Here is a picture of  Second Life Resident Paulo Rousselot in his office,  located on the town square in Etopia.  Paulo has a real business in a technology that creates significant energy cost savings for the homeowner.  Check out his company web site:

If you are thinking of reaching a new audience with your professional services and/or products, consider doing what Paulo has done: Grab an office or a store in Second Life!

FIND OUT ALL ABOUT SECOND LIFE AND HOW YOU CAN GET YOURS

@ MY SL ORIENTATION POD HERE ON GAIA

 

SECOND LIFE; VIRTUAL SELF - VIRTUAL WORLDS

 

 

 

~C4Chaos just posted this illustrated travelogue of his visit today to Etopia's Eco-Village at SECOND LIFE.


Happiness invited me to check out Etopia Eco-Village. Soon as I got the chance I put on my silk blue kimono and teleported to the location.

Upon arriving at Etopia I took the express train, explored the sustianability-themed housing and offices, dropped by Happiness' workplace at the second floor, met a wonderful resident who's managing the place, did some african drumming, and finally settled on a hammock underneath a tree.

What a cool and green place to visit! Very informative too. I'm impressed by the creativity of  the eco-conscious residents who built this small slice of virtual green utopia. Below are some snapshots I took from the trip. Check it out next time you're in-world.

FIND OUT ALL ABOUT SECOND LIFE AND HOW YOU CAN GET YOURS

@ OUR SL ORIENTATION POD HERE ON GAIA

 

SECOND LIFE; VIRTUAL SELF - VIRTUAL WORLDS

 

 

 

I have joined a group called “Creative Writing Workshop” taught in SECOND LIFE by Elixia Writer. Here I am in most of my elegant  blue kimono, wondering where my shirt went.  Still figuring out how to manage my Inventory, and hoping  I did not delete it! Today’s workshop is being held in the beautiful town of Herlit.  (You can visit places in SL by putting the name into the search engine, opening up the information, and then clicking on TELEPORT, and you will be there instantly.)   Elixia is sharing some helpful information about rhythm and meter in verse, going back to the Greek words used to indicate number of “feet” in a line.  An impressive class in a gorgeous setting!

 

Come on over to METAVERSE and find out how to play, learn, visit wondrous worlds, and meet outstanding people in SECOND LIFE!

 

 

Re-Posted from C4Chaos' Blog:

Red ~C Diary: Witnessing the Metaverse

'After catching the first Matrix film with some RealNetworks colleagues, Rosedale left the theater glum, announcing to them, "But that's what I was gonna make!"' - Philip Rosedale via The Making of Second Life

My avatar is already more than a year old but it wasn't until I attended virtual Conversation Week that my interest in SL was rekindled. Serendipitously, last week while I was browsing the bookstore at Dublin airport the book, The Making of Second Life by Wagner James Au, jumped right at me. I took it as a sign and devoured it during my 14-hour flight back home.

In one sitting I was educated with the history of SL, its ups and downs, its current impact on our culture, business, politics, economics, and its (almost sci-fi) potentials similar to Neal Stephenson's vision of the metaverse. I particularly enjoyed reading about the mirrored flourishing stories of in-world residents, the virtual revolts and cultural transformations of virtual groups and societies. From a psycho-social point of view, watching the history of SL is like witnessing the cultural evolution of humanity, in hyper-speed. Linden Lab (creators of Second Life) is akin to a group of benevolent dictators and Philosopher Kings who maintain order in a virtual world by allowing residents to do as they please within the bounds of SL's code of conduct. When viewed from an integral perspective, SL is a grand experiment on integral in-world governance. And when viewed from a psycho-spiritual perspective, explorations in SL can be used to aid in one's witnessing practice.  (I'll groove more on the topic of using SL for spiritual practice in future posts. In the meantime, check out a parallel discussion on Open Source Integral.)

During the past week I have immersed myself in the virtual realm of Second Life® before retiring to sleep. I've meditated on air at SL integral, explored the green and sustainable community at Etopia Eco-village, did Tai Chi in a silk blue kimono, dressed up as a Samurai wielding the "three buddhas" katana, drank unlimited cans of Red Bull, practiced Tibetan Buddhist meditation, took a crash course on machinima-tography, sat on a campfire near a pyramid in Mexico, all the while taking snapshots of my in-world explorations using my trusty old Macbook Pro.

