Bernhard Drax/Draxtor Despres: Musician, Machinima Journalist
Bernhard Drax writes music for TV, commercials and feature film. His orchestral score for the Disney comedy "Sommer" gained critical acclaim in Germany as the film remained among the top ten for four consecutive months in 2008.
In the virtual world “Second Life” Bernhard regularly files machinima reportages on social and political issues. His story on virtual Guantanamo won the 2008 Human Rights Media Awards from internews in France. His series on "Public Good in Virtual Worlds", co-produced with the Network Culture Project at USC has been used in many classrooms to illustrate the possibilities of immersive 3D platforms.
Bernhard has also delivered promotional machinima for international clients such as Goethe Institute, CommerzBank, the MacArthur Foundation, MIT, PBS and Santa Clara University's "California Legacy" project.
As news director at NPR member station KAZU in Pacific Grove, California - from 2002 to 2004 and as consultant from 2004 to 2006 - Bernhard was instrumental in transforming the local news operation by producing high quality local content as well as training reporters and technical staff. A champion of non-commercial radio news and culture, Bernhard still develops formats for public radio and TV, in the US and abroad.
Bernhard studied composition and music education at the Richard-Strauss Conservatory in Munich, Germany and audio engineering at the University of California at Los Angeles. He is currently in post-production for the upcoming virtual worlds documentary "Login2Life" from Eidolon Enterainment, Austria.
Sponsored by the US Department of State, Bernhard also finished up a video series showcasing the use of virtual worlds in public diplomacy, focusing on the 6-month collaboration between architecture students from Cairo and USC in Los Angeles.
Bernhard lives on the Central Coast of California with his wife and son.
More info about BD at http://www.draxtor.com
A playlist with machinima focusing on educational use of virtual worlds is here http://www.youtube.com/view_play_list?p=C505E316DB51834A
Toni Alatalo : CTO Playsign
Toni Alatalo is the CTO of a small games company, Playsign, and the current lead architect of the open source realXtend platform.
Before realXtend, he worked at the Blender Foundation's first open movie project, Elepants Dream, as the technical director. The studio was located at the Netherlands media institute (Montevideo) where also Metameets is, so he is very much looking forward to visiting there again!
His work, both earlier in Blender and now realXtend, has focused on scripting APIs (Python and Javascript), but also taking care of the development as a whole. Playsign is planning to use reX as platform for arcade style multiplayer action games -- the base is now powerful and flexible enough so that games can be written in Javascript, automatically downloaded from the server to the client for e.g. custom GUI and controls. This is similar to how Javascript works with HTML pages, but here with networked multiuser 3d scenes.
Toni's earlier life in the '90s was centered around Internet services and web development, so he's very curious and keen to jump on all sorts of interactions of virtual worlds and the web. Although as an ex VJ and a performing dancer he's looking forward to the interplay with the physical spaces even more!
Nicolas Sordello and Raphaël Isdant
New media artist - Graphic Designer - builder/scripter in virtual worlds - Associate researcher EnsadLab
Nicolas Sordello, born in 1982, began studying Applied Arts at Toulouse and Antibes. In 2003, he specialized in graphic design and multimedia at "École Nationale Supérieure des Arts Decoratifs" in Paris. He continued his training in the research cycle ENSAD ENER (Digital Spaces, Real Extension).
Parallel to his studies, he participated as a multimedia artist with several exhibitions, conferences and residency programs. Recently he has collaborated with "le CENTQUATRE" and "la Cité des Sciences et de l’Industrie" in Paris, "PACT Zollverein" in Germany, the "Casino" in Luxembourg and "CUMA" in Turkey .
It uses the web and virtual worlds as a medium of creation to question the progress and its applications daily with derision. At the border of material and immaterial worlds, Nicolas Sordello develops digital facilities in a multidisciplinary approach, committed and fun.
Raphaël Isdant
Artist, teacher and researcher in the field of new media.
Coming from an academic background in art, he extended his technical knowledge through involvement in various projects combining design and innovation within the research program of EnsadLab until 2010. He creates tools for artists helping the manipulation of images and sounds related to the dynamics of space. He frequently collaborates with the contemporary art duo Active Creative Design in the creation of interactive scenography for museums. Raphaël is also involved in a course focused on interactive installations and environments to the digital wing of Fine Arts in Paris and provides technical assistance to artists in their projects.
Website: http://raphael.isdant.free.fr/
Ian Hughes : Feeding Edge
As a Metaverse Evangelist he led the way for IBM in the new technology and social revolution caused by Second Life and similar technologies.
There has been massive growth in IBM's presence in the metaverse, and as part of the CIO innovate quick team he is leading the charge.
Currently a TV presenter on emerging technologies on the UK CITV series Cool Stuff Collective, by Archie Productions.Bringing interesting, emerging but attainable technology to 7-12 year olds.
