August 2010 Skin Evolution Minnu Palen & LeLutka Skin Deep The Art of Skin Making Art Of Modelling Work It On The Catwalks The Pond Passes into Legend 5 QuilLs Art 50k Competition Winner! ... and so much more
Letters From Scruplz Have you ever had one of those disturbing incidents happen when you log in only to see that terrifying message that reads your sim is unavailable and you’re being rezzed somewhere else? How about getting that message and knowing the last time you logged out you were too lazy to dress your avatar so you have no clothing on, and you’re about to be rezzed onto the mainland in the middle of newb town ….. buck naked. Yeah, I hear ya, put your hand down, been there, done that… got the t-shirt. My only saving grace? Good skin. That’s right. With good skin on I can at least hold my head up high and say, go ahead look all you want, unless you know the skinner I’m using you’ll never look as good as this as I continue to wildly dig thru my inventory for some item of clothing to put on. This month we’re chronicling the art of skin. And make no mistake the skin here in Second Life is an art. And just like a painting or a sculpture, this art is subjective. Everyone has an opinion about it and about each skinner’s talent. But whether the makeup is bold and daring or demure and light, the art of skin here in Second life is one of the biggest, most sought after items on the grid. Our main article and interview features a good friend of mine, and one I’ve had the pleasure to work with from time to time for a few years. Minnu Palen of LeLutka is the spotlight skin designer we’re headlining this month and honestly I couldn’t be happier. I’m a little biased about Minnu’s skins because I’ve owned everything she’s created since the second set she’s designed here. I missed the first set, but in my defense I
wasn’t rezzed into SL yet. Suffice it to say, I simply adore her skins. LeLutka skins are by definition different. There is no cookie cutter imagery you can say makes up any one of her skins. Each one is designed with creativity and art at the core. So no matter what you’re looking for, you can pretty much be sure you’ll find it at LeLutka. From her first designs to her latest, each one is still magnificent and still able to be worn. No dated looks will be found at LeLutka. She is, as well as her designs, timeless. To that we’re the benefactors and I hope she continues creating for a long time to come. Additionally, Minnu Palen is unlike many designers you may meet here. Yes she is a bona fide slebrity, of that there is no doubt. And yes she’s sought after for many, many events, from charity to runway shows. All the while she’s busy designing not only skin but a
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thriving clothing line, couture hair, and shoes. What makes Minnu different? She has a unique vision of style. Her eye for detail is so focused and sharp, and she keeps her hand on the pulse of what is in demand without changing her taste to that of the next Lady Gaga. She continues to push the envelope with flair and panache, but she doesn’t “go with the flow” so to speak. She strikes me as someone who might say the only fish that go with the flow... are dead. I’ve never heard her say that but… I’ve imagined that bubble above her head. She’s that hard working and that committed to unique and inspirational design. Another thing you don’t see often here of designers, she is always available. She’s got to be the hardest working designer in all of Second Life, but she’s always available to help out, or lend a hand. And here’s where she’s going to kill me because she doesn’t like it when people are complimentary of her, and in her words “sweet talk.” Well… I’m about to cover her in syrup. Minnu is unpretentious, and I’m voting her least likely to be stuck up. As her friend, there is no inkling of the kind of behavior you might typically see with very famous people. It’s just not there. And when she says she doesn’t like “sweet talk,” she really means it. It just embarrasses her; it doesn’t give her a big head. She knows simply because she has skills I like to call mad skills, she’s no different than you or me. She is kind, generous and always willing to help out. She’ll give shoes to a variety of runway shows. She’ll donate skin or create one specifically to be sold for a charity that asked. In all the time I’ve known her, I’ve never known her to turn down doing something, creating something for a good cause. She is simply a very down to earth, kind and wonderful person, and I like to tell her, “I love you like pie,
darling.” Aside from her design skills, when Minnu puts on a show, she really puts on a show. She hires models and supplies them with everything needed for the show from poses to eyelashes, she thinks of it all. She personally fits the models to make sure each one of them looks the very best. She will massage and coax out seam issues while you’re on the stand and tease a stray hair into place. She is empirical with every step of the choreography and makes certain each walk; each pose works flawlessly with the design worn. The set is always designed to an exacting set of details, built to showcase to the highest degree not often seen at designer shows. Every detail is perfection and for that you, the audience, are rewarded with one of the most brilliant shows you will ever have the privilege of viewing. Believe me, once the first model steps out onto the runway you simply know you’re going to see the very best of the best. She never fails to make