34 mins, 2007        [password required] A new craze has hit cyberspace. They're called virtual worlds -- 3D computer generated universes where you sign up, choose a body, build a house and you're ready to live out your "second life". This film profiles one of the most successful virtual worlds, Second Life. TO BE AN AVATAR: The virtual counterparts who inhabit the world of Second Life are called Avatars. They can be dressed just as you like: you can even change the way they look and body shape. You can be as beautiful and exotic as you like...for the right money! The average Second Life resident spends an estimated £1,000 per year on their avatar. WHO WANTS TO BE A (VIRTUAL) MILLIONAIRE? There's even a currency in Second Life, called Linden dollars. Uniquely, virtual entrepreneurs can exchange their Lindens back into real dollars, thus opening the possibility for real money-making. We follow the experience of a fantasy property developer, who is making a small, virtual (and real) fortune by developing fantasy properties. Another virtual entrepreneur is raking in the Linden dollars by designing and selling dresses to the avatars. VIRTUAL WORLDS: REAL OR HYPE? Some claim Second Life will be more influential than eBay or MySpace. As bandwidth increases, more and more people will discover the lure of virtual worlds. In ten years time will everyone be living two lives? But critics accuse the makers of Second Life of hyping up the numbers of people who are really taking part in these virtual adventures. Originally made for Australian TV. DVD EXTRAS includes, in addition to 30 mins edited version, a 45 mins, uncut version, containing some sexual content unsuitable for younger students. Also: the question of the legal ownership of Second Life and its medical and social uses.