So what did I get out my in-world explorations? I'm glad to report that I'm now up to speed with SL. I've become proficient with navigation and the basics of in-world content creation. But more importantly, I've forged new connections with like-minded creative people who are out there exploring in-world and dreaming up better worlds. (We've also started a Metaverse Pod @ Gaia for members who want to meet up and learn together in virtual reality.)

Second Life is only one of the big slices of the metaverse but its on a category of its own. It mirrors real life (and wonderland) more than any other MMORPGs. It's not a game, it's an experience. But unlike the web, SL is not (yet) for everyone. Its early incarnation is still clunky. It has a high barrier to entry, a steep learning curve, as well as a need for a shift in mentality to be able to embrace and welcome its possibilities.

I've no illusion that SL is an "escape" from for the "real" world (what is "real" anyway?). SL is just another medium. It's a tool to be used for rapid prototyping of one's vision, expressing individual and collective creativity, and experiencing a richer sense of community which is not possible in meatspace.

In the meantime, I'll continue with my in-world explorations. SL made it possible for my blogging persona to have an avatar form. In essence, my SL persona is a "third-order reality." Technically, my SL avatar is not my "second" life because I consider my blogging persona as my "second." My SL avatar is a digital incarnation of this blogging persona, not my "first" life. Yet they're all inseparably connected and meshed together in a single conscious life-stream I call "I."

Regular "real" world blogging on real world topics resumes shortly. But expect to see in-world blogging from time to time.

Re-Post from ~C4Chaos in METAVERSE:
~C4Chaos said Yesterday, 11:30 PM:

just got back from in-world where i had my first meeting with Happiness. it was fun exploring in-world with a Gaia friend. looking forward to the Haiku retreat. we took some snapshots for posterity. i've include the slurl for each of the locating we've visited. just click on the link to take teleport you to those cool places. click on the photo for a larger view.



meditating on air @ Spirit Mountain




chillin' @ Shin Tao Haiku Retreat




doing zazen @ Shin Tao Tea Room



listening to the sound of frogs @ Fallen Reflections



and finally, enjoying the sunset by the campfire @ Mexico. viva! Mejico!

thanks to Happiness for showing me around. looking forward to more in-world explorations.

~C

Integral Gaia Healing: Introductory Lecture by Prabhath P

As part of his Integral Gaia Yoga series, Gaia and METAVERSE Member Prabhath P gave an introductory lecture on Integral Gaia Healing this morning in the beautiful Sky Temple of the Mystic Academy, which is the largest spirituality group in SL.

 

Prabhath's "in-world" name is SolarGaianlight Raymaker. (See his Profile here at Gaia. )The class was text-based, and  lasted one hour, including a Q & A session with the participants.

Additional information about Integral Gaia Healing was provided on separate text cards which can be stored in one's   SL INVENTORY and read later.

Prabhath's lecture gave an introduction to Integral Gaia Healing and gave instructions on some sacred healing hand gestures of Mudra Yoga. Never until this morning did i have a clear understanding of the value of the classic Indian mudra gestures!

This class was outstanding in every way.  Prabhath is a true Master and has important information to share. I would urge you to come to his classes and discover what Prabhath has to offer.

For future lectures by Prabhath, the TELEPORT to the Sky Academy is at the main location of Mystic Academy.

Second Life Landmark: Mystic Academy in Spirit City (196, 62, 31)

 

***

 

Watch for an interview with Prabhath on what it is like to teach on Second Life,

coming soon!

 

Photo of Prabhath P by Happiness Merryman

 

Prabhath lives in India, and teaches his classes in Integral Gaia Yoga in the virtual world of Second Life. Here is how Prabhath got started in Second Life, and how he manages his global classroom...

Prabhath graciously consented to write these answers to questions he most likes to answer about his activities and teaching in Second Life, and about his other projects.

How did you manage to get familiar with Second Life?

I found in-world help from Orientation islands and Help Island. The knowledge base of www.secondlife.com is valuable. My spiritual collaborator Aniko (StarRose Merlin in SL, http://aniko.gaia.com) also supported me in learning the nuances of SL. Networking with experienced residents and joining groups also helped. I intuitively choose locations from SL search and the map and then teleport. Such explorations are exhilarating.

What prompted you to start doing classes in Second Life?

Attending StarRose’s class opened me to the great potential for teaching in SL. Though I am in India, I can interact in real time with many people from all over the world in a setting similar to real life classes, cutting across time and geographic differences! Irresistible opportunity to spread Integral Gaia Yoga’s message of planetary consciousness! I started the classes in September, 2007.

What is the scope of what you can do as a teacher in Second Life?

