Central Florida Memory in Second Life - Video Tours Available

Central Florida Memory in Second Life! – Video Tours Available

In the summer of 2008, the Orange County Library System (OCLS) brought the Central Florida Memory project (www.cfmemory.org) to a new audience through an interactive exhibit built within the virtual world of Second Life (www.secondlife.com).

OCLS has now produced two video tours to introduce, promote, and explain both the exhibit and the project. The videos utilize machinima, the art of producing computer animated films through pre-existing 3D environments, to tell the stories of historic Central Florida.

Viewers follow the adventures of Nik Mortenwold (real world OCLS employee Nick Martinolich) as he explores a turn of the century Florida homestead complete with cracker house, barn, school house, and more. Nick interacts with the residents of the exhibit to learn more about their daily lives and routines.

Nick, who holds a degree in film from the University of Central Florida, was excited to branch into a new medium of filmmaking. He comments, “It is exciting to think of all the innovations in film and video that have laid the groundwork for the freedom in creation we have today. The ability for a single individual with a computer to tell a complete story is one of the beauties of machinima and is providing independence to filmmakers like never before.”

Visitors to the virtual exhibit are treated to an interactive and immersive experience that allows them to witness history first hand in an open and free roaming environment. Visitors are also provided with resources on starting a digitization project, the types of documents included in Central Florida Memory, and much more.

Go to www.ocls.info/about/collaborations.asp to find out more information about the exhibit and to view the videos.

Questions about the videos or machinima can be directed to martinolich.nicholas@ocls.info. *In World* questions can be sent to Nik Mortenwold. The exhibit and videos are available on an ongoing basis.