Latest "Official" YouTube video - "Make Some Waves"

[Scylla Rhiadra]

Just now, Ayashe Ninetails said:

you're alienating anyone who isn't a 3D modeler/animator

NOT SO!

(See my post above. 🙂)

[Love Zhaoying]

3 minutes ago, Ayashe Ninetails said:

you're alienating anyone

Most of these people seem like aliens to me, anyway!

[Ayashe Ninetails]

2 minutes ago, Scylla Rhiadra said:

For a great many people, like myself, who find themselves a little locked out of building by the learning curve involved in the transition to mesh, it provides a doable creative outlet and means of expression.

Funny enough, this is 100% how I got into SL photography! I had some weirdo, amusing success selling humorous photography poses for a while (made in Daz3D, pre-bento days), and when I came back to SL after years away, I tried networking around in the Builder's Brewery group to see if anyone had an easy answer to bento animation/posing software (since I refused to touch Blender/Avastar with a 10-foot pole, and Daz3D didn't support our bento bones or something like that). I linked up with someone who had made a tiny piece of software, similar to QAvimator if you remember that, but it could handle bento. Unfortunately, my motivation just evaporated while testing it out. I didn't want to learn yet another animation program as this would be my third, and it was seemingly a side project, so getting official support might be a bit tricky.

So what'd I do? Transitioned from the pose-maker to the photo taker. 😂 Invested a bunch into photo props and scenes and poses and went in that direction instead. Still just as fun as making things, and it's good enough to fill the creative void.

[Nalates Urriah]

I am discouraged by this promo video. It leaves me wondering who is approving these videos and curious about what directives and criteria the team developing them are given.

They seem to be dumbing them down. There are no words or clear thoughts or statements. They seem to be trying for some vague emotional message or connection… I suppose they are imitating the direction of many of the political ads or news reports of today.

I started looking back through the videos put out over the years.

From 3 years ago – 2020: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pQ4mZRhPSCk

This looks like a Drax-type interview. I think it gives a bit more of an idea that SL has some depth. Suggesting there are things to discover and enjoy.

From 7 years ago - ~2015: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cAXSBdXymBA

This is a Torley video. I think this really portrays the imaginative possibilities in SL. It conveys the idea with images and words. So, two communication channels. And quite a bit of reality and firsthand experience in going beyond common gameplay.

From 8 years ago: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4M32kkLWp28

When was the last promo of this type promoting the creative possibilities in SL? Promos now seem to be more oriented toward the consumer.

 

There are people doing deeper things. Drax does amazing videos and interviews. In this 6-month-old video, he does an excellent job of portraying what Fearless Nation is doing in-world. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=edxudGl7VqE

 

PS: After posting I was thinking... the format of the video... is that so it works for the person viewing it on their mobile device? OR are they trying for what may be a Facebook/Meta-like game look?

 

I think LL marketing is trying every approach they can think of to see what works. I know from UG meetings with Lindens that they do lots of statistical tracking and attempt to link promotional work and sign-up rates. However, the high signup rates and low retention rate suggests there is a disconnect between what they portray promotionally and what people find when they log in.

I think Torley’s video did a better job of suggesting it is about what YOU CAN DO not what the GAME WILL DO…   sort of a JFK thing… what can you do…

 

 

Edited March 21, 2023 by Nalates Urriah
PS

[Love Zhaoying]

2 minutes ago, Nalates Urriah said:

I am discouraged by this promo video. It leaves me wondering who is approving these videos and curious about what directives and criteria the team developing them are given.

 

They seem to be dumbing them down. There are no words or clear thoughts or statements. They seem to be trying for some vague emotional message or connection… I suppose they are imitating the direction of many of the political ads or news reports of today.

 

I started looking back through the videos put out over the years.

 

From 3 years ago – 2020: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pQ4mZRhPSCk

 

This looks like a Drax-type interview. I think it gives a bit more of an idea that SL has some depth. Suggesting there are things to discover and enjoy.