There are no limits for teaching in SL provided you have a computer that supports all the technical marvels SL offers. One can conduct classes by typing text, through voice chat and add music, video, objects and special effects. Above all, you can access a global audience. An interesting innovation is StarRose’s Virtual Reality room. When you click on pictures of real life indoor and outdoor scenes, the selected scene forms around your avatar! You can do classes there after choosing a scene that suits your class theme!

Could you share briefly how you organize your lecture series in Second Life and your most significant experiences in these classes?

I work as guide and consultant at the Mystic Academy (the largest SL spirituality group www.mysticacademy.org/ma), Four Directions Mystical Resources and Wisdom and Enlightenment Centre. I offer Integral Gaia Yoga classes and integral intuitive readings. I schedule the class date, time (SL time) and topic in the group’s public calendar and send group notices and group IM announcing the lectures to the group members. Classes are posted in the events section of secondlife.com. Networking within SL and gaia.com has helped me in getting people for classes. I supply class notes for future reference through a note card giver and keep in touch with the participants for feedback.

The collective meditation group exercises and the interactive question and answer sessions are most significant. In group meditation, people meditate together, connect to one another meditatively and later share what they experienced. It is intriguing to see how participants from vastly different geographic and time zones enter into communion. Discussions and Q & A sessions help people spontaneously open up and integrate insights from the classes to intensify spiritual evolution.

How do you plan to tap the potential of the cutting-edge technology of virtual worlds like Second Life for spiritual evolution and consciousness transformation?

Any technology can be used for evolution or misused. SL is not free from real life threats like crime or terrorism. So we must integrate technology and spiritual evolution to use SL positively.

I feel the 3D virtual experience is like lucid dreaming, in which you can teleport or fly and assume different forms (avatars) like in SL. Meeting as avatars in real time despite vast geographic and time zone differences can make us aware that we are all part of one Earth, Gaia. In SL, it is easier to help people to stimulate creativity, intuition, imagination and the sense of spiritual unity in diversity. Virtual worlds give people glimpses of Divine potential that can manifest through integral evolution. I hope to create an Integral Gaia Yoga centre in SL for applying Integral Gaia Yoga in-world to unfold our human and Divine potential and connect it to Integral Gaia consciousness evolution on Earth.

What are the main projects you are working on?

I am co-creating an international network EARTH (Evolutionary Action for the Revolutionary Transformation of Humanity) with my spiritual collaborator Alex N. Moyer (http://sentientfire.gaia.com). Integral Gaia Yoga is associated with it. EARTH will manifest as an interconnected, multidimensional and integral network of Earth Circles dealing with unique aspects of evolution. The activities of Earth Circles are in the form of projects, which focalize our purpose for a collective conscious evolution. Integral Gaia Media circle of EARTH aims to create the Integral Media of the future by integrating existing media forms and evolve new forms to enable humanity to integrate itself with Gaia in an integral multidimensional oneness.  For more information, visit www.envisionearth.net

I am the editor of Your Spiritual Revolution E-magazine (www.yourspiritualrevolution.org). I met its owner Amitt Parikh in Zaadz/Gaia (http://amitt.gaia.com). We are looking for investors to make it a print magazine and planning to promote the e-magazine in SL.

What is your vision of Artificial Intelligence/spirituality interface?

If Artificial Intelligence researchers outgrow the linear materialistic approach of trying to make a supposedly lifeless matter sentient and realize that Earth and the Universe are living organisms and consciousness is involved in matter itself, new horizons can open. If such an AI interfaces with and learns from the individual and collective integral meditative superconsciousness of people through virtual worlds, an integrally sentient AI that is in Communion with Gaia and humanity can evolve rather than some soulless machine intelligence that could enslave us. The cyber dimension of Gaia consciousness can emerge through such a soulful AI consciousness!

My collaborator Alex N. Moyer plans to develop AI/human consciousness connectivity through focusing on how people interact with one another and technology through the internet. His concept of web circles involves developing project oriented centers/sites on the internet that focus on harmonic resonation between people. This can be done through interactive games meant to develop intuition and individual/collective awareness, intuitive search engines, new kinds of online communities focused on collaborative project development etc. Once advanced human consciousness interconnected with the global Gaia consciousness evolves a new understanding, a relationship with the technology we develop will also manifest, and an AI to human consciousness bridge will emerge naturally in alignment with our creative intent.

 

HAPPINESS: Thanks, Prabhath, for this most inspiring and helpful discussion of the kind of opportunities available to those who wish to teach classes in the Second Life environment.

