"5 Minutes to What?!"

So, I worked on a film this summer. It was a bloody mess. Just an absolute bloody mess. It was absolutely horrifying...oh, let me clarify. I'm talking about film CONTENT, not the film itself, nor the production. The shoot was fantastic. The cast and crew were fantastic. The overall experience was fan-freakin'-tastic!

What started out as a three day contest evolved into something greater. We signed up for the 48 Hour Film Project, not knowing what we would be getting ourselves into.

The project had to be written, shot, edited, and submitted within 48 hours (hence the name of the contest). We began our weekend of filming on a Friday night, where our team, Suture Films, arrived at Chatham University, the central hub of this weekend event. There, we drew our film genre from a hat, noted the requirements of the short film, and went on our merry way.

Equipment test!

We ended up drawing horror. Though this was my first horror film, I embraced the opportunity to try something new. We went back to our set, where our team of writers cranked out a script, while the rest of us prepared the set for the shoot. By the end of Friday night, all the preparations were complete. We were ready to start filming, and the title of the film was chosen: "5 Minutes..."

The shoot officially kicked off the next day. Drenched with special effect goodness, we shot and
experimented until we were all bloodied (all fake, of course) and sweaty (it was HOT on the set). Though we were pressed for time, due to a few scheduling conflicts, we were still able to get what we needed and wrap by the end of the day. Things were looking good. Really good.

Then day three came. Sunday was dedicated to editing. We did run into some trouble with the process, but we were still able to submit something by the deadline that day. Unfortunately, we decided that the final product still needed some work, so we decided to pull the film from the 48HFP screening.

 We figured that everyone worked so hard on the project, we wanted to release the best possible product. We wanted our contributors to be proud to say that they worked on this production. So, we decided to take our time and spend the next few months recutting the footage until we had something that we could all be proud of. Several days ago, our latest edit went live (embedded below).

I am very happy with the results. Since it is the perfect season for the horror genre, this is the perfect time to unveil a project that all of us put a lot into.

With the release of our film, I would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone who was involved in the film. You guys did a great job and showed a level of passion and professionalism that I have never seen before. I would also like to give a shout-out to all my Juniata colleagues that assisted in the production. You guys did a fantastic job and made the production a wonderful experience! That goes for the rest of the cast and crew! You guys made it possible to make a dream come true: to produce my own film! You have all my appreciation and respect. You are all a very talented group and I hope to work with you all again!

Physically and mentally preparing for the next shot!

I would also like to take this opportunity to thank all of our supporters of this project! You guys helped us to move forward with this project and strive to make something that you would all love. We hope that you all enjoy watching this film as much as we enjoyed making it!

A handful of the people who helped to make this possible!

Next, we will be looking to polish the film and begin screening it in a few festivals and contests. Stay tuned for any future updates! Thanks again for all of your love and support! Cheers!

And here it is folks! It's the moment you've all been waiting for:

5 Minutes...: The Director's Cut

Climbin' in Our Windows, Snatchin' Our I.D.s Up

Adobe's Response, "Hide Yo Kids, Hide Yo Wife...Oh, and Change Your Password."

I received a rather alarming email from Adobe on October 4th. It was a statement detailing an attack on Adobe's network. It seems somebody was able to hack into their system, however it doesn't seem as though it was anything major.

The email stated, "We recently discovered that attackers illegally entered our network. The attackers may have obtained access to your Adobe ID and encrypted password. We currently have no indication that there has been unauthorized activity on your account. If you have placed an order with us, information such as your name, encrypted payment card number, and card expiration date also may have been accessed. We do not believe any decrypted card numbers were removed from our systems."

Well, that's not good. However, the email went on to explain, "To prevent unauthorized access to your account, we have reset your password."

"We recommend that you also change your password on any website where you use the same user ID or password. As always, please be cautious when responding to any email seeking your personal information."