that happen. All throughout this time-intensive, back-breaking, frustrating amount of work Minnu is always gracious. I’ve never seen her lose her cool, have a bad day, leave in a huff, or break down crying. That is simply not who she is. She knows the value of hard work and she knows the value of the people around her. Thus she has surrounded herself with some of the most talented, awesome “wingmen” and ladies there are. And their loyalty to her is unshakable, as it should be. Because you see, she’s loyal right back. When she’s your friend, you’re a lucky person indeed. She’s truly the definition of a friend and you never have to question that or wonder. It simply is what it is. She may not like “sweet talk” as she calls it, but she’s deserving of it and that’s why she’s my number one pick for this issue of, The Art of Skin. Cherie Parker Co-Founder Scruplz Magazine
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Letters From Scruplz What makes the arts so important, especially in a virtual world? Do we need the same culture in our second lives that we need in our first lives? I propose that we do and in some ways even more. Drawn or painted art can illustrate our conceptions and make them reality before our eyes because of our mental and emotional responses to it that can morph to become real experience. I recently had such an experience when I was looking at a very personal series of art pieces. As I viewed and followed the story that the art was speaking to me, I found that I could feel the emotion that was so vividly conveyed. I was moved enough to learn something from it. Something so subtle that changed my thinking. It’s moments like that which feed my passion for the promotion of culture. A song beautifully sung can stir the soul and soothe aches of the heart like no other known remedy. Wouldn’t you say it’s better than rocky road ice cream, listening to that perfect song that describes how you feel in ways you couldn’t have thought to express with words yourself? Or even the soul-stirring music that reaches our ears which have no words at all. Vibrations that flow through our bodies and change the way we feel. And there’s dance and the glorious sensations that motion can bring to the senses as our eyes follow. Creation, art in all of its forms, is vital to how we get inspiration and motivation. It is how we learn to relate to the world around us, through experiencing the talents of another that inevitably bring us joy we might not have had otherwise. I come to Scruplz with the same lack of experience in formal publishing as the esteemed CEO’s have expressed in our previous issues. What I do have is a
genuine passion for the promotion of Second Life art, artists, designers, photographers, live musicians, and actors. I have a passion for the promotion of the venues through which we experience the works of such gifted individuals. If we don’t support their efforts, then we stand to lose what makes our virtual community a home. I am excited about the opportunity Scruplz Publications presents in exploring and exposing the powerful realm of creation in all of its tantalizing forms. It is our desire to become the publication and blog you seek out when you want to know what’s going on in the arts world and with contests. Come along with us on the journey as we seek out those worthy of accolades for what they give to Second Life via artistic endeavors. In this issue, we focus on the art of skins with our cover article on the very talented Minnu Palen of LeLutka and Skin Deep, a look at the differences between hand-drawn and photo-sourced skins. We are excited to announce the winner of the “Show Us Your Sunshine” photography contest and introduce to you a veteran musician by the name of Raspbury Rearwin and a rising musician, Criss Fredriksson. Supermodel Gamp Lane and some of her friends give you a behind-the-scenes look at what it takes to work it on the catwalk, and we say goodbye to a beloved music venue as it closes its doors after three years of offering a stage for live musicians to perform. And be sure to enjoy the sensational works of this month’s selected 5 Quills artists! Alianna Logan, Managing Editor
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Contents: Competition Winner p. 26
Kasbah Anaversary p. 40
LeLutka - Skin Evolution p. 30
Issue # 4 WWW.SCRUPLZ.COM
Skin
Founders & Publishers
Managing Editor
Mallory Luke Cherie Parker Emma Portilo Barney Roundel
Alianna Logan
The Art of Modeling p.74
Deep p. 54
Five Quill Art p. 96
Remember The Pond p. 92
Layout & Design
Writers
Photographers
Cover
Barney Roundel
Gamp Lane Romper Mills Beyonce Aurotharius Alianna Logan Botgirl Questi
Cherie Parker Barney Roundel Beyonce Aurotharius Alianna Logan
Minnu Palen
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‘Show Us Your Sunsine’ was proudly sponsored by:
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By Gamp Lane Photography by Minnu Palen & Barney Roundel
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This month SCRUPLZ celebrates the artistic talents of legendary skin creator Minnu Palen of LeLutka. Minnu became a Resident of Second Life (SL) on 4/6/2007, after seeing something about this virtual world on television. She had no idea of the potential business opportunities available here and just came in to look around. She saw it as a meeting place, and a place to have fun. After starting to work in SL as a model, Minnu noticed the skins she found were oriented more toward dancers and not really made for models. So, during the summer of 2007 she made a skin for herself. Before long, friends were asking her to provide them with skins as well, and Minnu Model Skins was born. Thora Charron (Minnu’s RL half sister) joined SL on July 30, 2007 after watching Ms. Palen’s progress in SL. Thora eventually began creating male skins to go with Minnu’s female line. In the beginning, Minnu made the skins just to have a few extra Lindens, and did not see the business potential at the time. When asked about skin making as an art form, Minnu says she believes that expressing yourself in any way in SL can be considered
