100 themesshowcase

Photo by Dice Smith - Celebrating Dogs’ Birthdays

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Since there is no SIFF Buzz this week or next (thefinal issue for the season will be the BIG BUZZ at theend of the festival) we have added a little bit of a

nibble of SIFF updates. The films are on and voting isopen so we don’t want to distract you too much

from the machinima watching fun.

Watch for the BIG BUZZ mid April, after the polls close

Letter from the editor We are on a tight schedule this week with SIFF filmsopening, viewer’s choice polls going live and with thestaff going on machinima watching marathons to makesure we get to see them all. But despite this, we wantedto keep on schedule with our new monthly magazine sothat we can continue to showcase and feature thetalented community members who are doing thingsother than SIFF. There is more to Simatography life thanSIFF afterall.

This little issue is packed full of community featuresand showcases from a variety of talents. Next monthSimatography magazine will take a break, but we will beback again in May so keep your eye on us on issuu,enjoy what SIFF has to offer and we will see you againin May!

Jorg

ha H

aq

Assistant Editors

PeacemakerICSylent Whysper TenderWolfLunxi Weis

Contributing Editors and Freelancers

With so much going on with SIFF, and so many seriousprojects going on we decided to do something completely

weird and fun and crazy, so we decided on WackyHolidays. Around the world there are all kind of crazynon-traditional and not well known and sometimes

bizarre holidays and celebrations so let’s see what ourmembers are celebrating this month . . .

Our next issue was a suggestion from Nanami.

Post Apocalypse, zombies and walking dead inspirations,neo=military futuristic and many other interpretations of

this concept are seen in so many of our communitie’smachinimas so we are dedicating an entire issue to thegenre. Join us later in April when we kick this off for our

May magazine.

DETAILS will be shared soon

Post Apocalypse

Photo by TenderWolf

Next Theme - May

National Joe Day is a chance to change your name, if only for today.Many people do not like their given name. They wish they couldchange it. A few actually do. On National Joe Day, it is perfectly okayto have everyone call your "Joe". Why Joe, and not Bob or Mike orRadcliffe? Simply, because everyone likes the name Joe. If you arecalled Joe today, we know that you're "Joe cool"!

Misty4m

International Goof Off Day

Simsapience

Above - World Story-Telling DayBelow - Lips Appreciation Day by Simsapience

By Tenderwolf

By T

end

erw

olf

National Salesperson Day is established to recognize the value ofthe truely professional salesperson. This day also recognizes the

hard work performed by professional sales people.

Misty4m

By G

emBo

bMar

ley

- Gem

sims

Goddess of Fertility Day is today. It celebrates Aphrodite and othergods and goddesses of fertility. In ancient times, many cultures had

multiple gods and goddesses. Each one represented variousaspects of life. The ancient Greek goddess Aphrodite was by farthe most well known goddess of fertility. People would pray and

make offerings to Aphrodite when seeking to create a family.

Misty4m

By SylentWhysper

For my wacky holiday I present a doggy birthday party! :lol: A lot ofpeople tell me I'm wacky for celebrating my dog's birthday every

year so I figured this was quite fitting!

By Dice Smith featuring Kodi

(by now Kodi could be the SIFF mascot)

Join us for our next monthly theme

Post - ApocalypseNeo-Military

FuturisticHonestly, we don’t know exactly what we will

call it yet, but you get the idea.

Since there will be no Simatography monthlymagazine in April this will be the theme for

May. Details will be available soon.

In the meantime, watch for the SIFF BIG BUZZin April as we wrap up this season’s festival.

See Issue 10 forMinraed’s latest

reviews.

It is an honour to have been asked to join the Smag teamas a contributor for a new section featuring machinima. I willbe there representing SIFF and Simatography as well as allof you, the machinima makers that inspire us.

My first appearance was in the most recent issue, click thecover below to read it.

I will be writing about machinima so there will be reviews, SIFFupdates, and various other features depending on whatcatches my eye around the time that the magazines are dueto be released.

I should also mention thatsmag is a very well puttogether magazine, visuallystunning with a variety offeatures and communityshowcases including builds andinterior design. Be sure tocheck it out.