Well, at least it doesn't seem too bad. The personal information stolen was still encrypted, meaning that there is a very small chance that anyone will become a victim of identity theft. Or, at least that's what Adobe is trying to assure. At this point in time, there is "no increased risk to customers as a result of this incident." Whew.

Still, this has me on the edge of my seat. How could such a large and innovative company like Adobe be hacked so easily? And does that mean that larger potential threats could be imminent? Considering that this probably put Adobe on high alert, I would assume not. But sooner or later, they could possibly let their guard down again. Unfortunately, that's just the nature of any business housing millions of private accounts on file. As Jim Gordon, portrayed by Gary Oldman, once said, "We start carrying semi-automatics, they buy automatics. We start wearing Kevlar, they buy armor piercing rounds." The only way to get the upper-hand is to stay on your toes.

Users of Adobe products (or any online resources, for that matter) should definitely change their passwords every so often (6 months to a year), and be smart about who they share their information with. I might be telling you what you already know, but it's important to remind yourself of the ways to stay safe in the digital frontier, especially after what just happened with Adobe. 

How To: Hard Drive Recovery/Repair

Recently, I experienced some technical difficulties with my Samsung 320GB hard drive, which I was using to transport video files from my laptop to my desktop PC. It seemed as though something had corrupted the hard drive in the transfer process, resulting in this wonderful message:

The system was unable to read the drive, believing that there is nothing on the disk. Oh, ho, ho, ho. Now what? Are those files officially gone? Not quite. Let me run through how recovered my files.

I started by searching for hard drive recovery tools and came across a nifty little program called the Minitool Partition Wizard Home Edition. This software package includes a simple interface that can be helpful for even the most casual users.

Once the program is installed, open the software. You will be given the option to access either the Partition Wizard or Data Recovery. Choose the Data Recovery option.

And...what's this? It will only recover 2GB of data, unless you pay for the software?! Yeah, this happens. Lesson number one: always watch out for software that says its "free", but once installed, limits what you can do with the software, unless you purchase the "full" version. It'll happen more than you think, so just do some thorough research and look for the hidden fees and limitations.

So, after doing some further research, I found a free version that provides a FULL recovery without paying any of your hard-earned cash. Recuva is a free software package designed for data recovery. The application can be downloaded here. On the software page, hit the big green download button. From there it will take you to the next page. Obviously, you want select the free software bundle (unless you feel like giving them your money). Select where you want to download the software from. I just chose Piriform, since they developed the software. From there, the download should automatically start. If not, you can click on the big green download button to start it. Make sure you don't have any Firewalls in place that are preventing the download from opening. Select the destination of the file and let it download.

Once complete, open the installer to begin software installation process. Once the installation is complete, allow the application to open. A recovery wizard is the first to appear. If your hard drive is completely unresponsive, then the wizard will be of little use. Go ahead and click 'Cancel' to navigate to the main recovery screen. Select your faulty hard drive from the drop-down menu and scan the drive for the missing files.

Once the software has finished scanning the hard drive and assessing the damage, a list of files should appear below the drop-down menu. They should be the files that you currently cannot access on your hard drive. Click the check box next to 'Filename' to select all the files and click the 'Recover' button. You will then need to select a destination on your computer to copy the files. The copying process will begin and may take a while, depending how much data is being recovered.

It's also worth noting that this procedure is done for a hard drive that has irreversible damage to it and cannot be accessed in its current state (with the data on it). There may be a quicker fix for a hard drive that suddenly decides to behave badly but can easily be adjusted to do its job. Google is your best friend. In any case, always consult the Google gods for the best solutions and don't always believe that the first result is the best solutions. Research a couple of methods before deciding on the best solution. This goes for any hardware/software recovery. 