 

From 7 years ago - ~2015: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cAXSBdXymBA

 

This is a Torley video. I think this really portrays the imaginative possibilities in SL. It conveys the idea with images and words. So, two communication channels. And quite a bit of reality and firsthand experience in going beyond common gameplay.

 

From 8 years ago: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4M32kkLWp28

 

When was the last promo of this type promoting the creative possibilities in SL? Promos now seem to be more oriented toward the consumer.

 

 

 

There are people doing deeper things. Drax does amazing videos and interviews. In this 6-month-old video, he does an excellent job of portraying what Fearless Nation is doing in-world. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=edxudGl7VqE

 

 

 

I think LL marketing is trying every approach they can think of to see what works. I know from UG meetings with Lindens that they do lots of statical tracking and attempt to link promotional work and sign-up rates. However, the high signup rates and low retention rate suggests there is a disconnect between what they portray promotionally and what people find when they log in.

 

I think Torley’s video did a better job of suggesting it is about what YOU CAN DO not what the GAME WILL DO…   sort of a JFK thing… what can you do…

 

 

 

 

 

The video I linked in the OP is definitely "more likely" to go "viral" due to all the WTF factors.  And could be a "shorts" / "tiktok" video, etc.

(Regarding "dumbing down" + marketing)

Edited March 21, 2023 by Love Zhaoying

[Ayashe Ninetails]

16 minutes ago, Scylla Rhiadra said:

NOT SO!

(See my post above. 🙂)

Oh, I definitely agree on the photography and art side! The question is, is anyone making videos about that for SL to feature on their channel? I've seen a few "here's how to use Black Dragon/best photography settings" videos, some on windlight/EEP, and photo editing is fairly standard across the board so that'd be covered by generic Photoshop videos, but nothing really about creative set-building and staging inside SL, which is about...90% of the process for me anyway. 😂

Showing people how and where they can display and sell their art, though - that'd be kind of cool to have.

[Ceka Cianci]

11 minutes ago, Scylla Rhiadra said:

I've never really understood why LL doesn't push photography and art in their ads.

Yes, they have a "picture of the week" or whatever it is, and those are usually pretty well-done, but that's not the same thing as photography as a creative pursuit in SL. SL photography is big: there are scores of groups and many thousands of residents who identify themselves as SL photographers. For a great many people, like myself, who find themselves a little locked out of building by the learning curve involved in the transition to mesh, it provides a doable creative outlet and means of expression.

And art . . . well, there are literally scores of art galleries in SL, from the small to the region-sized, and catering to both 2D and 3D art. Openings are well attended (the region is sometimes so full you can't get in), and it also involves a far-from-negligible commercial aspect too. The galleries and the artists are generally well-networked: it's a pretty vibrant social community too and, in my experience, very open and welcoming.

I really think LL is missing the boat by not promoting both of these things better.

I think it would be a really good add if they showed the step by step and then the end results..

My point really isn't about just one area.. But the creation and final results..

Like this.. Someone see's something  then boom an image pops in their head, Then they get to work setting up the stage and and the lighting and  getting the things for the set and how much you can put into it..

The whole creation phase, then take the shot and show what can be done with that or just show it in raw form..

These adds just feel like they are selling that photo in an album, rather than selling the real experience that lead up to taking the shot.

I just think that not only is it a more honest look at the world, but a really good approach that shows off how creative we can be in this world.. You don't just play a game here, you can create them.

Have an idea and want to bring it to life? Here in second life you can..

Selling eye candy gives the impression that it's already built and all you have to do is step on in and hit the ground running..

No you have a lot to do before you hit the ground running..

I always thought  that, come on in and get creative  and express yourself, was such a better sell.

Your world Your imagination.. That has always been something that stuck with me from the start.. I just don't see them selling that anymore.

 

 

[Love Zhaoying]

And the latest..

 

[Orwar]

1 minute ago, Love Zhaoying said:

And the latest..

   Show up at an RP place with no other avatar in sight, leaving you to hang out with static NPCs. At least that bit is accurate! 

[Scylla Rhiadra]

43 minutes ago, Ayashe Ninetails said:

The question is, is anyone making videos about that for SL to feature on their channel?

