Sundance Channel today announced the creation of a virtual screening room within the online community of Second Life (SL). The announcement was made by Christopher Barry, Vice President, Digital Media and Business Strategy, Sundance Channel. Construction of Sundance Channel’s SL screening room will be documented via a blog located at www.sundancechannel.com/secondlife. The screening room itself is scheduled to launch in January 2007 (exact date to be confirmed) with the SL premiere of the independent feature film Four Eyed Monsters by Susan Buice and Arin Crumley.
Sundance Channel’s SL screening room will be used to showcase films, documentaries, shorts and original series and to host unique interactive events with filmmakers and other independent thinkers. The Sundance Channel SL screening room will allow users to enjoy screenings and events in a social environment and interact with filmmakers, notable personalities and with one another. The Sundance Channel SL presence is being developed by The Electric Sheep Company, a leading SL design firm.
“Second Life provides us an innovative way to interact with our audience,” said Barry. “With the Sundance Channel screening room we’re not only extending our programming to a new platform, but also providing a space for like-minded residents of Second Life to meet, interact and discuss high quality programming. We’re excited to be part of such a groundbreaking online world.”
“We are thrilled to bring Sundance Channel into Second Life,” said Sibley Verbeck, CEO of The Electric Sheep Company. “Sundance Channel’s unique content and longstanding tradition of embracing innovation and independent artists will translate into exciting opportunities for Second Life residents.”
A blog housed at www.sundancechannel.com/secondlife will document the construction of the screening room and provide information on SL itself using photos, interviews and machinima video. The blog will also provide information on upcoming events planned for 2007, including the Four Eyed Monsters premiere. The Sundance Channel SL blog will be hosted by two avatars, Vincent and Maya, who will introduce unfamiliar users to the range of experiences available within SL and solicit user comments. The blog will also feature posts from the Electric Sheep designers creating the Sundance Channel screening room.
Sundance Channel’s first SL event will include a screening of the independent feature Four Eyed Monsters. Nominated for two Independent Spirit Awards (Best Cinematography and the John Cassavetes Award), “Four Eyed Monsters” chronicles the relationship of Susan Buice and Arin Crumley. Buice and Crumley met online in 2002 and as an experiment, decided not to speak in person. The result was a collection of notes, drawings and short videos they made for each other that serve as the inspiration for the feature film. Buice and Crumley have pioneered new strategies for independent film distribution through digital technology and have built up a loyal fanbase through online tactics such as podcasts, custom Google maps and Second Life. The film is currently screening at the Cinema Village in New York City. For more information please log on to www.foureyedmonsters.com or visit the Four Eyed Monsters interactive video podcast viewer in Second Life by visiting www.foureyedmonsters.com/secondlife.