If it turns out that it is an issue of hard drive REPAIR and not recovery (recovery would be for worst case scenarios), I would recommend a program called SeaTools. This allows you to check the specified hard drive and attempt to repair bad sectors of the disk. By clicking the 'Downloads' tab, you can download the program for free. After installation, you can do a simple check for errors (the interface is pretty self explanatory). If a problem occurs, the software will recommend that you run a 'Long Generic' test to repair the bad sectors. Select 'Long Generic' from the drop-down menu, then press F8 to begin the scan/fix. Once again, the scan will take a while, if there is a large amount of data on the hard drive. Be patient. Recovering those important, irreplaceable files will be worth the wait. 

If it seems like a problem beyond repair (such as in my case), then you can shell out the money to have a professional recover the drive, attempt to fix the physical components yourself (not recommended), or try the initial recovery method mentioned above (or use similar recovery software to Recuva). Hopefully, this will help for any future scenarios. Hard drive/flash failure happens, so it's important to know what to do in that situation. Most importantly, always backup your necessities onto another hard drive, so you don't have to go through the recovery process in the first place!

GoPro Studio 2.0 Now Available

Though not a personal update per say, I do own a GoPro Hero 3, so to hear the announcement that GoPro had just released an update for their studio software, I was rather giddy. I haven't had a chance to test the software myself, but from what I've read, it is exponentially better than the previous version, which has gotten quite a few complaints.

I guess you could say that the GoPro developers actually listened to their end-users and made the requested changes to their editing software. Hooray for the power of listening! While the software package isn't anything special to begin with, it provides the tools that are necessary for some quick cutting and publishing of GoPro footage.

The software includes templates, which allow the user to drop their own footage in, automatically syncing the footage with the template music and effects. This is perfect for somebody looking to make something a little more professional without spending all that time to do it. Of course, this process still requires the user to review and select the footage they want to drag and drop in, but the process is still rather simple.

Now, if you have the time and the editing skills, I would still recommend using your choice of higher-end editing software to cut together your GoPro videos. However, if you don't have the required time or skill, then I would recommend using the GoPro Studio 2.0 for quick editing and a decent looking end-product. I'll check out the software in its entirety and possibly post some of my footage with the use of the software. Check back soon!

SOURCE: http://gizmodo.com/gopro-studio-2-0-hands-on-easier-awesomer-videos-upd-512879804

Observations and Changes

Well, it's unfortunate that August has been plagued with so many technical issues, because I had some really big plans. The end of July rolling into the next month saw the breakdown of many devices that were necessary for productivity. Not to mention I had to put everything aside just to dedicate the time towards getting those problems worked out.

Now, it's the beginning of September and it seems that most of the bugs have been worked out of the system...keyword: most. I also have a new job on the way, which means that my schedule will be drastically adjusting to adhere this change. I'm not sure how this will affect the time I normally dedicate to film work. I may have to cut back for the time being, returning to local volunteer film work when I am able to work with my new job on scheduling this time.

Although I might be taking a break, that doesn't necessarily mean that I will not stay active in the film community. I will continue writing in the meantime, working towards my goal of developing an original short film. Unfortunately, it may not begin production until early 2014, but the extra time will work in the film's favor.  I don't want to rush things and run into issues with the writing or filming, so this short hiatus might be more beneficial than hurtful. Check back for more updates, as I add new content to my website and associated accounts (links available on website).

In the meantime, I will continue with non-narrative video work and photography (it helps to keep me sharp in the technical department). Cheers!

Taking "Quick" Detours

Well, I've had some good news over the past few weeks. It seems like good and bad things come in consecutive groups for me. Luckily, it was a number of good things this time around.

Image from http://www.adobe.com

I was able to get both my PC motherboard and Nexus 7 back from my repair shop. Meanwhile, after installing the PC hardware and Windows 8 (I swear it's not as bad as they say), I went straight to work on obtaining the Adobe Creative Cloud Suite. For a cool $50/month, I get the latest versions of the entire Adobe Suite, plus additional features and support not available with Creative Suite 6. Do the math... for a constantly updated, industry-standard software package with cloud support and the newest features, you're getting a lot more than you would to pay a lump sum (about $1500, depending on the package) for the Creative Suite, which, in the past, usually only lasts about a year until they come out with a newer version, forcing you to shell out more cash to keep up with the current industry-standard version. Considering the options, I think subscribing to Adobe CC is the smarter route.