In this issue I showcase 3different examples of

machinima made in The Sims4 including a film with

stunning cinematography, amusic video that will make

you chuckle and a full lengthfeature series.

Visit SimDoughnut on tumbr for all of his great builds!

http://simdoughnut.tumblr.com/

Enjoy this special issue, tucked inside this month’s awesome monthlymagazine. We hope you are enjoying all the WACKY HOLIDAY

celebrations while watching the HUGE collection of SIFF films.Don’t forget to watch them all and vote for your faves by April 11th

Enjoy this special issue, tucked inside this month’s awesome monthlymagazine. We hope you are enjoying all the WACKY HOLIDAY

celebrations while watching the HUGE collection of SIFF films.Don’t forget to watch them all and vote for your faves by April 11th

What’s Hot at SimsVIPAlexis from SimsVIP attended a community insider event at EA so she has all ofthe most up-to-date information on the topic that is on every Simmer’s mind…

Everything you could ever need to know is availableon the website at

http://simsvip.com/category/the-sims-4-get-to-work/

And be sure to check out the MEGA POST withlinks for all of the news that the various

representatives have shared with us.

It has been an awesome season andan honour to review the f ilms and tointerview so many great machinimamakers. I hope you all enjoyed gettingto know them.

Some of our f ilm makers were missedout due to not having enough time. Nextseason we are going to try to come upwith a plan to make it easier foreveryone to get involved.

Also, since we now have this monthlymagazine, we will always be lookingfor interesting ways to feature,showcase, interview and otherwisepromote the film makers of SIFF and ourcommunity.

JAMES TURNEREXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW

INTERVIEW BY SYLENTWHYSPER

Seriously, James Turner needs no introductions. This Youtube enthusiast and long timeSims fan is multi-talented, passionate and an inspiration in the Sims community.Maintaining several Youtube channels require constant motivation and James does itwith ease and with success. It is a pleasure and an honor to interview him.

Thank you! It mayseem odd, or evenoverwhelming as towhy I have threechannels, two of whichare full fledged onesin their own rights.The Sim Supply, as I’msure you can tell by thename is all about TheSims franchise. From

time to time I branch off into other related gamesfrom Maxis (SPORE and SimCity). As this entirechannel is dedicated to one franchise, I try my bestto cover all aspects of it from live mode to buildmode, from tutorials to news.My other large channel, Flabaliki, is essentially agaming channel much like The Sim Supply,however it is about any and all games I holdinterests in. There is a heavy focus on tycoon andsimulation games as those are some of the games

I love to play the most, so naturally my contentgravitates toward that.The last channel, James Turner, simply namedafter myself, is the place I will post other randomvideos that simply don’t fit the audiences of theother two. It’s much more a channel for fans ofme, rather than fans of the games I play. I willpost vlogs, and sometimes an extra game serieson there.These three channels more or less occurredorganically. I never set out thinking, “Hey, threechannels will be a good idea!” It fell into placethat way. The Sim Supply used to be a website Iran with a group of others. We progressed intomaking videos and posting them on YouTube. Inthe meantime, I had a channel of my own,Flabaliki, where I would post only my own content.Once The Sim Supply died down a little, I took overit completely and it became my default place topost Sims content. As such, the two channels grewindependently of each other for a long time.Recently I’ve been wanting to branch out a littlemore with vlogs and tech videos, as such I createdmy third channel.Long story short, they all started for a differentreason and cater to different audiences.

I try my best to post videos everyday on The SimSupply and Flabaliki, however this is not alwaysthe case and I’ll occasionally miss a day due toa busy schedule. Speaking of schedules, I havenever been one to stick to a strict schedule on mychannels. I create content based on how I amfeeling that day. Usually, if I have a few seriesrunning I will try and keep new parts coming upregularly, every week or so.The only time I will set myself a strict scheduleand not deviate from it at all is when I will goaway, be it on holiday or business. I make sure

that viewers wouldn’t even know I’m not there.

