When the University of Western Australia (UWA) established its Second Life (SL) Campus some months ago, Vice Chancellor Alan Robson charged UWA sim owner JayJay Zifanwe with a mission. That mission should he decide to accept it, was to engage students, faculty and the SL community in furthering the four main aims of the SL Campus: teaching, research, arts and architecture. Jay Jay solemnly accepted this mission and together with a mixed team of UWA and SL people has worked to make the UWA campus one of the most active and vibrant sims in SL. A keystone in this has been the regular 3D Art, Design and Flagship Build Challenges.

It was really only a matter of time before JayJay looked for another challenge to throw out to the SL community. He didn’t have to look far. A chat with White Lebed, Lead of the Burning Life Art Department, produced a veritable ‘cinematic’ brainwave and in mid-December 09. the MachinimUWA Challenge was born. MachinimUWA challenged entrants to capture the four main elements that make up the heart of UWA in SL – architecture, teaching, reasearch and arts. In true UWA style the prize pool rapidly grew from 10,000L to 215,000L* ensuring that all 13 international finalists would receive both recognition and a 7,000L cash prize and UWA ‘varsity goodie bag’ to be sent to them in RL. The Honourable Mention Prize Winners received 12,000L, 3rd Prize 42,000L, 2nd Prize rises 44,000L, and 1st Prize 65,000L.

Torley Linden colourfully perched on a mushroom – or was it a beanbag(?) – delivered an inspiring keynote address on developments in the art of SL based machinima. Here it must be noted that there are few awards ceremonies where the guest speaker has occasion to experience an incoming avatar landing on his head or a mermaid plopping into his lap. It is a measure of Torley’s professionalism that he did not miss a beat.

AND The Winner IS…….

‘SEEK’ by CISKO VANDEVERRE, Berlin, Germany
(subtitled by the judges: ‘The Aliens Have Landed and Are Eating the Peacocks!’)

Second Prize: BRADLEY DORCHESTER, Perth, Australia
‘MachinimUWA: Art Architecture, Research, Teaching’

3rd Prize: COLEMARIE SOLEIL, Florida USA ‘UWA Machinima Challenge Submission’

Honourable Mentions were awarded to:

MASTERDARK FOOTMAN, Dallas, Texas, USA
‘The Heart of UWA’

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gv6EEIwtisc

LASLOPANTOMIK YAO, Barcelona, Spain
‘MachinimUWA’

CHANTAL HARVEY, Maastricht, Netherlands
‘University of Western Australia in Second Life’

Congratulations to all winners and finalists and particular congratulations to CISKO VANDEVERRE!

Further Information:

The 13 finalists shortlisted hailed from Texas, New York, Massachusetts, Florida, Barcelona, San Sebastian, Paris, Maastricht, Berlin, Toronto and Perth, all of which can be seen at http://uwainsl.blogspot.com/2010/02/machinimuwa-uwa-machinima-challenge.html

* Prizes were made possible by The Casey Family of Western Australia, John Stubbs (UWA Director of Student Services), Dr Chris Thorne (RL), Philip Vought (SL), MidnightRain Glas (SL), and a ’secret benefactor’.

** JUDGING PANEL
1. Professor Alan Robson (RL) – Vice-Chancellor, The University of Western Australia
2. Professor Ted Snell (RL) – Director, Cultural Precinct, The University of Western Australia
3. A/Professor Wade Halvorson (RL) – Lecturing in Marketing, Business and Electronic Commerce, The University of Western Australia
4. Colin Campbell Fraser (RL) – Principal Adviser (External Relations and Advocacy),
Vice-Chancellery, The University of Western Australia
5. Kelly Smith (RL) – Director, International Centre, The University of Western Australia
6. Jon Stubbs (RL) – Director, Student Services, The University of Western Australia
7. Susana Willis-Johnson (RL) – Marketing Manager, The University of Western Australia
8. Dr Carmen Fies (RL) – Assistant Professor, The University of Texas at San Antonio
9. Torley Linden (SL) – Linden Labs
10. White Lebed (SL) – Lead of Burning Life Art Department, Director of Special Events at UWA-SL
11. Raphaella Nightfire (SL) – CEO SW&MB Fashion Productions, CEO Evane Model Agency, Snr Writer Best of SL Magazine