an art form. She uses a combination of Photoshop and Maya to bring her creations to life. Skin designers choose the method that works best for them, according to Minnu. Some draw, some source, and some do hybrids (which is a combination of the two). According to Minnu her skin designs reveal themselves as she works on them, and she does not really know in advance how they will look when completed. There is a lot of uploading to see if positioning is right and if it responds to you, or if it is just blank. Minnu says “When I do the first upload I usually like it, then after a few days I hate it and start all over.” She says that sometimes when finished, it is 100% different than the original idea. Skin making is a “fun process” according to Ms. Palen. She does admit uploading demos of the makeups can be boring, but she loves her work so it balances out. Since there are many factors that impact the creative process, Minnu cannot say exactly how long it takes to create a new line of skin. She tells us sometimes she can produce 4 faces in 3 months, but it can take longer depending on her level of inspiration at the Scruplz Magazine
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time. While Minnu used to look at the work of other skin makers more often, today she relies on her business partner, Aradia Dielli, to alert her to any revolutionary new trends in skin on the grid. She is aware of the big brands of course, and the talented people who create them. SCRUPLZ asked Ms. Palen how the art of creating skin has changed since she debuted her first line in 2007. According to Minnu it has changed “a lot”. She says “Skins have more details and more character now, and each designer has his/her own signature style, which is great.” Minnu says “Competition is big these days, so we’re all forced to do better, which is a great creative force.” Skin can present some very real problems for photographers in SL. Sometimes they can appear flat and lack depth. Minnu tells us this is a big consideration for her as she designs her skins. She gives them lots of character, which appeals to models and photographers as well as others. Minnu says she does not do her skins for that “sweet girl next door look”, but rather for the strong, successful, independent and sexy woman. Minnu says it is easy to find women with strong opinions about her skins “love them or hate them, that’s great, mission
accomplished”. She likes the uniqueness of her skins and does not really want EVERYONE to love what she creates. Minnu does not desire to be “mainstream”. She says “I like to stand behind the faces I create and not just make skin because I think it will sell well”. This Writer would like to say that Minnu exemplifies the woman she is designing for, as Minnu herself IS that strong, independent, sexy woman. Oh but wait, there is so much more to LeLutka! Minnu started out designing skins, but over the last three years has expanded to include many other fashion items. In the beginning there were Minnu Model Skins, but as she branched out to include other wearable items, she also added staff members, and it became necessary to find a new name for the business since it was no longer Minnu alone. They were searching for a name that could be trademarked and LeLutka was their first choice. Minnu says that in her country the word LeLutka means “The Doll”. Today, LeLutka continues to be a one
stop fashion center. Minnu and Thora are co-owners, and their long time friend Aradia Dielli is their business partner. Thora and Minnu both create skins, hair and various upscale clothing items. Minnu says she designs clothing and skins to compliment each other, and to fit into a theme. She tries to synchronize the release dates for clothing and skin. The LeLutka shopping experience is an adventure into a world of style and elegance. Although the heart of LeLutka beats around the trademarked skins, customers (both men and women) will also find various styles of clothing, lingerie, shoes, jewellery, accessories, poses, and hair. The setting is charming and relaxed, yet has an atmosphere of sophistication....a must see! There are exciting things happening at LeLutka for Fall, and we can’t wait to see all the newness. SCRUPLZ is honored to have an opportunity to feature the incredible artistic talent of Minnu Palen. This will also serve to update our Readers on LeLutka, and perhaps to introduce newer SL Residents to something unique and exciting to
http://slurl.com/secondlife/LeLutka/248/128/23
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Veteran Performer
Staying as far below the radar as he can, Raspbury Rearwin will suprise you like a ninja with his smooth, sultry renditions of songs you may have forgotten that you loved, and a few you've never heard before. He sings gripping originals and covers that you won't recognize which makes for an hour of fun aural pleasure. For a preview of his songs, visit http://www.thesixtyone.com/raspburyrearwin/.