Anyway, this means that I have a quality PC and quality editing software to finally start working on some serious projects! First up, my film reel. I might also post some test footage, including some GoPro footage that went on the back-burner until I figured out my whole post-production situation.

In the meantime, I will be providing full reports on new hardware and writing projects that are in the works. Stay tuned!

Back to the Drawing...errr...Storyboard

Once again, it's time to get productive. While I have some downtime between the wrap of my 48 Hour Film Project and the start of fall videography jobs, I figured I would get some screenwriting and pre-production pumped out. While I'm not entirely sold on which story idea will get developed into a shooting script, I plan on working out the details of over half a dozen ideas that I have compiled, in hopes that the strongest script will stand out. From that point on...well...one step at a time.

I previously said that I would have a short film ready for production by August. Obviously, that's not going to happen. Between work, job transitioning, and freelance gigs, it seems as though time is limited to whatever I can scrounge up, especially in the next couple of weeks. For the time being, bear with me and know that I am working hard to bring something to life.

Itching to do this again.

Also, if you have any ideas that you would like assistance in bringing to life or would like to assist me in my own work, feel free to contact me. All of my contact information is at www.secroner.com, along with any updates on projects. And, as always, keep checking back here for a more in-depth look at any project updates. Cheers!

Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 II Review

This week, I decided to revisit some previous equipment and write a new review on an oldie lens: the Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 II lens. Revisiting this lens, I'm surprised about how well this affordable consumer-grade lens holds up in comparison to more expensive lenses from Canon. The quality looks great and even holds its own against my Canon EF 24-105mm f/4L. Of course, a lens this cheap isn't without its downfalls. Let's break down the details of this little guy.

When I bought this lens last year, I paid a little over $100. Looking at just the price, you might think that you’re getting what you pay for. I thought the same thing. However, after reading some of the reviews, I was convinced that this was something beyond what the price was telling me. Amazon currently lists the lens at $95.00, which is cheaper still. With a f-stop that opens to 1.8, compact design, and quick-response auto-focus, you’re getting a powerful prime lens that is targeted for both beginning professionals and casual users. In fact, I’m still using this as one of my main lenses until I feel it’s time to make the upgrade to an L series lens.

Like I mentioned before, this is one case where you’re actually getting more than what you pay for. If you’re a beginner who is a little too attached to the convenience of a zoom lens and wants to try a prime, but is afraid to pay too much, then this is where you start. This compact little guy is great for travel shooting/filming, and its wide range of aperture settings and balanced depth of field provides a variety of options for any situation.

Very compact and light.

Looking at the physical aspects, the lens itself is about 2 inches long and 2 ½ inches in diameter, making it very compact and great for travel. It is compatible with all Canon EOS models and doesn't weigh down even the lightest models.

The auto-focus quickly adjusts to any target object in the frame. Even in dark settings, the autofocus seems to work better than most Canon lenses in this price range.

Speaking of dark settings, the lens handles very well in low light situations, with its very wide aperture. In this regard, the EF 50mm f/1.8 II beats out some of the lower end L series lenses that Canon has to offer. Once again, this lens proves its worth beyond its price.

Test shot from the EF 50mm f/1.8 II

With its wide aperture, you can get some amazingly shallow shots, in terms of depth of field. The shots come out looking beautiful, bringing out the details in the focal points and producing some very effective bokeh for areas out of focus. This lens really covers all of the essentials for beginners, while still providing excellent shots for even the most seasoned photographer.

Krillin took a little tumble.

