Moviestorm gets recognition at TEDx talk by Libertaria creator Sabrina Pena Young

Readers of this blog may remember an exclusive guest post in September 2013 from Sabrina Pena Young telling of the story of Libertaria: her virtual opera, created entirely online using Moviestorm.

Award-winning composer and published author Sabrina Pena Young composes works heard in Asia, North America, Australia, and Europe.

Production for Libertaria was entirely online. The cast auditioned virtually through Music Xray and other sites, the animators worked together using Moviestorm, communication continued through e-mail and facebook.

Libertaria has been growing in popularity ever since the world premiere screening in October 2013.

Recently, Sabrina shared her story at a TED talk, answering the question of how you stage an opera without an opera company, or singers, or a stage, or anything except your own ideas.

TED is a nonprofit organization devoted to Ideas Worth Spreading. Started as a four-day conference in California 25 years ago, TED has grown to support those world-changing ideas with multiple initiatives.

Since 2011, TEDxBuffalo has taken place each October at Canisius College’s Montante Cultural Center. 

See Sabrina's talk at TEDx below:

    

Sabrina told Moviestorm: "I spoke about Moviestorm in the live presentation, and I am working on a new "rock concert" project that will be shown in music concerts this spring, also using Moviestorm.

"I will be giving an upcoming online presentation on machinima and music this April. It will be for an online music festival."

Sabrina added that she chose Moviestorm for the TED Talk because without the 'easy-to-use animation software' she wouldn't have been able to create her work Libertaria: The Virtual Opera. 

She said: "I have been using Moviestorm for several years now and have found it an excellent program for multimedia and music works, as well as presentations like the TED Talk.  

"For example, I am currently finishing up the commission Destiny: Eondwyr that incorporates live music performance with fantasy comic book panels created using Moviestorm.  

"I am also using Moviestorm for my upcoming virtual online performance Urban Night: Sounds, which is a musical performance of animated characters in a virtual outdoor concert venue, to be presenting online and in New York this spring. 

"Moviestorm has truly taken my artistic expression to the next level."

Sabrina said one of the reasons she recommends Moviestorm to musicians is because it is very affordable and easy-to-use, not to mention fun and easily customizable. 

She said that right now another Moviestorm animator, Matt Pittsinger, inspired by Libertaria: The Virtual Opera, is using Moviestorm to create a truly cinematic Baroque opera Aetius. 

Sabrina concluded: "My hope is that other musicians use machinima to explore innovative ways to share their original music with the world without any of the financial and societal boundaries of the past. Technology is truly the great democratizer of our age."

WATCH LIBERTARIA HERE:

Further links

Artist Website: http://sabrinapenayoung.blogspot.com/
Official Film Website: http://virtualopera.wordpress.com/

Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kQqnHt3a-Oo
Soundtrack : http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/sabrinapenayoung4

Exclusive Moviestorm Halloween education offer: engage your students

As Halloween approaches, and kids all over the word gear up for the world of ghosts, ghouls and assorted horror, why not use the theme to engage them in classic literature and films?

 

 As this great article from Barnes & Noble suggests, horror should be embraced as a genre that inspires students to learn:

5 Reasons Horror in Children’s Literature Is a Good Thing

Combining Moviestorm and horror is a great way to enthuse your students with writing. They can write the script to a short story, and quickly bring it to life as a film, without the usual logistical restraints associated with live filming, such as equipment, cast, crew, location and of course, budget.

Moviestorm supports all levels of horror, from pumpkins and graveyards, through to modern vampire stories and all sorts of ghastly monsters. People of all ages and abilities use Moviestorm - you do not need any technical, creative or filmmaking skills to get going with it's intuitive game-style interface.

To help you get started, we have assembled a fantastic seasonal offer for your school and students, allowing you all to get productive and start creatively enjoying film and literature horror for Halloween.

Buy 5 Moviestorm Education licences, get 5 free + Annual Home Use licences are under $5* per student Contact me now - timjudges@moviestorm.net Promotions open until 31 October 2013, so get going now to avoid missing out! * Or £ / Euro equivalent

	Featured Movie Haunted House ...ghost caught on video! How to Introduce Moviestorm Advanced Skills Teacher and education advisor, James Durran, uses Moviestorm to enthuse students, ages 11-18, in English and visual literacy.  Download this engaging introductory lesson plan 6th Form Media Teacher, Steve Thorne, uses Moviestorm to allow his students to introduce and practice the art of filmmaking. Download this engaging introductory lesson plan   Student Activity As a first filmmaking exercise, why not get your students to make a simple 'shocking' Halloween film like the one above?  Use the ''hide'/'unhide' function to make your monster appear on set when the viewer last expects it!
	Watch other movies by teachers and students Featured Packs   Halloween Enter the graveyard, if you dare. Bones, the skeleton is sure to be there... Dark Romance Evoke the passion and thrill of your favourite vampire movies with this darkly romantic pack. Explore all our packs

Halloween special: Moviestorm is great for horror

As Halloween approaches, we are reminded about the fantastic horror machinima created by our users, so we thought we would draw your attention to their craft, and offer you an incentive to get youself or your friends involved in telling your own blood-curdling, ghoulish or just plain deeply-disturbing stories in Moviestorm.

Check out some of the movies and content that could be yours below, and start scaring people.  Its a lot of fun!

	Shocking stuff!
	Featured Horror Movies The 15th Floor By KV, Moviestorm Filmmaker "When Andrew is hired to disprove hauntings on the 15th floor of a hotel, he gets much more than he bargained for." Sacrifice By Steve3416, Moviestorm Filmmaker "A young man plays a dangerous game with the supernatural and demonic world." Frankenstein      by Paul Carr, English Teacher "A new series I am creating for students of ESL and or literature, introducing classic stories in a short machinima movie ..." Watch other movies by Moviestorm filmmakers ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  Featured Content Male and Female Monsters Creepy, kooky, spooky and quite horrible heads for male and female Moviestorm characters. The packs includes werewolves, zombies, vampires, and other monsters. Halloween Enter the graveyard, if you dare. Bones, the skeleton is sure to be there... Dark Romance Evoke the passion and thrill of your favourite vampire movies with this darkly romantic pack.