Massively^™

You've seen the prison version of Michael Jackson's Thriller, but have you seen the old Second Life version? We're digging into the archives again to bring you a YouTube favorite. SL videos rarely break 100,000 views, but this one has managed to amass almost 225,000 in just over two years.

This video was made before the popularity of machinima in SL. It required a handful of actors, multiple scripters, an animator, as well as custom skins and costumes. It was preserved as part of an early collection of works from residents by stampshady Grimm, who went on to work on the wildly successful DiVAS series.

If you have machinima or movie suggestions from any MMO, please send them to machinima AT massively DOT com, along with any information you might have about them.

On December 2nd, 2007, we featured a promising new series, DiVAS, set in Second Life. The creation of Phaylen Fairchild, it was about a selfish lush of a woman that found herself in awkward situations in every episode. So far, she's been in rehab, been fired, and fought to be on a reality show.

On May 31st, this season will come to a close when Episode 6 airs. This commercial serves to highlight some of the best moments of the series, as well as tease us about what will happen in the last episode, which will be a full 20 minutes! For more information on DiVAS, check out their blog.

If you have machinima or movie suggestions from any MMO, please send them to machinima AT massively DOT com, along with any information you might have about them.

When the hit reality show, "So You Think You Can Prance" comes to Fairland, Phaylen and the gang will do anything to be on it. Follow them around in DiVAS: Episode 5 - Dancing QueenS as they bite, kick, and bicker their way to the top. However, there's a new girl in town that could spoil all of their plans!

This could be the first episode of DiVAS that actually elicited a good, solid laugh out of us. They have come so far in their Second Life machinima journey. For up to the minute news on being an extra and when the season (or is it series?) finale takes place, check out Phaylen's blog!

The DiVAS crew must have worked overtime to learn all the new tricks they employed in this latest episode of their series. Not only do they have special guest stars, such as Kate Hanks and Misty Rhodes, but they have some amazing special effects.

In this week's episode, The Fairy, The Furry, and The Phaylen, she mistakes a tutu-wearing visitor for an intruder. When the fairy attempts to seek revenge, Phaylen will have none of that. This is a series that gets better with every episode. I can't wait to see it in another six episodes. It may win an Oscar!

As an aside, they now use original music in their series. They found that the inclusion of copyrighted music eliminated them from competitions. Great job, guys!

[Thanks, stampshady!]

When Phaylen woke up in the morning, things seemed to be looking up for her. However, as nature has a way of taking its course, the day progressively gets worse. In fact, it got quite an early start.

DiVAS: Episode 3 is just another great example of the comedic timing of Phaylen and her cast. They effectively use expressions and animations, instead of dialogue, to get the point of the story across. This has led them to develop quite a following in the Second Life community. I look forward to seeing more episodes!

Poor Phaylen just can't seem to get a job in Second Life, and when she does, she can't seem to hold it. In the second episode of the DiVAS series, our heroine is on an epic quest for money, in "You Better Work". As previously mentioned, I'm not sure that this Machinima would fall under the comedy category so much as it would dark humor.

During her job interviews, various disasters strike. She doesn't have many talents, but she will write her contact info on a tampon, put your dog in a dangerous situation to win you over, dance like a maniac while wearing bondage gear, turn your children into poultry, and beat you up if you laugh at her. I can see why she decided to play fair and wear an actual nametag in the end. I guess we'll have to wait until episode 3 to see if she actually gets a job ...

Phaylen Fairchild is no stranger to Machinima, but it's been a long time since her last effort. She's back in full force with DiVAS, dubbed as the first virtual comedy sitcom. Starring herself as an alcoholic that accidentally burns her house down, she is taken to rehab. Once there, she begins to exhibit withdrawal symptoms. I can only assume that she starts having hallucinations that take her into a dream world, where the real magic takes place.

The storyline not only flows well, but it's clear and concise. You can actually feel the emotions that Phaylen is trying to convey, from boredom to excitement. The music, by Mika and Darren Hayes, is fantastic as well. Machinimists outside of Second Life are already touting it as one of the best examples of what the virtual world can do for storytelling.

That's not to say that it doesn't have technical flaws. The transitions are too flashy and clash with the black bars, which change in size throughout. The editing is a bit rough. In addition, she used the word "first", which is a personal pet peeve. I'm not even sure that it's actually a comedy or a sitcom, but I doubt that it's the first. It mainly felt like a long music video to me. Nevertheless, I liked it. What did you think?

[Thanks, Phil!]