Designing Worlds looks back to … Being of Sound Mind!

All images by Wildstar Beaumont

Join us at 2pm SLT today, Monday 28th November, for Designing Worlds at our studio in Garden of Dreams or watch here on the web as we recall an amazing region from December 2013, created to demonstrate the potential and possibilities of sound in Second Life. And it’s a huge amount of fun too.

Usually one would go to the LEA (Linden Endowment for the Arts) sims to see the creations of Second Life’s best known (and sometimes newly discovered) artists. Many offered a high level of interactivity in their creations – some will offer sound as part of this.

But Of Sound Mind went further. It was an installation – more properly a series of installations – that referenced primarily sounds. It’s the creation of Lorin Tone and Friends (said friends including Glyph Graves, Madcow Cosmos, Inventor Alchemi, Mia Anais, Meriadne Merlin, P4ndor4 Quintessa, Marcus Parrott, Judi Newall, Chantal Harvey and Cube Republic). There was a wealth of different environments and sounds to explore – instruments to interact with … and, actually, some stunning things to see, ranging from a spooky cave to a giant musical castle in the air, from a Hindu temple with a wealth of musical instruments to an amazing total windsculpture by Glyph Graves.

We explore as many of these as we can fit into the show, talking to Lorin Tone and some of the creators such as Glyph Graves, emSynth, and Meriadne Merlin.

Sadly, Of Sound Mind (and the LEA too) have passed into Second Life history. But the LEA has been replaced by the excellent SLEA (Second Life Endowment for the Arts), which is always worth a visit to discover what is new and exciting in the virtual arts.

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Designing Worlds’ visit to Castle Dracula – now on the web

All images by Wildstar Beaumont

“Count Dracula welcomes you to his House. Come freely, go safely, and leave some of the happiness you bring…”

In this episode, we visit the remarkable Castle Dracula, on which creator Wanders Nowhere – best known for his Prehistorica dinosaur experience – has been working for the past 14 years! Opened for the first time this Halloween, the Castle is to remain open all year.

Wanders has created the exquisitely-detailed Castle and surrounding environment, along with a detailed Experience – remaining remarkably close to Bram Stoker’s original book – in which you journey to a strange, silent village where you take a coach to Castle Dracula to search for a missing person. There are many scary tableaux on the way, along with the chance to meet the mysterious Count himself!

The year is 1897, and you have journeyed to Transylvania on the trail of your friend, Jonathan Harker, and at the invitation of Count Dracula himself. A dark tale is about to repeat itself…

The task involves finding Jonathan’s journal entries scattered throughout Dracula’s enormous castle – amid plentiful references to gothic horror in literature, film and games over the centuries – and trying to stay among the living…if you can.

This show avoids spoilers, but gives an introduction to the story complemented by a detailed interview with the creator, and extensive views of the Castle and environs.

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More investigations and explorations:
http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Fort%20Nowhere/20/239/1401
https://www.facebook.com/CastleDraculaSL
https://livefromcastledracula.tumblr.com/post/698615388782641152/live-from-castle-draculaon-second-life

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Designing Worlds explores Castle Dracula and its mysteries

All images of Castle Dracula and the Village by Wildstar Beaumont

In this episode, we visit the remarkable Castle Dracula, on which creator Wanders Nowhere – best known for his Prehistorica dinosaur experience – has been working for the past 14 years! Opened for the first time this Halloween, the Castle is to remain open all year.

From 2pm SLT today, Monday 21st November, you can see the show on the Designing Worlds Vimeo channel at: https://vimeo.com/channels/dworlds. Or you can join us for our Watch Party in the beautiful Designing Worlds studios in the Garden of Dreams!

Wanders has created the exquisitely-detailed Castle and surrounding environment, along with a detailed Experience – remaining remarkably close to Bram Stoker’s original book – in which you journey to a strange, silent village where you take a coach to Castle Dracula to search for a missing person. There are many scary tableaux on the way, along with the chance to meet the mysterious Count himself!

The year is 1897, and you have journeyed to Transylvania on the trail of your friend, Jonathan Harker, and at the invitation of Count Dracula himself. A dark tale is about to repeat itself…

The task involves finding Jonathan’s journal entries scattered throughout Dracula’s enormous castle – amid plentiful references to gothic horror in literature, film and games over the centuries – and trying to stay among the living…if you can.