On the downside, a 50mm prime lens provides very little flexibility, in terms of spacing and framing. Of course, its important to note that this is a disadvantage for any prime lens. They are all designed for a specific type of shooting. If used otherwise, you’re going to develop a need to invest in a wider/narrower angle lens.

This is the main reason why zoom lenses have become so popular, because they cover multiple angles of shooting. This means that the photographer/videographer has to invest in one or two zoom lenses, as opposed to multiple prime lenses, which are close to the same price range. However, the benefits of a prime lens greatly outweighs those of a zoom lenses, but that’s a lesson for another day. For now, skeptics of the prime lens should give this cheap model a try and they’ll quickly realize what they've been missing from their zoom lens.

Once again, every lens is made with a specific use in mind, so obviously every lens is going to have benefits and drawbacks. The Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 II is just a great starting point for those looking to get a little extra depth in their photos and video footage and is a great stepping stone for those looking to start their prime lens collection. Open your horizons and see what you've been missing!

First Look: 48 Hour Film Project - Pittsburgh

It’s been a few weeks since the 48 Hour Film Project in Pittsburgh ended. I was hoping to get some previews out sooner, but as I mentioned before, I have been very busy with some repair work and have been limited with the resources available to me.

For a first look, I decided to share some screenshots that crept their way onto Facebook. As you can see, we are all very hard at work on the project.

For all of you not familiar with the project, the idea is to produce a short 5-7 minute film and have it completed and edited within 48 hours. We select the genre at random and immediately begin writing the script on the first night, meaning that we have to go into this project with a completely open mind.These kinds of constraints can be challenging, but also provide the opportunity to explore the extents of your filmmaking background and education.

For our project, we selected horror as our genre. For those of you that know me, I’m not too crazy about the horror genre. Thankfully, I had close friends and colleagues to help me with that. Overall, the project turned out looking awesome. I can’t wait to release some promotional stills in the near future!

Currently, we are working on a Director’s Cut, which is in the final stages of editing. More information will come in the future. Thanks for all of your support! Cheers!

Repair Man-man-man-man!

It’s been a fairly long period of time since I went dark. A combination of working and filming has caused me to put a majority of my writing on hold. On top of all that, I acquired a few computer parts to complete a PC that is meant to perform extremely well with non-linear editing software such as Adobe Premiere Pro (and possibly some graphically demanding gaming on the side).

Well, to my surprise, I ran into some hardware issues and found myself switching hats for the past couple of weeks. Suddenly, I was troubleshooting hardware like I owned an IT solutions shop.

And the problems didn't stop there. Around the same, my Nexus 7 tablet decided to cough and sputter and keel over on me, AND my laptop screen cracked (that one was probably my fault...I need to stop placing fragile/expensive things on the floor beside my bed). Luckily, I had an external monitor, and a great wealth of knowledge to help repair some of those issues.

As of this moment, I installed a replacement screen for my laptop, have my PC’s motherboard on its way back to the repair shop, and have the tablet prepared to send back. Thankfully, it’s all with minimal charge and great, responsive customer service. You can’t beat that!

Anyway, I promise I’ll cut all the boring technical jumbo and get back to posting about film and equipment updates, including some updates on the progress of my 48 Hour Film! Stay tuned!

Batteries Included

I really lost track of time! It's hard to believe that we're well on our way through the summer. I've been working hard the past couple of weeks and haven't had the chance to post a couple of updates.

First and foremost, I have begun assisting on a narrative web series called Shepard. The series is produced by a local indie company called Grimm Sleeper Productions. The series began shooting this past week, and from what I've been told, will continue to shoot well into October. This exciting project has a lot of local talent backing it, making it something to really keep an eye on. Although I don't have many details for you at the moment, I'll make sure to post any information that is made public. Until then, keep checking back for more!

In the middle of performing AC duties on set. Intentionally doesn't reveal much.

Next up, I was able to upload some more photos onto my Flickr account. These stills are part of a nature photography collection, most of which were taken at Mammoth Park. 

