Remember West of Ireland, Bundoran Reef, Neart, and the Storytellers?

A number of you may have heard about the SL Surfing Association team, Reef Riders. Even those who do may not remember that the Reef Riders' home was Bundoran Reef, one of the regions within the West of Ireland (WOI) estates. The West of Ireland estates were dedicated to charitable activities, primarily in support of children who had been or were being exposed to violence in their lives.

One of the primary activities at WOI, in addition to the music offered at Nancy's Pub, was the storytellers. Just as Reef Riders had to find a new home when WOI was given up after Linden Labs changed their policies regarding sims owned by bone fide charities, so too did the storytellers.

Senchai Library was created as a result by WOI storytellers, Derry McMahon, Shandon Loring, and Caledonia Skytower. Derry has since retired as Senchai Librarian and Founder, but Shandon and Caledonia are still quite active.

Caledonia, through CEH Productions, has recently published a 15-minute Second Life film, ARRIVALS & DEPARTURES, that is based upon a short story she wrote as part of the Fantasy Faire LitFest Tour at an SL-based American Cancer Society fund raiser, the 10th Fantasy Faire.

From the ARRIVALS & DEPARTURES press release:

"The story was inspired by, and performed in, a superbly-imagined Steampunk-inspired spaceport created by leading virtual world creators The Looking Glass – Sharni Azalee and Marcus Inkpen – for Fantasy Faire 2018, and loaned for the shoot.

ARRIVALS & DEPARTURES presents a glimpse into two individual journeys that are brought together and shared for the last time. It is about the one who leaves, the one left behind, and the essential role of each. Though the word is never uttered in the film, it essentially addresses aspects of our attitude to death.

“He has accepted the journey on which he must now embark,” says real-life professional storyteller and theatrical designer Skytower. “His last act is to pass along that which has been most important in his life to someone who is remaining behind – requesting their commitment to carry on the work.”

“She is dropped without warning into loss, grief, and accepting his legacy with no warning or time to become accustomed to its inevitability,” Caledonia goes on. “She must choose to be present for him in this moment, accept the commitment with which he tasks her, and be prepared to continue on – while at the same time dealing with the shock and weight of it.”

ARRIVALS & DEPARTURES also highlights the vital importance of storytelling, harking back to an earlier time when tales were woven into a verbal tradition that was handed down by word of mouth from one generation to the next.

Technical Director Heart re-erected the spaceport as a film set, and used a range of in-world animations and path-scripting techniques to realise the action, which was shot by Skytower and Merlin, who also performed the two lead roles. The footage was then edited conventionally by Merlin.

The project was a transatlantic collaboration, with Skytower in Washington State, Heart in Michigan and Merlin in Scotland. The soundtrack recording and production co-ordination was carried out in Skype, sharing screens while shooting, and ‘dailies’ were viewed via the cloud. "

The film can be seen at:
Vimeo: https://vimeo.com/277878310
YouTube: https://youtu.be/ryee9vSISpM

Caledonia also writes and publishes in the "real world" as Judith Cullen. More of her stories can be seen in her Judith Cullen - Stories blog. Her publications are available on Amazon.

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