Second Skin

by Kevin [ Wednesday, 12th of August 2009 - 08:49 PM ]

“Second Skin takes an intimate look at three sets of computer gamers whose lives have been transformed by online virtual worlds. An emerging genre of computer software called Massively Multiplayer Online games, or MMOs, allows millions of users to interact simultaneously in virtual spaces. Of the 50 million players worldwide, 50 percent consider themselves addicted. From individuals struggling with addiction to couples who have fallen in love without meeting; from disabled players whose lives have been given new purpose to gold farmers, entrepreneurs and widows, Second Skin opens viewers’ eyes to a phenomenon that may permanently change the way human beings interact. In March 2008, Second Skin premiered opening night of SXSW. Without any news of a theatrical or DVD release, Second Skin landed extensive coverage in Newsweek, NPR, Wired, BBC, The Dr. Phil Show, Boston Globe, Variety and dozens of other major media outlets. Second Skin was also voted the #4 Documentary of 2008 by internet juggernaut Ain’t It Cool News. This August, Second Skin will become the first widely released movie about virtual worlds- a movie for the 50 million gamers who spend most of their time in virtual worlds, and all those curious to understand this phenomenon.

The subjects in the film:

Andy Belford

Community Manager - Mythic Entertainment

Andy Belford is a transplant in Fort Wayne, Indiana- he traveled halfway across the US to live with three friends he met in a virtual world. After getting home from work each day, Andy would enter World of Warcraft as his avatar, “Briteeyes” to play for up to six hours a night. When the expansion to Warcraft was released, he took a week off of work just to play through it. He is known among his Warcraft cohorts as the 'executive officer'. With twins on the way, Andy wonders how much of his gamer lifestyle he'll have to give up, and if he can somehow handle it.

Anthony Cronin

Anthony Cronin, also in Fort Wayne, is known to his group of friends as the 'morale officer'. He lists his priorities as, "fiancé first, then my job, then my addiction to World of Warcraft." Wandering Azeroth as the über thief Sneeker, Anthony plays WoW to balance his time in the real world and all of his mounting responsibilities. On the eve of proposing to his girlfriend, he wonders if his virtual life hangs in the balance.

Chris Mitchell

Chris Mitchell, aka The Expert, is also part of Fort Wayne's motley crew. In WoW he is known as HealMonkey, dedicating his life after work to the game. He finds himself in the midst of friends slowly drifting apart. Charmed into a false sense of comfort, Chris starts to lose his footing, and wonders what the future holds, apart from loot and epic gear.

Matt Ellsworth

Matt Ellsworth, known to his online friends as Nortalud: Destroyer of Guilds, is a hardcore WoWhead with an encyclopedic knowledge of the game. A competitive gamer always striving to level up, and a social gamer always bringing his guild together, Matt's love for WoW runs deep. As friendships drift, two worlds prepare to collide: the virtual and the real. Matt wonders where everyone will be when the dust settles.

Kevin Keel

Kevin Keel lives in Houston, Texas but resides in the world of Everquest II as the avatar Counting Zero. After three previous internet relationships (one with a knife-wielding woman) he finds new virtual love with Heather. A few months of dating online leads to a cross-country trip to meet IRL (In Real Life). With the L-word already having been uttered, is their relationship prepared to cross from the virtual to the real?

Heather Cowan

Heather Cowan spends her days in Merrit Island, Florida and her nights in Everquest II. Heather, or Ashlian, tried online dating before with little success. When Kevin enters her virtual life, she learns to adjust to the person that he truly is, and love blossoms. The two lovers race across the country to meet, and decide if their love is real, or merely virtual.

Dan B.

Dan B. had a thriving business, a home, and a good relationship before he started playing Everquest. He stepped into the virtual world and quickly receded from his real life. When his business failed, his house was foreclosed, and his girlfriend left him, Dan hit rock bottom. Suicidal thoughts brought him to Safe Haven, a gaming treatment center run by the founder of Online Gamers Anonymous, Liz Woolley, in her home. After a month and half of living at Safe Haven, Dan had enough and returned to Philadelphia and immediately started gaming hard again. Without people to support him, Dan struggles to gain control of his gaming addiction. Will he be able to stop before he's lost everything or will online games ultimately consume him?

Andrew Monkelban

Andrew Monkelban is a self-proclaimed resident of the virtual world, playing games like Gaia Online and residing in Second Life. Andrew is affected by Cerebral Palsy and is unable to walk or talk; his entire personality expressed through his index finger. With his virtual character Mienai Kitsune, Andrew is able to do “normal things” and lead a successful life online. The transformative power of virtual worlds is never more evident than in Andrew's incredible story.

Sean Stalzer

Sean Stalzer is the guild master of the MMO guild called “The Syndicate,” a virtual community made up of nearly 600 individuals. With monthly dinners and yearly conferences around the world, The Syndicate is more of a family than a guild. Their motto, “In Friendship We Conquer” says it all.

Trailer:

In theaters August 7th

On DVD everywhere August 25th

It is a highly recommended flick and really approaches the subject matter with a respect I think that many documentaries lack. I have seen several documentaries that deal with the gaming industry; they either seemed too abbreviated, like Frag, or too contrived, like King of Kong (or just outright insulting... Yes, I'm speaking of Gamer, not a documentary but insulting nonetheless). However, Second Skin is a well-crafted look into the lives of these people. Thankfully, for a limited time, the movie in its entirety is available on Hulu, here. Judging by the comments, it has already stimulated some dialogue concerning the subject matter as well as the participants. The documentary earnestly shows how gaming can affect people's lives - how they lead them and when they decide to change (if they deem change as necessary). It is the personality of this film that sets it apart from an expose that you may see on the news concerning MMOs. This isn't a damning feature about how horrible MMOs are, it strives to be a personable film that is easy to relate to, and I genuinely think it succeeds.

For more information concerning the film, you can visit the official website.