No, and it would be cool if there were. As you I'm sure know, the process can of course be really involved, or really quite simple: I think you'd want to show one sort of in the middle, between the quickie Instagram-type snapshot selfie, and the really high-end "conceptual" pics. Show them how to use animations, backdrops, and lighting. (Of course, part of the problem is that the Phototools in the LL viewer are really pretty minimal.)

43 minutes ago, Ayashe Ninetails said:

Showing people how and where they can display and sell their art, though - that'd be kind of cool to have.

Agreed! There's a fairly extensive collection of galleries and regions in the Destination Guide, but something more comprehensive and complete would be really good.

As for how to get displayed . . . that's a bit more nebulous. There really isn't a "system" (except, sort of, for Flickr bloggers, but that's maybe a different thing). I just sort of fell into it by accident. It's a function of getting known in the community, I think.

Edited March 21, 2023 by Scylla Rhiadra

[Love Zhaoying]

5 minutes ago, Orwar said:

7 minutes ago, Love Zhaoying said:

And the latest..

   Show up at an RP place with no other avatar in sight, leaving you to hang out with static NPCs. At least that bit is accurate! 

But..but..the music and cut scenes have a cinematic quality..just like Sec..never mind.

[Scylla Rhiadra]

22 minutes ago, Ceka Cianci said:

Like this.. Someone see's something  then boom an image pops in their head, Then they get to work setting up the stage and and the lighting and  getting the things for the set and how much you can put into it..

The whole creation phase, then take the shot and show what can be done with that or just show it in raw form.

Yes, although as I just said to Ayashe, it's complicated by the fact that the LL viewer really isn't built for very complicated photos. (I really wish they'd fix that!)

Machinima are also a different animal, because, unless it's a very simple video, it's going to involve a lot of off-platform work on things like animations, video editing, and so on. And of course there is no "native" video tool in the platform. A really involved Machinima is every bit as complicated, or perhaps even more so, than building something in Blender.

[Ayashe Ninetails]

1 minute ago, Scylla Rhiadra said:

No, and it would be cool if there were. As you I'm sure know, the process can of course be really involved, or really quite simple: I think you'd want to show one sort of the in the middle, between the quickie Instagram-type snapshot selfie, and the really high-end "conceptual" pics. Show them how to use animations, backdrops, and lighting. (Of course, part of the problem is that the Phototools in the LL viewer are really pretty minimal.)

Exactly! It's a loooooong process (not that you don't already know this!), and usually involves TPVs. I'm sure I'm not the typical SL photographer, but this is usually a 3-4+ hour long process for me, if you take shopping/styling the avatar for the shot into consideration, as well as setting up the scene, lighting, tinkering with particle scripts, trying to get back that amazing rainbow I created entirely by accident, etc. And, I don't edit photos. These are entirely raw shots, hence why it takes me so long. Mistakes are corrected in-world - not in Photoshop.

But!!!! I did find a very nice video someone made 5 years ago, which got over 50,000 views, and goes into a lot of detail about scene building, props, and lighting. It was 45 minutes. I think that's still a bit long for an SL promo. Also, that's only her Part 2. Part 3 is where she takes the photo into Photoshop. That's over an hour long.

[Love Zhaoying]

47 minutes ago, Nalates Urriah said:

PS: After posting I was thinking... the format of the video... is that so it works for the person viewing it on their mobile device? OR are they trying for what may be a Facebook/Meta-like game look?

Could be all of the above.

[Ceka Cianci]

37 minutes ago, Ayashe Ninetails said:

Yeah, I get what you're saying. The really unfortunate part of that, though, is if you focus on the creation side too hard, now you're alienating anyone who isn't a 3D modeler/animator. Sure, you could build cool stuff in-world with prims, and that's how it was done when I joined - but that stuff is just no comparison to what people are putting out into the world from Blender and Maya. Creation is an entirely different process these days, and takes place outside of Second Life. That's exactly what drove me out of business (I used to design prim jewelry and other things) and kicked me over to the consumer side. I'd love to be able to create my own jewelry again, but not with that process. I'm good just buying it now.

