RL had been hectic and needing a bit of relaxation, I decide to go exploring after logging into SL.Opening my inventory folder I scanned through the LM's. Finding one that seemed interesting, I double clicked on it and arrived quickly with a whoosh.
There were several people at the site when I rezzed in. I was pleasantly surprised by the presence of a few acquaintances and we began to chat. As we did, I noticed a dark haired woman who had begun in chat giving directions to several people, commenting about the area and what needed to be done to prep it for filming.
Intrigued by the conversation, I opened Suzy Yue's profile and read it. "Work with talented folks creating Machinima...the best in SL..." I smiled realizing I'd found my next story and readily introduced myself to her. We chatted for several minutes and she agreed to do an interview so we arranged for a date and time to meet a few days later.
Nazz: How was it that you'd come into SL?
Suzy: Well, I was introduced to it by a friend, who is no longer here very much. Read my profile. I came to play, but now I work.
Nazz: How come the change from play to work?
Suzy: It's a long story. Suzy is an alt. My primary avatar came into the world partnered with my RL spouse. Suzy was created to be a much more carefree version of me. But, after partying and playing, Suzy got curious about what else there was to do in SL. I did the usual things in SL that girls do. All the while, I was dancing around an idea that I didn't think was possible in SL.
My RL background is in theatre as a director and actress. So one day I got curious and decided to find out if there were actors in SL … and I did a search and found there were.
Nazz: How did that lead to being a director of Machinima?
Suzy: Well, I auditioned for a Machinima piece, advertised in one of the groups. I got cast in the lead. While I was waiting for that to begin I answered another ad from Popcha, looking for an actor to run Avs for a demonstration. I was hired and then Adonis Bussy, the CEO of Popcha, asked if I would like to try my hand at designing an avatar for the same client, I said sure and then, he asked if I could get more actors for another demo and I said sure. Next thing I knew we were talking about me being a production assistant.
Nazz: So you went from actress to production assistant to Machinima Director?
Suzy: The evolution from actress to director happened over a couple of months. I have directed in RL, for several years.
Nazz: How many Machinima have you directed?
Suzy: At this point 8 in the last 7 months.
Nazz: What is the role of a Machinima Director?
Suzy: I was not sure that there was a role for a director in Machinima initially. Traditionally, it seemed from my standpoint that the Machinimatographer (the cameraperson and editor) was the director, by necessity. But as we worked on the first IBM episode, I started to see that there needed to be a single artistic vision even for an industrial short. So I just started applying my process to the Machinima process. Clear roles for everyone involved; Director, Cinematographer, Production Assistant, Actor and Producer.
I started setting up call times, necessary, just as it is on a real production. By the same token I wanted to approach hiring actors in a more traditional way as well. I wanted to make sure they were paid. I thought it made more sense to engender some loyalty by offering decent SL wages and instilling a sense of purpose. We were a company in the theatrical sense, an ensemble and the actors as a result, feel a part of the production.
Someone suggested to me that we should move more towards scripted robot type acting. But honestly I think that though actors are in many ways puppeteers, that they give actual performances many times. It brings humanity to the process, Machinima with human spirit.
Nazz: Do you feel your approach to directing Machinima is unique?
Suzy: It's fairly unique because it mimics RL ...more structured in how we do it. My process is one that makes sense for me. So I do, but like I said, I've been doing this only a short time.
I know the idea of paying the actors is above the norm in SL, that is not traditionally a part of this medium, I don't think.
RL is a part of SL in so many ways this is just one more, you rarely make a movie with a bunch of volunteers. What I mean to say is a good movie, play, commercial in RL is made up of people who do their jobs and care about what they are doing, all to serve the work. Well that's all I want to bring to the process not just the Machinimatography, filming people doing things and editing it together.
I am not saying that that is how it is done generally but I do want to make this more like RL.
Nazz: Do you have a favorite that you've directed?
Suzy: Well I think that the piece we did for Flashpoint Academy is special to me because I helped to script it. I had more artistic freedom. It was also longer than the other pieces we did and it was fairly dynamic, I think.
Also, the fourth episode we did for IBM was a lot of fun, challenging and lots of effects. The climax of a four episode story arc, by then the actors and crew had things down pat. We had really funny material in it and the particle effects. Also the music, we worked with Ariella Languish for episodes one – three and for episode four, Mewsic Bing.
Interview By Nazz Lane