Raspbury Rearwin Rez Date: 10/18/2006 Manager: No manager, contact me directly for bookings Group name: Rasp's Rockers Instruments you play: guitar, piano, bass, drums, harmonica, kazoo, and jawharp First song you performed in SL: It was so long ago that I can't recall! It was probably an original. First location you performed at in SL: My friend's yard Person you are most influenced by in SL and why: I can’t say that I’m really influenced by anyone because I tend to do my own thing, but I do enjoy dual streaming with other performers, especially Max Kleene, Stella Silvansky, Mimi Carpenter, Harper Messmer, and Deuce Wirefly. What advice would you give to a new performer starting out in SL? I would advise that they get to know the scene by talking to other performers. They are usually very supportive and willing to help. Don't expect to be an instant sensation. Just like real life performing, it takes some time to build an audience. While in SL and not performing a live gig, I'm usually at someone else's show. Tell us a secret! It's not that much of a secret, but I really enjoy when people have a lot of conversations in chat when I'm playing. It lets me know that they are paying attention, but it also gives me interaction. SL is unique in that respect for performers because there can be two-way communication while performing without it interfering with the performance itself. Scruplz Magazine
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Photography Competitions From Around the Grid
Champagne!
July Sparkling Face of the Month 1st Place
Model: Ananya Mai Wearing: ‘Soleil’ Photographer:Barney Roundel
Photography Competitions From Around the Grid
Winners available now
Champagne! July Sparkling Face of the Month 2nd Place
Model: Jade Spectre Wearing: ‘Oasis’ Photographer: Skip Staheli
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Photography Competitions From Around the Grid
Angel Dessous Model of the Month Winner - July Lingerie
Model: Ananya Mai Wearing: “Chantal� in grey Photographer: Skip Staheli
Photography Competitions From Around the Grid
Angel Dessous Model of the Month Winner - July Formal
Model: Arkaine Cazalet Wearing: “Patty� in bridesmaid cream Photographer: Valeria Endrizzi Scruplz Magazine
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Skin By Beyonce Aurotharius
Photography By Barney Roundel & Beyonce Aurotharius
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Belleza Belleza
There are many reasons that we enjoy virtual living in Second Life, and one of those reasons is our ability to transform ourselves into who or what we’d like to be. In this near perfect world we know as Second Life, our ability to do these mass transformations is largely due to the wondrous art of skin. Within seconds, we can change our skins and literally change our virtual lives. In this article, we take a look at the differences between the skins and how they are made. As with any product that can be bought, you often get what you pay for and every “size� does not fit all. Thankfully, there are numerous creators who bring a variety to the skin industry that insures we will all be able to find the look we wish to achieve with only minimal effort and an exchange of lindens ranging from zero to thousands. There are generally two types of skins, those that are hand drawn and those that are photo realistic or photo sourced, with many being a nice combination of the two. Hand-drawn
Dutch Touch
and photo-realistic skins are created in photo manipulation and paintbrush programs, such as Photoshop and Gimp, supplemented with such 3D rendering programs as Maya and Zbrush. There is a deliberate drawing talent necessary for producing a hand-drawn or photo-realistic skin that looks real enough for us to want to wear it with pride. Naturally, the more talented the creator is drawing or manipulating realism, the more expensive the skin will be.
Dutch Touch
Photo realistic skins demand a different sort of talent in that the creator actually takes the parts of a body from real life photos, cuts and pastes those parts onto the skin templates, and manipulates all of the parts to merge together so that there is one vibrant, realistic-looking skin after the tones have been blended as well. Though it is a different sort of talent, it does require special skills in photo manipulation to produce a believable photo-sourced skin. The images must be of a high resolution and are often taken from the web, Scruplz Magazine
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Laqroki
Laqroki
or First Life pictures can be used. Any photograph with clear unblemished and unclothed body parts could serve as a source for extracting bits and pieces to warp and distort into fitting onto Second Life templates. Some examples of popular hand-drawn skins can be found at Lion Skins, Dutch Touch or Tuli. Skins such as these tend to have a unique, air-brushed appeal that is sometimes not immediately recognizable as to where the person may have purchased the skin. This is often highly desirable by fashion industry models in Second Life. Popular photo-sourced skin creators that we look to for quality work time and time again are Redgrave, Belleza and LAQ. As can be seen from these photos, both hand-drawn and photo-realistic skins have the potential to turn most any shape into a stunning beauty or a droolworthy hunk. I feel the bodies of skins are completely underrated and I believe they are definitely one of the most important parts of skins. Yes, people won’t always
see them, but you want the right look for your body when you’re unclothed. One should take a good look at the demo version of the skin’s entire body to see if care has been given to all parts of the body and not just the face before purchasing.
