avatars may even further
evolve our understanding of human visual language, an even bigger concept.

And, more pragmatically, we have found that Virtual Worlds can be used as 3D sets for cinematic expression. I will now ask my partner, Sun, to
join me on the stage for presenting some key information about our production and creative process.

(Sun avatar enters stage...) Hello everyone. (WAVE, Blow Kiss, etc.)

Let's go over the elements of the movie you just saw and see how these can be applied to any school production.

Slide01
Every Production starts with the opening title and credits. As cinematic and computer literacy become more ubiquitous, it will become quite common for groups of friends to associate around fun and social creative learning projects such as our Visit with Virtual Vincent Van Gogh.

The majority of content on the web is provided non-commercially by people who are not trying to make their living via copyright earnings, and in our experience, most are satisfied with appropriate credit and communication. Give credit and create good will!

Slide02
When it comes to creativity, the richness of the web, plus the richness of personal creativity in the classroom and among friends, is an infinite treasure chest of resources for digital productions.

Better yet, use resources created by friends, such as actors, writers, musicians and illustrators. Win Win networking gets their name and work out there, and enhances the quality of no-budget productions.

Slide03
For non-commercial projects like this and most classroom productions, copyright is much less an issue than for industrial productions, and a little credit goes a long way! Get permission when possible and necessary, but choose first among resources where copyright is not an issue.

Slide 04
Mention of the url is considered appropriate and polite behavior. As is notifying the creators of what you are using for your little project. Think of it as networking opportunity!

For instance, we had support creating original art from this website from Pony Vigil, of www.mauirose.com, and our associate www.emeraldcity.tv who provided an additional mirror site to host the Real Video streams of our movie.

Also, our IP, www.pixelgate.net also bumped up our capacity to handle numerous simultaneous requests for the movie.

Slide05
The animated Starry night constellation effect was a search engine discovery, very cool and appropriate for our piece. It was a Flash animation, found on on the web. at www.bewitched.com

Great animations like this can be easily brought into video format by using a video scan converter attached between your monitor and PC. They cost about $100

Slide06
Here we have a typical example of how visual information can be most simply conveyed in a video...holding up a book.

Slide 6a Here we compare the improved production value of using a standard two dimensional title screen for depth and compelling quality,

slide 6b And here we go for the immersive 3d effect of a real person in a virtual world to convey information in an even more compelling format. You can begin to see the power of blue screen.

Blue screen and chroma key are very powerful tools for combining computer generated FX with live action. There is lots of information on these topics on the web. One good one can be found at http://www.seanet.com/Users/bradford/bluscrn.html

Slide07-
Our next slide illustrates what happens if there is not enough light for chroma key...we had a power failure and were using camera and flash lights for illumination instead of our 600 watt studio lights.

Yet even with all the technological setbacks, we managed to produce the peice with relative ease and efficiency.

Slide08 -
Tools which are available on many, even most computers, such as Adobe Premiere, Photoshop, and Sound Forge, (or other comparable software apps) can produce video compositions that were previously only possible in the hands of industry experts.

This cool transition is used to create a splash entrance for our virtual star, Van Gogh. The painter is being painted into the scene. A Premiere 6.0 transition effect, called "Paint Splatter." Appropriate for this presentation, don't you think?

Slide09
Our real actor points to his virtual yellow house...illustrating dynamic interaction between live action performer and virtual world on blue screen..There is no there there...

It is easier for the performer if they can see the composited image (the yellow house with them pointing at it) in realtime on a television monitor. To achieve this, a video mixer with chroma key abilities was used.

Slide10

Van Gogh waves with flowers in foreground...Appropriate props and costumes are simple, yet effective ways to enhance storytelling.

To create a more compelling and 3-d effect, real props, like flowers, can be used in the foreground as well as the world in the backgrounds...

Slide 11a.

Working with Nicolas, we found it very effective to cue him and allow him to act out the line immediately afterwards. Here is an example of the performer in character, delivering his lines.

Slide11b.

This is where the performer is being cued with his lines. Notice his eyes looking toward his cuer. In Premiere, we muted the sound of the off camera coach.

Slide 11c another virtual actor shot, delivering his lines after being cued. He has learned to smile while receiving his lines..

Slide 13
Pix of Paul Gaugin portrait of Van Gogh. Demonstrates how much supportive material is readily available online. Classroom visual aides have never been so good!

Slide 14
Wind painter...demonstrating a dynamic ( and fun) interaction between the live performer and the blue screen virtual world.

Slide 15
Tree painter...here the performer really gets into "painting" the virtual image. Truly dynamic interactive fun for both performer and audience.

Slide 16
Examples of performer having a conversation with an avatar in worlds. As avatars become more expressive, this
type of interaction becomes more and more interesting.

Remember when Walt Disney used to have conversations with Tinkerbell and Peter Pan from his desk? Now this can be done in real time.

Slide17
Consumer equipment which can be accumulated at much the same price as the latest Game boy or Playstation can make home studios and classrooms rich playgrounds for theatrical experimentation and educational productions.

The tools which made this production possible included a video camera, lights, microphone, TV monitor and a relatively low cost video mixer which allowed us to do chroma key with a blue screen background.

Slide18
To bring the living set from the Van Gogh virtual world into the mix, we used our computer with a DSL connection, and a scan converter which put the computer signal into the video mixer. All the equipment we used can be purchased at a digital video enthusiast's store such as www.elitevideo.com

Slide 19/20 Poor Vincent...illustrates the dialog....clarifies the storyline... Software such as Photoshop makes it easy to fill in the gaps in virtual video storytelling.

Slide 21
"Crazy" transition effect...Premiere FX...further illustrates verbal dialog with cinematic language associations. Software such as Premiere allows for video editing, and even a certain amount of cinematic fun by using transistion effects to amplify something expressed by the character.

Slide 22/23 ...
More credits! Good to have credits while the story is still fresh and interesting in the viewer's mind.

ANY QUESTIONS?