“Count Dracula welcomes you to his House. Come freely, go safely, and leave some of the happiness you bring…”

This show avoids spoilers, but gives an introduction to the story complemented by a detailed interview with the creator, and extensive views of the Castle and environs.

Having seen this, you’ll definitely want to visit yourself! So … do join us at 2pm for the Watch Party in our studio …or watch on the Designing Worlds channel on the web!

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More investigations and explorations:
http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Fort%20Nowhere/20/239/1401
https://www.facebook.com/CastleDraculaSL
https://livefromcastledracula.tumblr.com/post/698615388782641152/live-from-castle-draculaon-second-life

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To find out more about Wanders Nowhere’s other fantastic build, Prehistorica, you can see our show from December 2014 here:

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Designing Worlds looks back to … the Pirates of the Trade Winds!

Trade Winds – photograph by Wildstar Beaumont

Join us at 2pm SLT today, Monday 14th November, for Designing Worlds at our studio in Garden of Dreams or watch here on the web as we recall the time when we sailed the seas (and drank in the taverns) with the magnificent pirates of the Trade Winds.

In this show from March 2014, we talk to some of the pirates and boat-builders active in the Trade Winds, including Blithe Binder, Kirsten Blackheart, MizLucie Winterwolf, Karnac Binder, GM Nikolaidis, Evvva Viper, Amber Murfin, Flops, Paddy SaltyDog Goldsworthy and tessa Vespucciano, and are entertained by the fantastic Deelah Halostar.

We learn about the pirates, the Trade Winds, the history of pirates in the Caribbean, the wonderful craft they sail in – and we get to take part in a battle too!

Trade Winds – photograph by Wildstar Beaumont

Join us at 2pm for a really exciting and colourful show! It’s one you won’t want to miss!

Sadly, the Trade Winds no longer exists as a destination, but there are other pirate destinations in Second Life, which you can find in search. Be aware that many are adult regions.

Trade Winds – photograph by Wildstar Beaumont

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Designing Worlds looks back to … When Dinosaurs Ruled!

Images by Wildstar Beaumont

Join us at 2pm SLT today, Monday 7th November, for Designing Worlds at our studio in Garden of Dreams or watch here on the web as we set out to explore a primeval landscape and confront creatures from the far distant past.

Yes, today is a revisit to our dinosaur show from December 2013, and we will be exploring a world given over to these amazing creatures and talking to their creator, Wanders Nowhere, who gives us a tour of the landscape and of the fantastic avatars he had created..

But the construction of these creatures wasn’t the only remarkable thing about them – as we discovered when we explored the potential of the fantastic HUD that drove them.

One of the dinosaurs on Fort Nowhere

So … do join us at 2pm as we visit Fort Nowhere and learn more about a very special corner of the Second Life grid.  This is definitely one to share with the kids!

And in a couple of weeks, Designing Worlds will be visiting Wanders’ latest amazing build – Dracula’s Castle!

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One of the dinosaurs of Fort Nowhere

You can still visit Prehistorica ~ The Dawn Kingdoms
http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Fort%20Nowhere/129/148/1323

There’s also a store where you can buy your own dinosaur, available as an avatar, a rideable, decor or pets. And there are dragons too!
http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Fort%20Nowhere/122/106/1102

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Designing Worlds tells the haunting story of The Monkey’s Paw – now on the web!

This episode of Designing Worlds is our annual Hallowe’en Tale – and we have a great one for you this year – The Monkey’s Paw by WW Jacobs. In the story, three wishes are granted to the owner of The Monkey’s Paw, but the wishes come with an enormous price for interfering with fate.

William Wymark Jacobs (1863 – 1943) was an English author of short fiction and drama, with his best remembered story being “The Monkey’s Paw”. Jacobs was also known for comical tales about sailors, on ship and ashore but “The Monkey’s Paw”, published in 1902, is a classic tale of the macabre – a standout even when MR James and EF Benson were writing some of the best tales in the genre. The Edwardian period was a highpoint for this genre, and perhaps you won’t be surprised to learn that we therefore filmed this episodes in the streets, the homes and the factories of New Babbage.

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Readers:
Saffia Widdershins
Mavromichali Szondi
Fakey Jewell
Corwyn Allen

Locations used in the film:
HorrorAddicts.Net HQ, Babbage Square
Bookhaven, Wheatstone Waterways
MCM Tower, Babbage Canals
Bedrock, Wheatstone Waterways

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