Website: http://www.feedingedge.co.uk
Noah Falstein: The Inspiracy
Web sites: http://theinspiracy.weebly.com/ and http://www.fudcorp.com/
Fred van Rijswijk: Owner, C2K internet solutions, internet and layar concepts
website: http://www.c2k.nl/blog
Ian Gee: Director of Organisation Development, Nokia
In 1996, he joined Shell Internationals global OD team. Whilst with Shell he led a number of global change projects with a focus on systemic change as well as organisation effectiveness. In 2006 Ian moved to Nokia Corp. Ian is known for the innovation, creativity and humour he brings to his work supported by a deep commitment to implementation, with the focus on the achievement of outcomes.
Through his work with Matthew Hanwell, a world class thinker and practitioner on Workplace Communities and Web 2.0 and Tim Gorree, world renowned for his thinking and practice in relation to Virtual Worlds and Social Media, Ian has extended and developed his thinking and practice about the nature of change. In particular, the need for a new relationship between the ’High Touch’ and ‘High Tech’ aspects of change and how Social Media, Web2.0 and Virtual Worlds now need to be part of the new mix that makes the difference between success and failure for organisation and individual change.
Website: http://uk.linkedin.com/pub/ian-gee/3/27a/978
Tim Gorree: IT Solution Architect: Nokia
Tim is currently analyzing the opportunities and implications of Nokia’s partnership with Microsoft and is deeply impressed with the work that Microsoft has done with the Kinect and how it can be used to create gestures and animation.
The role of virtual worlds on mobile phones is yet to be explored and many are getting excited about the emerging opportunities in this area.
Website: http://fi.linkedin.com/in/timgorree
Jolanda Verleg: Founder of Insperion
Insperion is specialized in visualizing ideas and making them concrete. Ideas can run from developing company policy to new forms of didactics for educational purposes. Words are a given tool to get your ideas more clear, but often people only have images in their minds and are unable to put words to those wonderful ideas.
Insperion helps to get your dreams out of the clouds onto the drawing board.
One of Insperions strenghts is not just finding the core to your ideas, but also making them into a 3D visualization. For Several schools and universities Insperion already created didactic platforms. A forensic science role-play environment, an innovation platform, a cultural and language game…
3D serious games not only require good visuals and infrastructure inside the game, also the didactics are an issue. New places of learning require new didactics. How to operate inside a 3D virtual game is very different from being in a traditional classroom. Insperion has both qualities. As a developer of new didactics and with a background of graphic design she is able to connect learning and game elements.
Website: Insperion
Ilan Tochner: Co - Founder and CEO Kitely "Virtual Worlds on Demand"
Ilan Tochner is an entrepreneur with experience in identifying unmet market needs and developing commercialized solutions that address them. He has years of entrepreneurial experience and a profound technical knowledge in software development and management. Ilan formerly held key positions in several funded and unfunded startups, including CEO at IDChoice and Director of Infrastructure Development at OmniSky. Ilan holds an MBA from Tel Aviv University and a B.Sc. in Computer Science from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.
Ilan is currently focused on Kitely, a startup that he and his partner, Oren Hurvitz, created in 2008 with the vision of enabling people to use virtual worlds on demand.
Kitely already enables you to get your own virtual worlds for training, education, collaboration or fun. Log in with Facebook to create your free account and start using your own virtual world within minutes. However, Kitely's existing service provides just a small part of what Kitely has in store. Ilan will be describing this vision and how we can help make it a reality.
Website: Kitely - Virtual Worlds on Demand
Ineke Verheul: CEO Game On
Herself as a gamer, she was always intrigued by the enormous amount of time and energy in and around gamers willing to invest in a game.
In 2009 Ineke Verheul conducted research into the effectiveness of a commercial game: Oblivion. The results of this study were remarkable, in view of the role of motivation in gaming.
Since early 2010, her company Game On gives her the upperunity for chance to only deal with what her heart and her expertise are: games and virtual worlds in education.
Website: Game ON
Melanie Thielker: Founder of Avination
Melanie Thielker is the founder of Avination. As an OpenSim Core Developer, Melanie
has been one of the most active contributors to virtual world software in general,
and OpenSim in particular. A longterm SecondLife™ resident, she has gained much experience in using virtual worlds.
Melanie has been involved in a number of virtual world projects and has created her own "spin" of the OpenSim software. Up to twelve developers have worked two years on creating the software which now powers Avination.
Melanie is a virtual world roleplay enthusiast and runs a successful roleplay community in SecondLife™, using the CCS combat system. As licensee of the System, she has now brought CCS and it's rich array of races and classes to Avination.
Currently, Melanie holds the position of Director in Avination Virtual Limited, the UK based company which operates Avination.
Melanie is known as "Melanie Milland" in both Avination and SecondLife™.
website: www.avination.com
Chantal Gerards: Ma Machinima
Chantal Harvey is the recognised Mother of Machinima in virtual worlds.
A powerhouse of the community, her embracing love for all filmers has brought together and enabled the art of machinima to grow into the most important media to take the vision, potential and business use cases for virtual worlds to the real life world at large.
