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The Drax Files go to 1920s Berlin

Draxtor — Tue, 26 Mar 2013 17:09:58 +0000

Jo Yardley listens to Marlene Dietrich on a hand crank gramophone because she lives in Weimar era Germany and electricity is rather scarce: oh yes, although Frau Yardley lives in Amsterdam, her house is decorated with original furniture and accessories from the 1920ties and German magazines from the Interbellum Period are everywhere.

But Yardley, who is a historical consultant for film, TV and museums has done much more than opting out of microwaves, cell-phone and TV usage: inside the virtual world of Second Life, Yardley rebuilt a Berlin that is long gone, a Berlin, where ehrenwerte Damen sport cigarette-holders and gallant Herren are seen in three-piece suits rather than blue jeans.

This digital Berlin is home to the affluent who dance wide eyes shut straight through the roaring Twenties at the Hotel Adlon as well as the orphaned street children, begging for a few Mark to get through the day. 1920sBerlin in Second Life operates 24/7 and is complete with accurate signage, a functioning Zeppelin and a steam-engine Reichsbahn…so: let’s take a trip back in time!

MeTube: August Schram sings “Habanera”

Draxtor — Fri, 01 Mar 2013 21:31:21 +0000

Swiss tenor August Schram is a fearless interpreter of classical and modern repertoire. Well-known in his native Austria this visually daring version of George Bizet’s “hit” song will surely secure him a seat in the pantheon of Opera Gods…or perhaps not – but since the video went totally viral nobody really cares: let the masses ENJOY symphonic music without the guilt! Draxtor produced the music and provided sounddesign. Philip Preuss remixed the original. Daniel Moshel directed. WINNER = Berlin Music Video Awards 2013 & Los Angeles Music Video Awards 2013!

Flufee on a Meshion Episode 13 – Mika’s Box

Draxtor — Sun, 24 Feb 2013 21:24:51 +0000

In a Japanese fishing village destroyed by an unknown disaster Kaito helps Mika recover a mysterious box and the story unfolds from there

Cap & Trade – Immersive Journalism

Draxtor — Wed, 20 Feb 2013 21:31:16 +0000

The Cap & Trade experience was conceived in partnership with the Center for Investigative Reporting, Frontline World and Mother Jones Magazine. Visitors go on a journey from San Francisco to the Brazilian rain forest to find out more about the complexity of global carbon emissions trading, specifically what impact consumer behavior in developed countries has on the native population in Brazil.

The Drax Files on Art & Design

Draxtor — Sat, 16 Feb 2013 21:44:40 +0000

Flickr Gettr is a mash-up installation combining web 2.o and virtual worlds, courtesy IDIALAB at Ball State University.

It brings the web into a real-time collaborative environment leveraging the affordances of immersive platforms.

Direct teleport link here…

In this new semi-monthly series machinima blogger Draxtor profiles individuals that make up the creative class in Second Life: musicians, designers, activists just to name a few fields of user engagement.

[*** music from this episode is here ***]

PBS I Independent Lens presents…

Draxtor — Fri, 15 Feb 2013 22:20:51 +0000

Deep in the Appalachian mountains of eastern Kentucky, where coal is king, a contentious community battle over a proposed mountaintop removal coal mine takes place. Deep Down screened on the PBS series Independent Lens in fall 2010 [ The companion Virtual Mine experience in Second Life received an Emmy nomination in the category "NEW APPROACHES TO NEWS & DOCUMENTARY PROGRAMMING". More information here ].

…………..Kansas To Cairo

Draxtor — Sun, 10 Feb 2013 14:14:27 +0000

Students from Cairo and Los Angeles used the virtual world of Second Life to design a 70 acre site situated between the Grand Egyptian Museum and the Pyramids of Giza.

And yes: they had never met in the physical world, using merely their avatars to communicate, collaborate and successfully complete the difficult task of creating sustainable urban design solutions while overcoming cultural boundaries.

More info from america.gov here.

ZDF documentary – Login2Life

Draxtor — Tue, 05 Feb 2013 04:13:17 +0000

Login2Life [first aired on German public TV ZDF in 2011] tells the story of 7 individuals whose lives have been altered by their engagement with virtual worlds and MMO’s. From the suburbs of Denver to the slums Beijing, from Berlin to Marseilles: SecondLife and World of Warcraft are collapsing geographies by enabling REAL shared experiences in a digital universe. The film is now available in the United States via icarusfilms. L2L won awards in Australia at input12 and in Romania at TIFF. Draxtor provided soundtrack and machinima.

[more info at http://www.login2life.net]

Discovery Channel – Treehugger TV: “Finding Love Online”

Draxtor — Fri, 25 Jan 2013 21:11:54 +0000

Discovery Channel’s Treehugger TV on “Finding love online” – the compelling story of a woman from the United States and a man from Australia who met in Second Life, moved in with each other & lived happily everafter [including a child ;] How is that for meme busting? No naked dudes in their mom’s basement in this reportage [draxtor.com supplied machinima, Sandcastle Studios designed avatars].

Always in Season……

Draxtor — Sun, 20 Jan 2013 22:44:20 +0000

For almost a century until the mid-1960s, tens of thousands of ordinary people attended the lynchings of over 4,700 African Americans that often included hours of torture, mutilation and photographs.

More info about the project-in-progress is here