This is an interesting one. I’ve been creating Simsvideos since 2004. I was 10 years old at the time,and had just discovered that The Sims 2 had a“cameraman mode”. I used this to create some

music video style machinimas. I believe the firstone I made was to D’yer Maker by Led Zeppelin,odd choice for a 10 year old yes, it was my Dad’smusic library. This was posted on a website calledSims99, and I don’t believe it really got anycomments, or at least, I can’t remember. I knowit most certainly wasn’t an instant hit.

My most viewed series would definitely be myhouse builds in The Sims 3 and 4. I think peoplelove to get some new ideas for their owncreations, and that’s exactly what these buildsaim to do. I create a house or community lot fromscratch and try to make them all a little bitdifferent and present a new way you could designa room or present an interesting architecturalidea.I often get comments from people saying thatthese videos have helped them to create theirown interesting builds too!

It is honestly such a passion of mine, it’s ahobby that I have the privilege of enjoyingdaily. A lot of the motivation comes from theviewers, the commentators, the tweets, etc. Thefeedback definitely drives the direction of mycontent and gives me new ideas. Without theaudience and support I’ve received from theawesome community, it’d be really hard to sinkso much time into this. Even if it’s just onecomment, or one suggestion, it is so important.

Live streaming just seems like a naturalextension for YouTubers. I started doing it justbecause it seemed new, fun and exciting.There is a huge difference to regular YouTubevideos. Live streaming you get instant feedbackon what you’re doing. When recording a regularvideo, you go about your business for 30 or sominutes and can’t take any input. It’s especiallyhelpful when building a house for example, theminds of the many are greater than the minds ofthe few! I’d never be able to come up with someof the ideas that viewers suggest.

You can’t please everyone, so do not try to. This issuper important and applies all throughout yourlife. Not one video I’ve ever made has had 100%positive response, someone will always have adifferent view, or opinion.After understanding that, you must also be ableto spot the difference between constructivecriticism and a “hater”. Criticism is extremelyimportant to how you develop your content. Onthe other hand, a “hater” is someone who simplyexclaims that you or your content are worthlesswith no explanation. These you must ignore, doyour best to not let them get to you. Once I gotpast caring about what they were saying, it mademy personal experience a lot more enjoyable.

I have been contemplating this for a while! I’lldefinitely have to give it a shot.

Be prepared to work for it, and work hard for it.Sure there are some individuals that can hit it bigovernight, however, the vast majority of the bigguys out there have spent years developing theircontent, style and their demeanor. Personally, I’vebeen creating and posting videos publicly for 6years on YouTube. Prior to that for 5 years I wascreating little machinimas and tutorials andposting them on other sites.If this is not something you genuinely enjoy doing,then this is not for you. Managing and maintaininga large channel is a lot of work, contrary to whatpeople who have never tried it believe. Not tomention, my other two channels.Don’t get me wrong, this is the best job I’ve everhad, but like any job, if you’re not dedicated it’snot going to help you move forward.

It’s unbelievable. I have had the amazing privilegeof visiting the place where they make the game Ilove so much. I can’t express how grateful I am toall of those dedicated fans that I have and thesupport they have provided throughout the years,without them, none of that would have beenpossible.It’s kind of scary that The Sims team think of meas someone who should have some form of inputon the game. Every time I visit, I make sure that Ihave some important feedback I want to relay,either from myself or my audience. Being able toconverse with the SimGuru’s face to face is reallyhelpful in getting the communities feedback

across. .

I definitely have some interesting collaborationsin mind for the future, so keep an eye out forthose! I also have some fun ideas for Let’s Playsin the upcoming Get To Work expansion pack,and will most certainly be building my ownhospital and police stations in it!Plenty of content to come and lots of new ideas!

You’re more than welcome! Specifically relating to YouTube, don’t be afraid to beyourself, take on board feedback, ignore the blind hate and make sure to do somethingyou love! Even if you don’t hit it big, as long as you are doing something you love you’llhave an absolute blast.