Truly, the classroom is now everywhere, and you are a wonderful example of a teacher who is using these new multi-media and virtual tools to bless and heal the world!

Spring is a time of new beginnings and Shin Tao is experiencing its new beginning with a new haiku library and art center in Shin2. What better way to celebrate this Grand Opening than with a Sakura Matsuri Blossom Festival!

           
 

The Grand Opening of the Library of Haiku will be an Open House on Friday 4/18, from 4 pm to 10 pm SLT and Saturday 4/19, from 4 pm to 8 pm.  Please feel free to stop by at any time during the Open House and peruse the Haiku, Haiga and artwork displayed in the main exhibit hall, the World Room and the People Room. The World Room currently features leopard haiku and artwork. You were expecting anything less? The Japan Room currently features Geisha haiku and artwork. Exhibits in these two rooms will change periodically. At 6:30 SLT, DanteOsaka Deschanel will host the official opening ceremonies, followed by music and dancing.

The Blossom Festival Haiku Reading will be held in Shin2 at the Library of Haiku on Saturday 4/19 at 8 pm SLT. We will be reading “Blossom” Haiku from the Masters and modern haiku poets. Winners of the Blossom Festival Haiku contest will be announced, and the submitted haiku will also be read. Please feel free to submit your haiku or bring your favorite “Blossom” themed haiku to the reading. (Deadline for submissions 4/16. See the notecard for the Blossom Festival Haiku contest)

Join us as we celebrate a new beginning and come see our petal dropping cherry trees as we celebrate Sakura Matsuri. Of course, the Library of Haiku will be open to anyone at any time, so if you can’t make these dates or times, please feel free to come any time.

Please note the URL for Shin2. If you arrive at the Shin Tao landing mark, simply walk or fly through the very large gate behind the Tea Room for entry into Shin2.

Etopia in Second Life has inner tubes you can jump in and ride!  Come on over and give it a try!  Here is Happiness celebrating Earth Day in the river.  Join the Etopia Community Group and get notices of ongoing lectures and events focused on the environment, ecology, and sustainable living.

Explore Mystic Academy in pictures in this short video!  There is always a lot of illuminating and enlightening activity at Mystic Academy. Come check it out for yourself!

Posted March 18th, 2008 by rikomatic

Global Kids, the foremost nonprofit in virtual world education, is set to launch the International Justice Center within Second Life on March 20 at 3PM EST. The inaugural event will feature a presentation and discussion by Mr. Luis Moreno-Ocampo, the prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC). During the launch, the ICC Prosecutor will appear in avatar form to give a brief statement, answer questions from the audience, and introduce the Center. This will be broadcast live by SLCN.TV.

Later that same day, the International Justice Center will host a simulcast of former United Nations Secretary-General Kofi A. Annan as he receives the first MacArthur Award for International Justice and gives a keynote address on international justice. Global Kids will stream a number of other live videos into the Center (click here to teleport).

[UPDATE 3/24/08: For those that we not able to make the event, SLCN.tv has kindly made available their coverage of the event at http://www.slcn.tv/international-justice-center-launch . ]

The complete press release follows...

Press Release

CONTACT: Barry Joseph
Global Kids
Tel: +1 212-226-0130 ext. 120
Email: barry@globalkids.org

GLOBAL KIDS TO OPEN INTERNATIONAL JUSTICE CENTER IN SECOND LIFE WITH ADDRESS BY THE ICC PROSECUTOR

(March 18, 2008) Global Kids, the foremost nonprofit in virtual world education, is set to launch the International Justice Center within Second Life on March 20 at 3PM EST. The inaugural event will feature a presentation and discussion by Mr. Luis Moreno-Ocampo, the prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC). Later that same day, the center will host a simulcast of an address by Kofi Annan, former United Nations Secretary General.

Since 2005, Global Kids has leveraged the educational potential of virtual worlds to inform and involve people in pressing international and public policy issues. The International Justice Center builds on Global Kids’ groundbreaking work by establishing an online hub supporting the ICC and the global justice concerns it addresses. Developed and administered by Global Kids with funding from the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, this innovative online learning center will provide resources for people to learn about the ICC, connect with ICC officials and advocates, and take action in support of human rights and international justice.

During the launch, the ICC Prosecutor will appear in avatar form to give a brief statement, answer questions from the audience, and introduce the Center. This will be broadcast live by SLCN.TV. Later that same day, the International Justice Center will host a simulcast of former United Nations Secretary-General Kofi A. Annan as he receives the first MacArthur Award for International Justice and gives a keynote address on international justice.