Chantal is the machinima producer for the world famous 48hour Film Project, a member of the Linden Endowment for the Arts, and the founder of the MMIF festival.
Her tireless work brings filmers from every virtual world and unites them to push forward this art. She is also the curator at large at the upcoming MoM - Month of Machinima for Linden Lab.
Her work includes pieces for the famed rl and vw artist Stelarc, corporate films for Languagelab - one of the most successful real life companies to use vw's as a platform for business. Chantal has exhibited her many pieces of machinima at many festivals around the world, including the Shanghai World Expo and the Atopic festival in France.
website: http://mamachinima.eu http://MMIF.org
Lee Quick: CEO / Developer Kirstens Viewer
Kirstens Viewer
One of the longest established TPV's (Third Party Clients) for Secondlife.
Kirstens Viewer has a long history of presenting all the latest developments in viewer technology.
It is highly regarded as being the most technically advanced viewer, and due to its significant custom rendering
and graphical feature set, is an evergreen favorite with virtual artists,film makers and photographers.
Constantly updated and designed for outstanding render performance, with a small but determined development team.
The Rolls Royce of secondlife client
website: Kirstens Viewer
Mathijs Hamers and Lars Dijkema from Elde College
During our presentation, we will explain the steps of our project and we hope that all of you join our workshop to expand all of our ideas by means of co creation. We hope to see you at MetaMeets!
Toxic Menges/Heidi Foster: Community Manager
Toxic Menges/Heidi Foster is a community manager with over 13 years experience in the industry. Her exerience includes 7 years at AOL UK working as a community manager, and 2 years as the UK Community Manager for Habbo Hotel, a virtual world for Teens. As well as being involved in the drafting of guidelines safe Moderation Practice for the UK Government, she has also been involved in training various UK Police Forces in safeguarding kids and teens from sexual predators online.
When not working as a Community and Social Media consultant on a freelance basis, Toxic/Heidi uses the platform of Second Life to make Machinima - having had success at major exhibitions and festivals around the world, and has had the chance to work with names such as Saskia Bodekke and Peter Greenaway, to bring Machinima and the beauty of Second Life to millions in real life.
An experienced events coordinator in virtual worlds, Toxic/Heidi has worked on large scale community events as a core team member fo Second Life Birthdays and Burning Life.
Currently working as the CSR Manager for a major new breedable pet in Second Life, Meeroos, with a large customer base, Toxic is experienced at gauging, herding and making the vox pop a happy one.
Within the Sphere of Social Media Toxic's voice is strong and sure - her Twitter stream twitter.com/toxicmenges is full of observation and compelling statements about community and the state of virtual worlds. Passion and knowledge are a heady mix!
Justin Clark Casey : OSVW Consulting
In the latter role he has worked on many projects, including a collaboration between Intel and Sandia National Labs to develop a serious game about water resource usage.
His blog can be found here : http://justincc.org
Timo Mank: Archipel
Early this year the Foundation Archipel Ameland shifted focus from yearly media art interventions to transmedia story telling for iPad. The project is called TMSP TV and it connects twitter with guests at the TMSP studio in Diabolus Artspace Secondlife. The LiveLab uses the daily on goings in the World Herritage Waddensea and brings this material as live feed to virtual space where it’s playfully reevaluated, mixed and redistilled by guests and performers.
TMSP TV blog: http://tmspnow.wordpress.com/
Karen Wheatley: Jewell Theatre in Second Life ®
The Jewell Theatre has been staging full-length original plays in Second Life since August 2007.
With a first degree in directing for performance and a Masters in script writing, Wheatley was determined to use the platform to combine both skills and bring theatrical performances to life.
Almost four years on, the theatrical troupe feel that they’ve learned a great deal about theups and down of virtual performance, from set design to sponsorship.As the troupe rehearse their fourteenth production, Wheatley examines how virtual performance is written for, directed and stage
Stephen M. Zapytowski: Professor of Design and Technology School of Theatre and Dance Kent State University
In 2008 he produced and designed lighting for two plays from the Wakefield Mystery Cycle in Second Life.
He has worked on various projects ranging in location from New York to Asia including; e La Mama Annex in New York, the 1995 Papal Tour (USA), the Drama Theatre at the National Institute of The Arts in Taipei, and the Delta Center in Salt Lake City. Through the United States Institute for Theatre Technology Prof. Zapytowski pioneered graphic standards for the theatre industry and is an internationally recognized authority in that field.
As a theatre practitioner his work has won numerous awards, and is cited in a continually growing number of textbooks.
For the past four years he has worked on numerous projects for the Institute for Learning in Virtual Environments at Kent State.
In March of 2011 he was a featured speaker at the international Virtual Worlds Best Practices in Education conference.
April of the same year saw the premier of his avatar ghost for Kent State’s production of Hamlet. This ghost played “live” on stage with real life actors in a blend of virtual
and real worlds.
He will be presenting premier live video clips of the ghost from the augmented performance of "Hamlet".
