Virtual Lecture

In three places at one time...

I usually try to keep Second Life work and real world work separate, but this was too interesting an opportunity to not bring them together a little. I work for a large UK University, within the School of Film, Music and Media (music area) and this has been something that I have wanted to try out for some time now...

Very early, Tuesday 17th Oct 2006 I dragged myself out of bed and prepared myself to deliver a hands-on 'Master-Class' on the subject of Sound-Design for Games.


The session was arranged by Gary Hazlitt (SL Name) and was aimed at a group of undergraduate and postgraduate students (sound-designers & screen composers) based at the Australian Film, Television and Radio School, in Sydney. It was part of a day long workshop they were running investigating this area.

Earlier, the students had been divided into 2 groups and presented with an opportunity to layer soundfiles in bespoke 3D environments (either a Haunted Castle or a Spaceship scene). My session came at the end of their day and included live demonstrations of game-audio techniques, interactive sound (conducted from within a computer simulated 3D environment), amid verbal Q&A discussions.


(...oh... and we released a swarm of virtual bees to demonstrate transient sound and localisation!)


Using voice-over-IP we created a 2-way audio connection for conversation (UK <--> AUS, with my voice amplified and played into their teaching room) and also simultaneously established multiple connections to Second Life (on-line virtual-world based in San Francisco, California. The effect being as if we were all present in the same space, via USA, UK and AUS.


All in all, I feel that this was a really interesting project/experiment, with a successful outcome. The learning experience felt very real, the technology held up well and, the students were great...

Edit: A load more images, and a commentary of the day here and here. (thanks Gary).