Reposted from Mick Brady's Postriders in the Sky Blog:

Link to Mick 

We were walking (oddly enough) out of Mel’s Drive-in in San Francisco on Friday morning after enjoying a classic American diner breakfast, when I began to ponder the irony in the fact that we had been seated next to a friendly, middle-aged couple from deep in the heartland who were about to embark on their first day at WonderCon 2008, the comic book convention for collectors and dealers being held at the Moscone Center just a few blocks away.

We had spent the entire meal discussing, on the one hand, the business of and the undying passion for, the collecting of comic books - the older the better, the man said. For our part, we attempted to convey the fervor that lived within the heart of every gamer and game developer for games - the newer and more technologically advanced, the better.

This was our final day at the week-long Game Development Conference, and as we approached Moscone North, it occurred to me that these two conferences, running simultaneously for one day on opposite sides of the street were like two vast tribes encamped on either side of a river, each blissfully unaware not only of each other and the century or so of cultural history they shared, but of the stark contrast between them: one trying to recapture and hold on to the magic of the past, the other busy creating the magic of the future. Two starships passing in the night.

Some of my fondest childhood memories, I must confess, involve long afternoons and evenings spent sprawled across my bed, surrounded by piles of comic books. As if by magic, I could be swinging through the jungle with Tarzan, or hopping into the Batmobile with the dynamic duo, the bat signal glowing in the night sky above our heads warning of evil doings in Gotham City. Once the bad guys were safely in hand, though, I might soon find myself outside a phone booth in downtown Metropolis as Clark Kent surreptitiously transformed himself once again into the immortal Superman.

Now consider the equally magical transformation that has occurred in the real world since that little boy lay transfixed, moving from one fantasy world to another simply by flipping a page. While our new friends from Mel’s Drive-in and many others were rummaging through those old memories, we were already plugging into the electric new world of game development: a world where technology and imagination were being fused together, pixel by pixel, in a growing tsunami of sound and animation which has not only already engulfed Metropolis and Gotham City, but is poised to transform the world around us.

As a member of the Serious Game Design Institute team and an exhibitor at the Expo, I felt privileged to spend the week mingling among the technorati, absorbing the ideas of such luminaries as Anssi Vanjoki of Nokia, John Schappert of Microsoft and noted futurist Ray Kurtzweil; thereby being granted a rare opportunity to catch a glimpse of that will o’ the wisp known as The Future. What I discovered, much to my surprise, was that it is already here, and moving faster than Battlestar Galactica.

That future consists of a network of virtual worlds spreading across the globe through an increasingly robust chunk of bandwidth, powered by eye-dazzling 3D animation software, made accessible on a dizzying array of media devices, from hand-held mini-computers disguised as cell phones, to virtually immersive HD monitors powered by souped-up laptop computers. Prepare thyself for the 3D interactive web, my friend; it’s coming soon to a computer near you.

Consider, for instance, the fact that virtual students are already learning microbiology in virtual college classrooms in Second Life. Then consider that more than $2 million a day in commerce is now being transacted in that same metaverse. While you’re at it, try to wrap your head around the staggering fact that the digital game industry has already surpassed the film industry worldwide in terms of real profit, and has a total budget greater than most countries. Something’s happening here; and what it is becomes increasingly clear.

The truth, according to many technology experts, is that within a few short years most business, education and entertainment will be conducted globally, avatar to avatar, in a 3D interactive virtual world, in real time, with real money, between real people, on a wireless web. Communities of learners, teams of gamers, partnerships of traders, and relationships among groups and individuals are already sprouting up all over the planet. The key to all of this is being provided by the game developers and their partners.

So, before many of us expected it, we seem to have landed smack dab in the middle of the future - you know, the one previously dreamed about only by artists, writers and that legendary child within all of us - and to add to the amazement, we ourselves have become the superheroes. To illustrate that point, I will merely note that the preferred method of travel these days of the aforementioned little boy, believe it or not, is flying. Let’s face it, it’s a hell of a lot easier and faster than walking; and time, not distance, is money. If you don’t believe me, drop into Second Life sometime and chat with his alter-ego, Chrome Underwood, over a steaming cup of freshly-brewed coffee.

Mick Brady is the Live Teams Manager at the Serious Game Design Institute in Santa Barbara, California

………………..