FIND OUT MORE ABOUT JAMES TURNER

AND FOLLOW HIM AT THE FOLLOWING SITES

THE SIM SUPPLY (official website)

THE SIM SUPPLY (youtube)

FLABALIKI (youtube)

JAMES TURNER (youtube)

TWITTER

FACEBOOK

One of the most important things a filmmakermust decide before proceeding with a

machinima is the genre.

There are so many choices out there, and somany unique ways to bring them all to life.

Here, some inspiration for a few of the lesser-recognized, but still popular, genres, be they

actual characters from another world or a Simthat just happens to be a fan of a particular

theme to tie it all together.

Sometimes, style and comforthave to go hand in hand.Surviving some sort ofapocalypse and living in adystopian world is one suchtime. Look good to attract fellowsurvivors (you may have torepopulate someday!), butmake sure you’re wearingclothes that are comfy enoughto run fast in order to escapehungry zombies!

It doesn’t always have to bealiens. Sometimes, science fictionis indicative of the clothes one iswearing. Maybe your Sim is a sci-f igeek who hopes to meet acreature from another planet. Ormaybe an other-worldly being isn’tthat much different from us, apartfrom their choice of dress and hair.

Sometimes, style and comforthave to go hand in hand.Surviving some sort ofapocalypse and living in adystopian world is one suchtime. Look good to attract fellowsurvivors (you may have torepopulate someday!), butmake sure you’re wearingclothes that are comfy enoughto run fast in order to escapehungry zombies!

It doesn’t always have to bealiens. Sometimes, science fictionis indicative of the clothes one iswearing. Maybe your Sim is a sci-f igeek who hopes to meet acreature from another planet. Ormaybe an other-worldly being isn’tthat much different from us, apartfrom their choice of dress and hair.

For a classic 1920s-stylewhodunnit, one must look thepart! Dress your detective up ina classy, all-business pinstripesuit and matching hat, whileyour femme fatale is literallydressed to kill as she dons anelegant evening gown andhides her deadly nature behinda pretty face.

Westerns don’t always have tofeature blazing guns andarrows as cowboys and Indiansduke it out over food andshelter in horse and wagondays. A western can just aseasily be modern-day cow folksporting simple country styles.Step into your boots made forwalkin’ and add a hat with aplaid shirt and you’ve got thelook! Spice it up with brightsplashes of color to show thatthe west was indeed won, butit can also be fun!

For a classic 1920s-stylewhodunnit, one must look thepart! Dress your detective up ina classy, all-business pinstripesuit and matching hat, whileyour femme fatale is literallydressed to kill as she dons anelegant evening gown andhides her deadly nature behind

Westerns don’t always have tofeature blazing guns andarrows as cowboys and Indiansduke it out over food andshelter in horse and wagondays. A western can just aseasily be modern-day cow folksporting simple country styles.Step into your boots made forwalkin’ and add a hat with aplaid shirt and you’ve got thelook! Spice it up with brightsplashes of color to show thatthe west was indeed won, butit can also be fun!

Mee

t Sy

lent

Why

sper

CharacterStudy

Putting your Sims in the spotlight

Mee

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lent

Why

sper

Who is Sylentwhysper? Where did she begin?

Sylentwhysper, the avatar, debuted in 2010 when I made my firstentry into SIFF with the movie, "The Lonely One." She was createdsimply because I needed a face to represent my work as a machinimadirector.

As a new contributor to SIFF and first time to join any Simscommunity, I was anxious and held certain reservations. As a reflectionof me, my avatar was introduced as a reclusive writer/director who onlyventured out at night. Her very first story was posted at Simatographywhere she was running around Sunset Valley in the night avoidingpaparazzi as they tried to snap photos of her. Even to me, she beganas a mysterious creature.

Is there meaning to the name? How did you come up with it?

Thought forms are the essential building blocks of the imagination.Thoughts are not audible in the real world but they are constantwhispers in the creative mind. They are silent whispers echoing acrossthe elusive reality and non-reality of the imagination. Therefore, thename Sylentwhysper was the result of such musings. Created as anartist's name, the handle was used for many years across art sites anddrawing sites before I dedicated it to my simming persona.

Does Sylentwhysper have a backstory?

