Home’s Forgotten Spaces #1: The Pharaoh’s Tomb
by Keara22HI, HSM team writer
During the course of our last HSM production meeting, it was suggested that perhaps we should take a look at Home’s forgotten spaces — those lost children who, for whatever reason, just fell off the radar. While some spaces are evergreen, others — no matter how beautifully designed — just seem to have their moment in the sun and then get relegated to being little more than a footnote in the evolution of Home.
Buried in the Real Estate store, overlooked by many newcomers to Home, and perhaps ignored for its lack of a mini-game, is the Pharaoh’s Tomb private estate.
Take another look: what makes this place so special are the story possibilities, the furnishings and decor items, and, best of all, the costumes. What would have happened in a place like this? Who would have been there? And why?
At the meeting, the editors challenged us to craft virtual tours that captured the emotional context of a space; it wasn’t enough to just run around in one long master shot and place a watermark on it. The primary goal of HSM machinima is to hit people emotionally, and to craft a film which actually provokes an emotional response requires considerable work. Particularly since this is the first machinima I’ve ever attempted to compose.
That’s when my imagination ran wild: a young pharaoh who died suddenly, his wife grieving for him, his ship sailing away from the tomb after delivering the sarcophagus there. I imagined a backstory: two souls pledged to each other at a young age, knowing that someday he would be pharaoh. Then a tragic accident, and he slowly dies with her at his side. She is still very young, glad to be alive, but missing him terribly.
Then reality sets in: she must be prepared to take the throne now, and rule as he would have done. She talks to his sarcophagus in the tomb – and to his picture on the wall. Then she says her final goodbye at his empty throne – and takes her new seat. A regal queen is born from the ashes of their love.
Melodramatic? Sure. But hey, it worked for Elizabeth Taylor. And besides, this space has some real eye-candy. I love this space and plan to spend a lot more time there. Make up your own story and have a blast using this space as the setting. The stores are full of good ‘props’ and costumes.
Home is full of forgotten spaces. Hopefully this new series from HSM will encourage you to revisit them. If there’s a forgotten space you’d like given the HSM treatment, let us know; I’m brand-new as a filmmaker and this is my first attempt, but it’s quite a lot of fun.
March 9th, 2012 by keara22hi | 9 comments
Keara is also known in Home as DarthGranny. She is a wicked little old lady with a wild sense of humor.
Good job for a first try Granny! Woot! Loved the music too.
That is excellent Granny!! Very nicely done.
I have the Pharaoh’s Tomb because it was included in the 10-space bundle for $20. It turned out to be one of my favourites in the bundle along with Santorini Apartment and Planetland. What a steal that bundle turned out to be!
One of the best reasons to revisit old apartments is to redecorate them with new furniture. Many people probably have 2 or 3 times more furniture now than when they bought these older spaces. Instead of spending money on new spaces to furnish, I’d encourage people to dust off forgotten ones and see what you can do with it. I know that I can replace the golden bed from the Mansion with my more recently acquired Greek bed for this space.
If anyone would like a closer look at those distant pyramids, feel free to send me a friend request and we can arrange a tour.
Lovely Granny and well done!
Very impressive for your first go, Keara. I really like that tracking shot down the corridor, and you’ve done a nice job capturing the feel of the space.
My challenge to you would be this: Let your viewers get a sense of the size and connectedness of the space as well. After all, we’re showcasing the spaces with storytelling as a way to do more than just throw a bunch of room shots together.
Think about long-distance establishing shots. That corridor, for example, where is it? How do I get there? What’s down all those other corridors that I see in the video?
We want to see your story, but we want to see the space, too. Finding that balance is tricky, but ultimately very rewarding for the viewer.
Thank you so much, HIW! I spent most of today practicing with the Mechjet doing those tracking shots as you suggested. I am trying to work my way through all your suggestions that you so kindly posted in here. Also bought the Sony Video Vegas program to try.
A vibrant and fresh look at a space often overlooked due to its release date. That was a lot of fun to watch; I will forever more hear Jarre’s theme from “Lawrence of Arabia” whenever I enter the space.
Thanks Granny. Very nice dissolves,fades, peels, and wipes. I was so mesmerized by your effort and the believabilty of the backstory as it unfolded that I forgot to focus on the space. I watched it again which must say something, since I own the space.
Great choice of music. I’m looking forward to #2.
Will it be the Chamber Apartment, or maybe the City Penthouse?
Thank you, DG. Your first machinima left me wanting more of the story! Perhaps I need to purchase the space so I can continue where you left off. Thanks for the fun!