Redgrave
The skin industry is constantly evolving. Recently the “cleavage” trend has become prevalent after being introduced by the League brand, and others began following suit to make cleavages for complimenting their own skins. Most respectable brands now have the cleavage option available either in the buyable skin pack or separate.
Redgrave
Another increasing trend I have noticed would be eyebrows and hair bases. There is the option to wear a hair base or not to wear one. Eyebrows can be lighter or they can be darker now instead of the way it used to be with dark eyebrows being the only option. Hair bases are now extremely important, especially with updo’s and ponytails because hair Scruplz Magazine
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designers have begun to create hairs that cannot be worn without them. Miamai is one creator that has done a great job with hair bases. Lips are one of the most important parts of a skin, my personal favorite part of the skins I buy. I think lips make or break whether to buy a skin or not. Some prefer to wear dry lips and others prefer to wear glossy lips. It is all about perspective and how a person wishes to look. Makeup is the fun part of skins for women! There are so many different options, and the variety of eccentric make ups that can be found has increased significantly with the release of the new tattoo layer in Viewer 2.0. Make ups that include eyelashes which no longer have to be manually adjusted are a wonderful addition to our skin options. There is more improvement to be made to the capabilities of the tattoo layer, and we should keep our eyes open for more updates and new options with these, like the ability to change the lipstick on the lips without changing the lips themselves.
Although both techniques are very different from one another, it can be hard to tell whether a skin is handmade or photo sourced, but look for the signs and show the designers that you appreciate their work enough to pay attention to the details!
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This month in Technically Perfect we’re bringing you a quick and dirty tutorial on how to use the clipping mask tool to make cool text using a photo fill technique. Clipping mask will help you to fill text with any texture or photo. First open a photo you would like your text to use as the background photo. Type a text and place it inside the area of the photo you want the photo to show thru on the type. The text layer will need to be below the photo layer in order to take advantage of the clipping mask feature so make sure if you have a layer called “background” you’ve double clicked it in order to convert it to a layer.
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Now that the text layer is under the photo layer, right click your photo layer and select Create Clipping Mask. Viola! you’ll now see the text with the photo inside just like the photo on the right side of this page. If your photo is still off a bit from how you want it to show, then simply move the photo layer around a bit until you’ve got it the way you want. The only part of the photo that will show through are the text shapes. Enjoy!
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The Art of Modelling By Gamp Lane Photograpy by Barney Roundel WORK IT...OWN IT!! Most of us have witnessed a fashion show in Second Life (SL), and if you haven’t....and would like to...there is always a show brewing somewhere. Check Second Life fashion blogs, magazines, many fashion groups, or any other place where fashion lives in SL. When you attend a show, you will see models gracefully gliding down the runway, looking poised and self-assured. How do they do it? This month I will provide you with a rare glimpse at what goes on behind the scenes in preparation for a fashion show. So buckle up, it’s going to be a bumpy ride! Shows come about in many different ways. Sometimes a designer will seek out an agency or fashion group to put together a show. This could be a seasonal show, or to get exposure for a new collection they have created, or perhaps a new designer who is hoping to make a name in the SL fashion world. Sometimes a de-
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signer has been away from SL for a period of time and wants to let us know he/she is back in town! The process goes something like this: Once the details have been worked out between the designer and the show provider (dates, times, remuneration, how many outfits, theme, etc), planning gets underway in earnest. There is much work to be done when coordinating a show, and I am in awe of the ladies and gentlemen who clock countless hours to present us with these extravaganzas. For our purposes, I am going to cut to the chase and focus on the modeling aspect of the whole production. You might find more about the actual show planning process in a future segment. *winks* More often than not, models will receive a note card advising them of casting for a show. Sometimes interested models will physically go to a casting call and walk the runway in an outfit or outfits specified in the note card. The designer may be there to select the models...or not. Often, however, in agencies using experienced models, the note card is the vehicle the provider uses to select models. The model simply checks the dates (show date and rehearsal dates) against his/her schedule and returns the note card with a “yes” or “no” in order to be considered for the show. Generally, when the model pool is large models are rotated so everyone has a chance to be in the shows, which is only fair. Just an FYI, when choos-
