Cinemassively: DiVAS
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!]