I suppose they could find videos like that. Hey guys, you can come here and make houses and landscaping items and furniture and clothes! They'd need to start pushing technical how-to 3D software videos to promote that, though, and I'll be honest - as someone who used to build here on a daily basis, those how-to Blender/Avastar videos all over YouTube bore me to tears! I've watched quite a few - including a few clothing creation videos done in Marvelous Designer, as well. Oof. Not for me.

They could add a few of those videos, though. I don't see why not. Surely, they might be able to attract some people who do game modding or make Sims CC as a hobby, for instance. I'm sure they've got some 3D experience to be able to do that.

The point is they aren't even touching on those possibilities.. it's fun fun fun second life in most things now..Come play.

In an add like that, it would be easy to add in that this is a creative world..

It is as simple as, once it's ending, panning away from the scene, then slowly you see someone sitting in a directors chair and then a camera on a tripod and booms over head and projector lights then the inside of a studio..

Second Life,  Your world, your imagination.

You don't have to learn blender or anything like that to open up your creative side.. But you do have to learn how to walk.

I was gonna say Second life, A world that has Legs, to stand on.. My Suckenburger shot.. hehehe

 

[Ayashe Ninetails]

53 minutes ago, Nalates Urriah said:

PS: After posting I was thinking... the format of the video... is that so it works for the person viewing it on their mobile device? OR are they trying for what may be a Facebook/Meta-like game look?

That's the YouTube Shorts format. It's basically YouTube's answer to TikTok, except they can be monetized much like their normal videos. Shorts use a vertical format and videos are limited to about a minute long. They also get ridiculous view counts, so I doubt they're going anywhere.

I'm not a fan, personally, just because the feature looks so horrible on desktop. The way it scrolls, etc. But then again, so does TikTok.

[Ceka Cianci]

24 minutes ago, Scylla Rhiadra said:

Yes, although as I just said to Ayashe, it's complicated by the fact that the LL viewer really isn't built for very complicated photos. (I really wish they'd fix that!)

Machinima are also a different animal, because, unless it's a very simple video, it's going to involve a lot of off-platform work on things like animations, video editing, and so on. And of course there is no "native" video tool in the platform. A really involved Machinima is every bit as complicated, or perhaps even more so, than building something in Blender.

It's definitely not something that anyone is gonna pick up right away.. I think this is why I can't relate to the adds nowadays as being for anyone outside this world that isn't already here..

They really are not something made for new users but more made from our eyes perspective.. To me that would make an advertisement for a sim and trying to draw traffic to a sim..

For second life itself, I just don't see them as good  adds to try and attract  new customers..

I think showing off this world it's many possibilities it has, has always sold it more.. If you wanna do Machinima you can learn that here.. Want to get into photography  or create this or learn mesh creation and so on.. You can do that in this world.

The adds just seem to never be about what we can really do in here and really learn in here.. Creation is just part of it..

I never see any depth in them I guess.. Most anyone these days  just getting here ends up really clueless as to what they have just stepped into because they thought  this was something else.

I just think they are selling themselves short is all..

 

 

[Bree Giffen]

I don't see any problems with LL making all these videos. Youtube is good at suggesting things to people and I think it's a far better medium than regular television or radio. SL has such a wide variety of content that selling it has to either be in very broad terms to include everything or it has to focus on small niches that exist. 

[Love Zhaoying]

One positive thing about "no words" is, no translation is needed.

[benchthis]

26 minutes ago, Love Zhaoying said:

One positive thing about "no words" is, no translation is needed.

I read it as. The prince is with law enforcement. Find him and cut off his head or else everyone is dead. 

[Love Zhaoying]

6 minutes ago, benchthis said:

I read it as. The prince is with law enforcement. Find him and cut off his head or else everyone is dead. 

I assume  you mean the second (newest) video I linked.  I admit that I did not watch that one all the way through!

[benchthis]

3 minutes ago, Love Zhaoying said:

I assume  you mean the second (newest) video I linked.  I admit that I did not watch that one all the way through!

Nope the frog one