ing a modeling agency, you might want to ask how models are selected for shows. So CONGRATULATIONS!!!! You have been selected as one of perhaps 4 to 8 models given the honor of showcasing designs lovingly created by a designer. Now what? One thing a model might do while waiting for outfits to come in, is to visit the store of the featured designer(s). This will help as you begin to style outfits. Many designers leave styling totally up to the model, because after all the end users (also known as customers) will style as they please anyway....but if the store is Goth, for example, it’s nice to plan accordingly. On occasion, a designer will be very specific about how to present the designs, and may even want to have models style on the spot, so to speak. I have been in shows where models had to wear shapes supplied Scruplz Magazine
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by the designer, or a fitting session will be held and the designer will ask the model to modify his/her shape in various ways. This is relatively rare, but it does happen. Most of the time, if the designer has specific requests for styling, photos will be provided for models to use as a guide. Models typically receive three to five outfits per show as an average, but I have had as few as one and as many as eight. It is a beautiful thing when outfits are dropped on the model a few days before a show, but don’t count on it. I have received outfits two hours before a show, and sometimes if you are a backup model, it could be less than that! One reason the provider may wait until closer to the day of the show to distribute outfits, is to avoid a mess if a model has to pull out unexpectedly. The outfits may be “No Transfer,” and the designer would have to send more outfits to the replacement model. In some cases, the designer is working until the last minute, so outfits are late getting to the models. Just roll with it, it will all come out in the wash. The next part is CRITICAL...whether you receive outfits directly from the designer or from the provider (agency), put everything you receive in a folder IMMEDIATELY. I usually rename the folder with an exclamation point, and then the letter “A” before the name of the show, because this will bring it to the top in your inventory (well it comes in the lower section below your trash bin). It would look something like this: ‘ A (Show Name) – Date ‘. You may receive outfits one by one, or possibly in a main folder, or even
as objects, so pay attention to how they come to you. In a perfect world, the outfits would always be delivered while you are online, but nothing is perfect, so be sure to look carefully as you click through the mass quantities of notices that bombard you upon logging in. Sometimes SL will play tricks on us (NO, really?) and you may not find all the outfits you are expecting. If this happens, try re-logging before you sheepishly contact the person who dropped them on you to say you don’t have them...they may show up when you log back in. Yeah, I’ve been there. The next step of course is to style your outfits and NUMBER THEM according to the walk order you receive. If you are not familiar with modeling, the walk order is just that...the order models walk in the show. Usually this includes; the walk number, model name and the name of the outfit being shown. In my mind, the choice positions to get are either the first walk or the last. I like being the first model seen when everyone is settled into their seats and excited for the show to begin. You might think the last model out should be depressed thinking, “Oh shoot, I’m last!”...but this is often the best outfit in the whole show, the “piece de resistance” if you will, and they save it for last to keep the audience from leaving early. OMG if you get to be first AND last....SCORE!!! Most often models are asked to be backstage one hour before the show. This allows them to do a lot of preparation in terms of making certain outfits will REZ on a laggy runway, calm down before the show, and also to be sure they are not locked out of the sim as the audience numbers climb.
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Now back to the part about models “gliding” down the runway. There are many things models can do to increase their chances of staying in the game long enough to show all the outfits they have been given. It is so disappointing to be prepared and ready to rock the runway...then your Internet Service Provider short circuits, you crash and SL won’t let you back in, or you just keep crashing throughout the show. On a rare occasion the entire sim crashes and everything has to be reset, or horror of horrors the show must be rescheduled due to SL issues. What can a model do to ensure success on the runway? I have to start by saying that there is absolutely NOTHING you can do to guarantee success 100% of the time. That fact is strangely reassuring to me. It means that everyone knows there will be times when you have no control over what happens during a show, so you won’t be blamed...whew, right? Still, there are many little tricks that can increase the chances of success. I decided to poll a few top models, whose names you will likely recognize if you have been in SL fashion any length of time. Feel free to look at their profiles and you will see why they are exquisitely well qualified to give advice. These are models that have been in the business for a long time and have many shows under their collective prim belts in one way or another.
Here are their backstage tips ...
Honeybear Lilliehook
A few things I do pre-show to help my computer performance: 1. Turn off the music...it eats more bandwidth. 2. Reduce my graphics to the lowest I can stand, especially max. particle count, and turn all mesh detail sliders to the left. Your flexis may look funny, but, it helps. 3. Turn off names. It takes more bandwidth and FPS to keep them on, because your computer has to constantly calculate every time it sees a new person. 4. Turn off notices to my busiest groups. 5. Turn off friend notifications.
