Second Skin, the documentary that delves into the cross roads of people’s virtual and real worlds has have several major developments. The first is their recent website design (way to go Juan and Chris), the second is their release of behind the scene videos from their hours of filming, creating and developing (I’m featured in their first weekly clip talking about sunsets), but their recent major announcement has been their next premier which happens in New York City! Second Skin will premiere at the ACE Film Festival on September 4th – 7th. Tickets are available beginning July 15th (and I assume they will be sold out quickly afterwards). I’m really happy for my amigo’s at Pure West for their NYC Premier. The sad news is that I won’t be able to make it. While New York City is my home town I will be in Tampa, FL helping run the 2008 SLCC! DO’H!
Fish (Tuna Oddfellow) and I saw this when they had their premiere in Boston. Anyone from SL should be warned — they *purport* to make this balanced, but in the Q&A they admitted that they did not portray any gamer types but one who had professional jobs and real solid middle-to-upper class lives. When a woman asked in the Q&A "Were all the professionals you interviewed ashamed to be identified as gamers?" the undertone of the documentary seemed patently revealed.
In fact some members and particularly the leader of the large gaming guild they interviewed were solid professionals with well-modulated gaming habits. However, every person whose personal details they go into are of the "real life interferes with my gaming" school. Although they claim to sympathy with the culture, I saw this piece as a "freaks and geeks show" portrayal of gamer culture. The people they spend time with have minimum wage, low hour jobs, poor grooming and social habits, ruined lives, and so on.
The anti-gaming-addiction activist they portray is no better — but that won't come through to many non-gamers who see the piece.
I found the movie disturbing *particularly* because the authors claimed to be pro-gamer.
When asked what inspired the film, one of the filmmakers said it was inspired when a friend of theirs had his life fall apart after getting involved in gaming. You can see this most explicitly in the interview given at SXSW in March, which you can find on the net.
This is not the neutral or sympathetic portrayal of gaming culture they claim — and perhaps even believe — it to be.
I found it painful to watch in places (particularly their intrusion on the socially awkward TX/FL romance and some of the spiteful editing they did cutting up the couple's dialogue).
I'm sorry, Nexeus, if these guys are your friends and I'm harshing their event. But I think people should know this isn't an unqualified good for the gaming or SL community.