This hauntingly beautiful video shows construction of a 3-D re-creation of the famous painting by Vincent Van Gogh. The soundtrack is the lovely "Starry, Starry Night," by Don McLean. I think everybody will like this video, but you can appreciate it a little more if you've actually done some building in Second Life.

The video is an example of "machinima," where filmmakers use gaming software to create animated movies. More of my favorite examples of machinima here.

Some folks discussing this video on Twitter expressed disappointment that the filmmaker, Robbie Dingo, tore down the Starry Night "build" after he was done. I'm disappointed, too. But maybe it's better this way; it was there, and now it's gone, like a beautiful chalk drawing on the sidewalk.

Dingo explains how he reproduced Starry Night on the blog New World Notes and more on his own blog:

Ever looked at your favorite painting and wished you could wander inside, to look at it from different perspectives? Spend a single day in one of mine, from early sunrise on a new day, to dusk when lights come on in cozy homes; through a peaceful night, till morning.

Shot on location in Second Life, then post-produced, this was an idea I had a while ago. The Sim in this work was on temporary loan so it's all been swept away now, leaving only the film behind. It was always intended, however, that the video would be the end product, not the build.

"This world was never meant for one as beautiful as you." Man, I love that song. Haven't heard it in years.

Do you have any favorite machinima? Share the links below.

Via Boing Boing