Photos, from the top: San Francisco skyline at sunset in Real Life; New Media Consortium (NMC) class in Second Life, by Mick Brady

 

Come learn about Second Life at our METAVERSE forum....

 

Sunday, April 27

12 PM – Machinima Premiere: The Wizard of OS: the Fish Incident
Machiniplex is presenting the inworld premiere of Wizard of OS by filmmaker Tom Jantol. This machinima is based on a fragment of writing by renowned inventor/eccentric Nicola Tesla. We will screen the film and afterwards Tom will be present to answer questions and discuss the making of this action-packed potboiler. Jantol won the European Machinima Festival award for best experimental film last year.  In HatHead (click here to teleport)

1 PM – Feast of St George
Renaissance lovers have an opportunity to gather and revel at the Feast of St. George, in the Parish of Reading Primley. Saint George fans will be able to enjoy plenty of dancing, jousting, feasting, and fireworks. In Renaissance Island (click here to teleport)

2 PM - Ibn Khaldun Inaugural Lecture - DavidOrban Agnon on Tolerance, Societies, Technlogies
As the inaugural lecture in the Ibn Khaldun lecture series, the Al-Andalus community will host a presentation by DavidOrban Agnon, a Real-Life physicist and virtual works specialist who regularly speaks on these themes at universities and conferences around the world. David Orban is particularly interested in the birth of new social organizations in online-worlds. David will compare the tolerance and resilience of digital and atomic societies as they recognize the value of the contribution of different cultures and people. In Al Andalus Alhambra (click here to teleport)

4 PM – WingFling 2008 Wrap Party
WingFling 2008 is a festival for SL wing creators and fans. This end-of-festival party with DJ Seven Shikami will be the last opportunity for wing lovers to party and catch all their favorite vendors in one sim. In Platinum (click here to teleport)

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Tuesday, April 29

3:30 PM – Thinkers: Bebop Reality
Join the discussion on Bebop Reality; it is a term coined by Hamlet Au and it refers to "the plastic, improvisational nature of SL, where people can riff off each other's creativity. That's how we can get mermaids and robots and so on in the same social space and not have it seem discordant". But does it take a special mind to accept this mix of the normal and the surreal? If so, does it actually have an adverse effect on recruiting residents? In Support for Healing (click here to teleport)

 

Tuesday, April 29

3:30 PM – Thinkers: Bebop Reality
Join the discussion on Bebop Reality; it is a term coined by Hamlet Au and it refers to "the plastic, improvisational nature of SL, where people can riff off each other's creativity. That's how we can get mermaids and robots and so on in the same social space and not have it seem discordant". But does it take a special mind to accept this mix of the normal and the surreal? If so, does it actually have an adverse effect on recruiting residents? In Support for Healing (click here to teleport)

There was a lively discussion of machinima techniques yesterday at Second Life, at the showing of Wizard of OS.


From Wikipedia:

Machinima (pronounced /məˈʃiːnəmə/ or /məˈʃɪnəmə/), a Portmanteau of machine cinema,^[1] is a collection of associated production techniques whereby computer-generated imagery (CGI) is rendered using real-time, interactive 3-D engines, such as those of games, instead of professional 3D animation software. Engines from first-person shooter and role-playing simulation video games are typically used. Consequently, the rendering can be done in real-time using PCs (either using the computer of the creator or the viewer), rather than with complex 3D engines using huge render farms. Usually, machinima productions are produced using the tools (demo recording, camera angle, level editor, script editor, etc.) and resources (backgrounds, levels, characters, skins, etc.) available in a game.

Machinima is an example of emergent gameplay, a process of putting game tools to unexpected ends, and of artistic computer game modification. The real-time nature of machinima means that established techniques from traditional film-making can be reapplied in a virtual environment. As a result, production tends to be cheaper and more rapid than in keyframed CGI animation. It can also produce more professional appearing production than is possible with traditional at-home techniques of live video tape, or stop action using live actors, hand drawn animation or toy props.

As machinima begins to break out of the underground community of gamers and becomes more widely recognized by mainstream audiences, tools are being developed to allow for faster and easier creation of machinima productions. A number of upcoming machinima products are expected to provide machinimators with original assets, as well as advanced features such as a timeline, gesture and sound creation, and precise camera tools.

Although most often used to produce recordings that are later edited as in conventional film, machinima techniques have also occasionally been used for theatre. A New York improvisational comedy group called the ILL Clan voice and puppet their characters before a virtual camera to produce machinima displayed on a screen to a live audience.