About Dr. Sonicity Fitzroy

Sonicity Fitzroy is my virtual persona in Second Life, a multi-player role playing game that allows the user to create and interact with the other millions of residents.  It is the only the beginning of what will be possible in years to come virtually.    It has been called "instant messaging on steroids" by many, but it also allows people to connect online with one another in a quasi face-to-face mode.  For more about Second Life, go to the main site.

I am a virtual journalist for The Best of Second Life Magazine and Retropolitan Magazine.
and a blogger for some specialty sites such as the Professional Machinima Artist Guild.  I have my own personal sites for various uses, including SoMcLuhan (a research site) and SonicityRadio for my BOSL radio show and coverage of the live music scene. 

I began Second Life in October 2006, and am approaching my fifth year on the grid.  In 2010, I authored my third book, Second Life, Media and The Other Society, an inside look at the social role of virtual media and how it interacts with traditional media makers and audiences.

My forthcoming book, Machinima: Art and Practice in Virtual Filmmaking (McFarland), with filmmaker Donald Pettit (Lowe Runo, SL), offers a look inside affordable, accessible and creative filmmaking within the gaming world, and discusses real world applications for visual storytelling.  It's available for pre-order from Barnes & Noble, and due out late March 2012.

We have presented in Second Life and internationally at real life conference venues.   I am the chair of the educational committee of the Second Life Machinima Artist Guild.  I also have served as a faculty [volunteer] member of Rockcliffe University (located within Second Life), and have presented seminars on my virtual research at the in-world campus.  Rockcliffe is a sponsor of the annual Virtual Worlds Best Practices in Education Conferences, which draws 5,000 people to the online conference.

Our web site, Machinima Artist Guild, discusses some basics of machinima and our workshops.

 - Dr. Phylis Johnson, Associate Professor, a.k.a. Sonicity Fitzroy
 

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SELECTED WORKS
Edited Academic C-Vitae.  

Samples of journalistic writings
*Following the Follow on the Virtual Brick Wall, Best of Second Life Magazine, pp. 42-49.
*Exclusive Interview with Duran Duran, Best of Second Life (cover story, August 2011).
*The Shadow Over Innsmouth:  The Legend Lives On, Retropolitan Magazine, August 2011, pp. 12-16.
*Smexy Second Science:  The Amazing World of Steampunk Fashionista, Retropolitan Magazine, March 2011, pp. 3-8,

Samples of new media research
*Media, Machinima and the Virtual Runway: The Rise of Fashionista in Second Life. SCAN: Journal of Media Arts Culture, November 10, 2010, http://www.scan.net.au/scan/journal/display.php?journal_id=149
*Selling through Storytelling:  The Tale of New Media Advertising in Consumer Culture. In Rachel S. Smith (Ed.), NMC Summer Conference Proceedings (pp. 74-83), 2007. Austin, TX:  New Media Consortium, http://www.nmc.org/pdf/NMC-2007-Proceedings.pdf


Videos/Machinima/Conference Presentation Samples

Virtually Social

Re-Imagine Media
Virtual McLuhan in the Mix