Isabel Brocco
These three tips are specifically to help the show flow better, and to make sure you play your part in the team. “Radio Silence” - I’m very quiet back stage......its important to see the cue’s from the show organiser, nothing worse from their perspective to see lots of “chatter” “Routine Stuff ” - if you do a lot of shows, ...sometimes its easy to forget a routine or think you are doing another almost similar one. If I am not out first, ..I closely watch the others to make sure its fresh in my mind before I walk out “All Change!” - It helps to try on all our outfits before the show back stage to help with faster rez.
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Mimmi Boa
Here I will write some important points (which) should let the work of the show Director be easy and smooth. 1) Go backstage at least one hour before the show and when you are there wear all your dresses starting from folder 1, 2 and so on; this will help to attach and rezz better when you will make the changes of outfits in the show, because they will be in the cache memory. Rotate all your outfits, let them rezz and when you finish, get ready with the first outfit on! 2) Arrive backstage with your DVC or VPC (communication devices models use to receive cues and instructions in private during a show) ready and with Walk order open, this will help to save time. 3) Don’t use DVC or VPC for silly things, to avoid chat lag is really wise to use it only when necessary. 4) If you have to make a fast teleport, take off shoes and jewels ( usually are these items that stop the teleports). 5) Be sure to set all the preference low; stop “tap tap running” ; and turn off the music stream if the lag is massive. 6) Use manual poses: these are working also with massive lag and in the meanwhile gives you tons of possibilities to have different poses with every different dress. Don’t upload an AO for every show, avoid it start working with manuals! Keep only an AO with walks on.
Kate Stockholm
Runway always makes my heart beat faster. I think the day it doesn’t will be the day I find somethng else to do in SL. My backstage routine is all superstition. That it may to some degree work for me, I can’t really explain. Arrive early backstage (after the sim has been reset but before people arrive) and “introduce” myself to the sim server. I do this by cycling through all my quick change folders, wearing every outfit and posing every pose I intend to use later during the show. If the sim is already slowing down, an alt+click on the ground will help things rezz faster. Pick an out-of-the way spot backstage and landmark it, so if I crash or have an outfit that refuses to rezz, I have a place to come back to that doesn’t interrupt the backstage flow. Make absolutely sure I have a “show buddy”, usually another model in the show. Buddies constantly check each other to make sure everything looks rezzed before going onstage. Buddies ping (in IM) to clear a crashed buddy off the sim so they can re-log without delay. While I am supposed to be standing in line waiting my turn to walk, I actually pace back and forth... both to get a feel for the lag and so the sim doesn’t “forget” about me. Layout of my screen for runway: upper left corner is poses, lower left corner is my communicate window, upper right corner is walk order, lower right corner is my inventory window. Scruplz Magazine
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Nemi McCoy
Backstage what helps me is at times walking back and forth in the backstage area. I am testing lag, making sure I am not freezing and mentally readying myself. Another tip I use is to always have manual poses ready becasue sometimes its really laggy and I want to be prepared in case I have to use them. Last thing I do is make sure I try on every outfit I have to wear, to get the textures out and rezzed and ready.
If you’re modelling with Emerald, there is a great feature that you can activate in order not to be disturbed when modelling, that is the autoresponse, activate this and anybody who ims you will get a message (you can choose what to write) so they’ll know you’re busy and possibly won’t bug you while you’re working. Another way to keep your screen free of unwanted message is to disable all notices Mavi Beck manually from the groups if you’re in. But remember to activate them once you’re Gosh, modelling has become so normal to done! me that I really don’t know what to say! When it comes to posing, I have learned Ok most important thing is when you’re the hard way that you can’t rely on huddles. backstage and the sim has been restarted Make sure to put poses in each folder with you must rotate the outfits that you are your outfits. Having poses to activate manusupposed to wear. This will help the sim ally in case of emergency is a good idea. I cache them in its memory and when it’ll now only work this way, I don’t use huds be the time to change for the show it will anymore because you can’t ever trust lag! help. And rebake rebake rebake and go in appearance as much as is necessary.