Sylentwhysper's traits included Friendly,Loner and Perfectionist - aspects of my realself. In the beginning, her Loner trait playeda big part in her story. She started off reallyreserved and aloof. She didn't like peopleor crowds and only explored outside ofher house during night time to minimizethe odds of meeting people. She didn'teven show up on the Red Carpet forher first movie event which won anaward. But her Friendly traiteventually helped her makefriends which got her moreinvolved in the community.She has guest starredin a few ads andstories.

Sylent Whysper

2011 above

2012 right

2014 below

How has she changed over theyears and what is her mostsignificant transition?

My avatar certainly changedover the years as I learned andbecame more confident of mywork. There were two majortransitions. After my first successat SIFF, I learned about simphotography and came to love itas another art form. FromShutterbugs and other contests,I started taking a ton of photosand Sylentwhysper was thesubject in a lot of them. Soon,she became part time model,moving from the directing chairto being in front of the camera.

The second change camewhen I joined SF Magazine.Joining the high profile fashionmagazine taught me a lot aboutputting together a complete lookfor my sims. My avatar suddenlybecame more fashion forwardand more conscious of make-upand accessories. This motivatedme to give Sylentwhysper amake-over leading me to tweakher facial features for the firsttime. The changes were subtlebut she definitely looked differentfrom 2010 to 2014.

How did Sylentwhysper transition into Sims 4?

It wasn't my goal to duplicate or mimic the lookof my Sims 3 avatar. Only keeping the signaturelong black hair, my new avi was a new creationfrom scratch. Her features were more delicate andbetter proportioned. Compared to the old avi, shehas gotten a lot more compliments. And I've givenher a new nickname, Sy Whyspie.

Most Avatars represent some part of us, if notdirectly, they may represent something we dreamof being. What does Sylent represent to you?

Syentwhysper is an agent for my creativity.Since she is the face of my work, she adheres toa level of professionalism when presenting orpromoting my projects. Ultimately, it's a businessrelationship. Her digital life is devoted to me. Shewill never have a life of her own, no lover, no family,no dreams of the future. She exists solely to takecredit for all that I do.

Hahaha I love that answer.

Sylent Whysper has been involved in Simatography and SIFF since verynear the absolute beginning, contributing her talents and insights alongthe way, helping to form the community that we know and love today. Thisis the first time in over 5 years that I have taken to actually get to knowthe Sim character directly.

This is a fairly new project for us, but we hope to continue with thesefeatures. If you have a particularly interesting sim, or a good backstory orhistory for your Sim avatar, send us an email at simatography@gmail.comand let us know that you are interested. We will contact you to find outmore and to give you necessary details.

How did Sylentwhysper transition into Sims 4?

It wasn't my goal to duplicate or mimic the lookof my Sims 3 avatar. Only keeping the signaturelong black hair, my new avi was a new creationfrom scratch. Her features were more delicate andbetter proportioned. Compared to the old avi, shehas gotten a lot more compliments. And I've given

# 7 Friendship by Sylent Whysper

We would like to ex tend the invi tation to youtoo, our friends, to join us in this ongoing, no

deadline, almost no rules photographychal lenge.

There are 100 themes for you to interpret inyour own way. Share your photos with usand we wil l showcase them each month in

our Simatography magazine for everyone toenjoy.

Click HERE to join in

Above

#71

Perfection

By Sylent Whysper

Below

#29

Hmm Interesting

By Sylent Whysper

right

#13

Water

By Sylent Whysper

left

#12

Fire

By Sylent Whysper

#62 Flying

By Sylent Whysper

# 58 On The Bridge

By Dice Smith

TenderWolf is all about films this close to SIFF

Left # 12 Fire

(Katniss’ flaming dress - Girl on Fire)

Below #31 Fangirling

right

I Dare You

By Jorgha Haq

left

Fear

By Jorgha Haq

right

Oops

By Jorgha Haq

left

Wrong Turn

By Jorgha Haq

#100 To Be Continued by ChristieL

#41 The Weather Outside by Sylent Whysper

http://www.cafepress.com/simatographystuff