More photos are to come, including ones taken by my recent investment, the Canon EOS 6D. Those shots will be up later this week.

And since this post is covering recent updates, don’t forget to check out my website, which has now moved to www.secroner.com. The old link still works as well. This URL is just easier to remember and provides a more personal feel to the website.

There are a few updates to the website, but most of them are just refinements. I’m currently in the process of getting rid of some older content to make space for anything in the future. I’m still awaiting the green light to use several film projects in my reel and release any further information. Keep checking back for more information.

And while we’re on the subject of projects, I’d like to announce that I am currently in the process of getting my LLC up and running. I decided that it would be in my best interest and the interest of my clients to place all my personal work and contract work under an official banner. While there is still a lot of work that needs to be done, I plan on having some major updates very soon.

Yesterday, I was actually working on the first draft of the logo:

As you can see, these designs are far from perfect. The design may look familiar to some of you. Eventually, I decided to scrap the idea and choose to go a different direction with the next draft. My InDesign skills are a little rusty, but I think I’ll have a better outcome with the next design. What is it that I’m aiming for? Well, you’ll just have to stay tuned to find out.

A Call to Band Together

Summer is here and the Pittsburgh filmmaking scene is in full bloom once again. A variety of new projects are popping up and the creative juices are flowing stronger than ever. It's unfortunate that the Pennsylvania film tax credit cap and predetermined union crews cripple the aspiring local artists. Over the past year, I have seen some talent and work ethic that is truly Hollywood worthy. But while big budget films overlook the little guy, the little guy can still grab some attention with his own small budget projects.

While many others are preparing film screenings in the later months, I’d like to take this opportunity to announce that I will be preparing my own short film in the coming months. While I have yet decide on which script is best suited for production, I have a few ideas in mind. I will be working hard in June to iron out the details of the production. If anyone would be interested in helping, please email me at secroner@gmail.com. I am currently looking to fill all crew positions. Casting will also come later this month. More details will be coming in the following weeks.

Speaking of local film productions, the 48 Hour Film Project will be coming to Pittsburgh on July 12th. I am currently planning to participate and I encourage others in the area to do the same. The cost to enter is $140 until June 17th. It’s a great way to show our passion for film in the local community. Click the above link for more details.

And more from The Paradisus Transit will be released at the end of this week. I am still working on developing some of the writing, but I do have ideas for accompanying images that I will release as teasers. It won’t be too long before the story begins to take shape.

I’ll see you all again this weekend for more details on upcoming projects.

A Week, In Review

Last week, I didn't get a chance to post any new content, officially throwing off my blog schedule. That included both this blog and my multimedia story project over at paradisustransit.blogspot.com. This is my formal apology to those of you who have been checking in on my blogs. I know you've been visiting frequently (thanks to Blogger traffic reports), and I'm sorry that there wasn't anything new for your viewing pleasure.

This week, I'll be back on track, thanks to a flexible schedule and more time to work from home. I have some hardware updates and reviews, including a few Canon lenses and the Canon EOS 6D, which I have recently had a chance to test out. I will also be posting more photos onto my portfolio over at Flickr.

More creative projects are on the way, so expect some digital content to be posted on my website. The website acts as a central hub, linking together of my projects and content, so keep checking back for any updates.

Finally, there’s a new article that I wrote for GameHuddle last week. If you’re into the latest gaming news, it’s worth the read. You can find the article here.

Check back again tomorrow (June 4, 2013) for another blog update!

The Paradisus Transit: An Overview

With the public launch of a new story project, entitled The Paradisus Transit, I decided that it would be smart to give some background information on the world and a little history to whet the reader's appetite.

Here is the link for your reference: paradisustransit.blogspot.com. The content will frequently be added, so please check back on a regular basis.

