Earlier this month, I did a little machinima tour of the new "Awesome Philippines" island in Second Life, an effort of the Philippines Department of Tourism to spur youth travel to la Perla del Mar. The Secretary of Tourism Joseph ''Ace'' Durano does seem to get the value of virtual worlds as participatory media. From…
Category: Travel
Tour of “Awesome Philippines” virtual island in Second Life (video)
Here is a quick video tour of the "Awesome Philippines" island in Second Life, a joint project of the Philippine Department of Tourism and MTV. Sorry about the low volume on some of my audio, and all of my "ums". All of the ambient sounds you hear come from Second Life. You can also check…
“SOS Slaves” digital game challenges youth to help end sex trafficking
One of the other amazing projects I am helping with at the BAVC Producers Institute is "SOS Slaves," a web-based game that will educate and activate young people on the issue of sex trafficking around the world. Building upon "Sands of Silence" a powerful documentary about sex trafficking by filmmaker Chelo Alvarez-Stehle, "SOS Slaves" will…
Shooting machinima at the BAVC Producer’s Institute
Today we started shooting machinima for the presentation for the "Virtual Mine" project, being pitched at the conclusion of the BAVC Producer's Institute on Friday. Yes, it was a lot of work for the team to create the assets, write the shooting script, and arrange the sets for the machinima shoot. But it was also…
Off to Producers Institute for New Media Technologies in SF next week!
Video about project to create social media supporting global justice, around documentary "The Reckoning." I got a last minute invite to participate in the Producers Institute for New Media Technologies all of next week in San Francisco, run by those amazing folks at the Bay Area Video Coalition. Running from May 27 to June 7,…
My personal city biking rules
I don't know if every biker does this, but I have my own set of personal rules for how I choose to bike in the city. Since New York City bikers tend to play light and loose with traffic regulations, it can be tempting to think that we have no regard for the laws or…
“Swim Sham” on the Canary Islands (video)
I enjoyed very much this "Swim Sham" performed by dancers at the La Santa Swing dance camp in Lanzarote in the Canary Islands. Particularly all the splashing in the second section and the pool aerials. It just looked like so much fun! I continue to be blown away by everyone's submissions for "Frankie Week." Many…
The Southwest Lindyfest: junior jitterbugs, soaring Canadians, and Frankie Manning! (video)
I just got home from an exhausting, amazing weekend in Houston for the Southwest Lindyfest, put on by the Houston Swing Dance Society. Lindyfest, now in its 13th year, is one of the most successful lindy hop camps in the country, drawing hundreds of swing dance enthusiasts from all over the US. The four day …
Pappas: Tasty, cheap Texas-style barbecue in Houston
People know that I'm pretty passionate about really good barbecue. While in Houston for the Southwest Lindyfest, I got to have dinner at one of the many Pappas barbecue establishments in the city. For a chain restaurant, it's surprisingly good 'cue at a reasonable price. My buddy Eli and I shared the 3-pound special, which…
WebWise 2009: Museums and libraries pursuing the innovative edge in a digital age
From February 25-27, I had the opportunity to go to the WebWise conference in Washington DC, an annual gathering of 300-some professionals from libraries and museums to discuss how to keep their cultural institutions relevant in the digital age. It was great getting to hear from some of the leading museums and libraries in America…