Thank you all so much for sharing your tips. Here are a few more I use myself: 1. If your outfit is not rezzing, or people tell you they see two outfits, try one or ALL of the following: A) Rebake and edit your appearance. B) Switch tags back and forth once. C) Try walking around and turning. D) Teleport home or to a sandbox (like Cyclops http://slurl.com/secondlife/Cyclops/128/128/6.) Tell someone you are leaving so they don’t think you crashed. E) Try changing outfits or switching to a different skin. F) Last resort is to re-log...because you have already identified yourself to the sim when you tried on all of your outfits, and it’s a shame to lose that... but if you must, you MUST. 2. If your feet are going through the floor, try sitting in a chair or on a pose stand. 3. New models are often nervous and some blather on incessantly (some experienced models are very chatty at times as well) and that is SO disruptive. As you land backstage, greet people of course, exchange pleasantScruplz Magazine
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ries, and then FOCUS! I am talking about constant banter here..light chat is fine, especially show-related. Certainly ask any questions you have. And for heaven’s sake, deactivate those infernal gestures we all have...just not cute at show time. 4. Some agencies strictly prohibit models from engaging in Instant Messages (IM’s), especially as the show begins. It only stands to reason that if your attention is diverted, you might miss an important instruction or cue. Sure you can read back over the chat log, but if you don’t respond in a timely manner, it will be evident you were not paying attention. This is unfair to the whole team. Yes, we all do this, but if it becomes habitual, you risk losing jobs due to earning a reputation that you are inattentive. 5. Review the walk order carefully. The model will do this before arriving backstage, of course, but it’s a good idea to make certain you have the most current version. Also, when the walk order contains a lot of information such as; walk number, model name, outfit being worn, and perhaps a picture of the outfit each model will wear, I often simplify it for ease of viewing while in the heat of a show. Just make a new note card and put only the walk number and model name. If the walk is not a single, I include my position so I won’t be on the right when they want me on the left. There are many tricks of the trade, and we each must find the ones that work best for us. The goal, as always, is to create an atmosphere which will make the designer’s work sing, thereby encouraging the audience to run right out and buy, buy, buy! I know I do! Scruplz Magazine
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August 2010
Remember The Pond By: Alianna Logan No one will remember The Pond more than the hundreds of musicians that have graced her stage. For some, it was their very first shot at performing in front of a live audience, an audience that could interact with them while on stage and give them instant feedback. It was an outlet for their passion to perform, a door that was open at The Pond during a time when performing live inside of Second Life was less prevalent. It was a place to go and spend time with friendly people who loved to dance and loved to hear musicians from all over the world. The owner, MC2U Miles, is one of those special individuals who can see a need and fill it. In real life, music has been a part of his world all of his life and he owned an internet radio station for 10 years that was reserved only for unsigned artists. He said, “I’ve been doing dj’ing on SL since the start, as soon as I realized there was no future in camping.” And that, of course, made me laugh. Those of us who have been around awhile
remember the days when we were hopeful about camping. Wishing he could afford to open up a place in real life for unsigned artists to perform, when he discovered Second Life it was a natural fit. The Pond, named after his long-time submissive partner, Pond Nitely, was born. It became known as “the place that loves you back.� On July 31, 2010, three years after it opened its doors, The Pond saw its last line up of performers. One after the other warmly welcoming guests to the venue for the last time. It was an emotional evening for MC2U Miles as he relayed to me the depth of his feeling for what The Pond had stood for and verbally pondered how he could ever repay the loyalty and dedication he had been graced with by Manager BurningEmber Hotshot Scruplz Magazine
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and the countless live performers who had been returning to The Pond’s stage to perform for years. There to wish The Pond a fond farewell were performers OnlyHalfCrazy Gumbo, Truli Lionheart, Eddieguitardagger Sheryffe, Dale Aries, Katarina Malaspina, Donlizard Hunt and Scarlett Laroux. The Pond will not fade into obscurity as so many businesses do once the doors have been closed. She will live on in the hearts of those she loved back. When asked why such a well-loved establishment was closing MC2U had this to say, “It served its purpose, it’s gone as far as it could,
but now it’s time to move on and let it go while everyone still has great memories. The Pond was something special and I did not want it to lose its dignity. It was the toughest decision I’ve ever made on SL.” We celebrate and applaud what The Pond has done for live performances in Second Life. New paths can only be forged when there are pioneers to open the way. Where does one go now to find those who used to frequent The Pond? Sister venue, Stars of Unicorn, which is owned by Truli Lionheart and MorningStar Martinez is the place to go to see some of those familiar faces. The Pond may be closed, but we haven’t heard the last of MC2U Miles. He’ll be around and my guess is he’ll be continuing to forge new paths.
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