BeSeen and Rooster Teeth Productions, the leader in machinima video creation, are pleased to announce the completion of P.A.N.I.C.S. - People Acting Normal in Crazy-ass Situations, a viral machinima video series promoting Vivendi Universal Games' first-person-shooter title, F.E.A.R. - First Encounter Assault Recon.

In addition to strong positive consumer response, the series was recognized with the "IFC Award for Excellence in Machinima Screenwriting" sponsored by the Independent Film Channel. P.A.N.I.C.S. was also nominated for two other awards at the 2005 Academy of Machinima Arts & Sciences Film Festival, including Best Series and Best Commercial Machinima.

The four episode P.A.N.I.C.S. series was produced utilizing the machinima technique of shooting the action in the virtual reality generated by the robust F.E.A.R. game engine. The story offers a humorous look at the escapades of Bravo Team as they face off against an unseen, supernatural opponent. Needless to say, chaos ensues.

"With F.E.A.R. we knew we had a very special title combining a cutting edge FPS engine with a spine-tingling storyline," commented Lori Inman, Senior Brand Manager at VU Games. "We liked the idea of creating a humorous viral machinima series that would entertain fans and showcase the spectacular visuals and character animations offered in the game."
Released weekly in the months leading up to the retail launch of F.E.A.R., the P.A.N.I.C.S. series generated over 2 million downloads from over 175 countries worldwide. Fan reaction to the series was almost universally positive, with enthusiasts eagerly awaiting each new episode's release. In addition, P.A.N.I.C.S. was featured on MTV.com and picked up by viral-video download sites across the Internet.

Episode 1
Episode 2
Episode 3
Episode 4
Machinima Outtakes

Since the number of Internet threats consisting of viruses, worms, trojans (to mention just a few) is growing day by day, Softpedia gives you the chance to vote for your favorite antivirus application. Vote here for the antivirus which takes care of your security.