I'm really excited for this project and plan to spend some time on refining the details and finding ways to really connect with readers/viewers. For those of you out there, let me help you become acquainted with the world so that you can more easily follow along.

The backstory is something that I've been slowly working on for the past year. It originally started as a self-reference guide for a short story that I was planning on writing as a Creative Writing assignment back in college. Without giving any important details away too soon, the story was about a court case set more than a century into the future. That's all I can really say about it right now. The idea was good, but not strong enough to make a standalone short story, mostly because it was only a small piece of the entire story, which consisted of multiple characters, settings, and events. Instead, I ended up writing a completely different story that takes place in a different setting. More will be revealed about the original idea in the future, but for now let me give you some background on the world of The Paradisus Transit.

The setting takes place mostly in the late 21st and early 22nd centuries, with the series of important events spanning anywhere from 2098 CE to 2134 CE. In that time span, humans have learned to adapt more to technology.

In the Year 2098 CE...

The mid-21st century saw the slow collapse of the world’s economy. Combined with overwhelming world population growth due to improved health and medical resources, scientists needed to find new ways of situating every person, decreasing poverty levels, improving the economy, and preventing the over-consumption of dwindling resources. To remedy these problems, scientists created a new artificial world for humans to live. The world was developed through advances in computer networking and virtual reality technology.  Virtual living spaces and resources were created for the humans who chose to escape the collapsing real world. This new virtual world was called Paradisus. It was developed by the recently founded company, ParaPacific, Inc. The company, located on the west coast of the United States, housed all the servers that contained the virtual world.

Humans were able to "download" themselves into Paradisus, leaving their real-world bodies behind. From there, they could choose to live in this new virtual world, which was modeled to look and feel almost exactly like reality...with a few improvements. Scientists made sure to include all the same attributes as reality, such as the physics and gravity of Earth and the limitations of the human body. Even the virtual human bodies age and die, so that the population could still be maintained in Paradisus. Even cyberspace has space limitations (or memory, if you want to get technical).

2106 CE: New World, New Rules

When humans downloaded their bodies into Paradisus, their real-world bodies would become lifeless vessels. They would react in the same way as a deceased body and begin to decay. Initially, humans had to choose to remain in Paradisus for the rest of their lives. This was because their original bodies could not be preserved. ParaPacific began to research ways to preserve bodies, dabbling in the reversible preservation technology known as cryostasis. Eventually, ParaPacific found success and founded a new branch in 2106 called Vessel Services and Disposal, Inc. The company, centered in the United Kingdom, provided new options for those who wished to be transported to Paradisus. This would include cryostasis preservation of their real-world body or complete disposal, if they wish to remain in Paradisus. However, instead of completely preserving the body, the stasis would aid in a normal aging, while the body's owner was in Paradisus. This prevented any chance for the individual to extend their life beyond the normal age. Of course, Paradisus and the process of removing oneself from their original body caused much controversy, especially among religious groups.

2110 CE: The Artificial Takeover

With the success of Paradisus and a stabilizing economy, more government funding went towards ParaPacific. This meant a faster growth in technology, and the expedited installation of new technologies. One major breakthrough came in 2110, when, through the advances of robotics, ParaPacific revealed that they could place the humans of Paradisus into artificial bodies when they return to the real world. This acted as a remedy to those who had lost their original bodies or needed a quicker way to travel between the virtual reality and the real world. The artificial bodies, also known as vessels, acted much like a living body, they were programmed to age and stay healthy through nutrient consumption, eventually becoming inactive when the human controller passed away.

2120 CE: ParaPacific's Dirty Little Secrets

ParaPacific was having success in finding ways to accommodate the human living conditions for both worlds, but what was next for this corporation? What kind of experiments were happening behind the scenes? Were they all ethical? This is where it all begins. The Carrier of Secrets tells the story of one such secret that ParaPacific has kept underground...literally. Check out paradisustransit.blogspot.com for the latest entries in the ParaPacific saga.