Douglas Gayeton’s animated documentary, Molotov’s Dispatches in Search of the Creator: A Second Life Odyssey, was picked up for broadcast by HBO, according to The Hollywood Reporter. The film was created entirely within Second Life, Linden Lab’s virtual online community where people create avatars for themselves and interact with other users from around the globe.
Molotov’s Dispatches in Search of the Creator: A Second Life Odyssey follows an avatar named Molotov Alva as he undertakes an journey through the Second Life virtual world and examines the various social interactions he comes across. People can date, marry and even divorce in Second Life, which has a real-world economy supported by the sale and purchase of realestate and various user-generated goods.
Since launching in 2003, Second Life has attracted more than 9 million registered users, and the industry has taken notice. Hollywood movie studios and major television networks have bought billboards and real estate in the virtual world and have teamed with Linden Lab to launch various targeted promotional efforts.
Gayeton previously co-wrote and co-directed an interactive CD-ROM movie based on William Gibson’s cyberpunk short Johnny Mnemonic for Sony Imagesoft. He was also in league with filmmakers Spike Jonze, David Fincher and Alex Proyas with the formation of Propaganda Films in the 1990s.
HBO will air Molotov’s Dispatches sometime next year. The 35-minute doc may also end up being submitted to the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences for consideration in this year’s race for Best Animated Short. The film was
produced by Amsterdam-based outfit Submarine.
