Many of you saw the Millions of Us/Intel/Datavision project that occurred last week; but you might not have seen the final product. I tracked down Versu Millionsofus to talk with her a bit about the project, and get some shots of the final build. Thank you, Versu, for your time!
Versu, can you describe your position with Millions of Us?
I am one of many builders for them.
How long have you been with them?
Since late August.
And had you been a resident before that?
Oh yes, for about 2 and a half years.
Cool! Did you just apply for the job and get it, or were you referred by someone else?
I was approached by the founder, Reuben Steiger; we had met at the SLCC in New York last year.
Based on, presumably, your previous work?
Right.
One of Versu's previous builds:
So, how did the 3 day build in a window event come about?
The 3 day build started for us when the PR firm for Intel contacted Millions of Us. Reuben contacted me and asked if i would be willing to do it. We didn't have that much info on it yet, but it sounded like fun
It was Intel's idea?
That is a gray area, lol ... whose idea it was.
It seems to have gotten a lot of good press ... is the build still around?
Yes it is. At least I think so.
Is it visitable?
I have not been back since I finished it. I believe it is open to the public now.
Here's an aerial view of the build:
Any difficulties during the 72 hours?
Mostly the time constraint. I know 72 hours seems like a long time, especially when living in a 3 x10 space, but it goes by very quickly. And the pressure to get as much up there as I could prevented me from doing finer texture work or being very exact on it.
A more ground-level look:
Yeah, was that frustrating for you?
Incredibly. I like to have things line up perfectly, have the right shadowing and light effects, etc. It was not really possible, unless I wanted to settle for one building and leave the rest of the sim empty :P
As a seasoned builder, can you recommend any building tips to newbies?
Learn the tools in SL first -- play and practice with them. Then get yourself Photoshop. And don't worry about making mistakes on your builds, sometimes mistakes turn out to be better than what you had planned :)
And if you enjoy it, keep at it!
A busy street, with cars that one could drive! Well, if one were the owner, that is:
Can you mention any upcoming projects you're working on?
Things for Millions of Us -- not sure how much is hush hush, so best that I don't say :P Lots of our clients like to sort of have an "unveiling" when it is done.
Okay, about you: When and how did you first discover SL?
A friend from TSO told me about it in 2003, but I was using a crappy laptop with a even crappier Wi-fi connection. I wasn't able to actually check it out until the spring of 2004 when I moved and got a better PC.
Look at this, this is amazing!
What got you over the initial hurdle of acclimation?
Mostly help from friends -- like most of us, SL takes a little hand holding to get used to it all: the controls, the basics on how to not wear boxes on your head, etc.
Heh ... I miss those days! What would you say is the one thing that SL does best?
Hands the reins to its players.
And what would you like to see SL change or implement?
That is a tough one ... I would like no griefers!
Seconded! Any building tools, or things of that nature?
Yes -- I would like to see the texture tools to reflect those in Photoshop more -- the ability to manipulate them.
You mean to edit the actual textures?
Yes, but how you can move a texture in a PS window, to be able to do that on a face of a prim would be cool. No idea if it is possible or not.
If someone can think it, it's possible!
Also to be able to layer textures without adding prims. I think that would be helpful to players that don't have PS
Finally, any shout outs?
Yah, to the MillionsofUs crew that were with me on the Intel gig -- they had my back the whole time. Thanks guys! And to My Mackenzie, Fangs Craven and Nigel Riel that helped on the build just because they are cool friends!
Versu, thank you for making yourself available!
My pleasure, thank you :)
1. 'Versu Millionsofus' makes my stomach turn. Between that and the rediculous blue jumpsuits the MoU people wear at their functions it seems they've turned on of the most skilled people in Second Life into a goddamned pod person.
Posted at 3:49PM on Oct 19th 2006 by Reality Control