More ‘tween the chapters fun
So, in the comments after the last post, I mentioned that I had to redo the pictures. Originally, the scene was set before Sean showers–and ended with him leaving the room to shower. If you look at the picture below, you might be able to see why I thought I should redo the pictures and go with a slightly different scenario (warning: if you haven’t read Chapter 21, this picture contains a spoiler).
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I found the bruises to be terribly distracting. Especially the neck bruising (I was never completely happy with the neck bruising….I should have found some pictures of that to help with the pattern). I had the entire chapter written with photos, but I couldn’t figure out what was wrong. At first, I thought it was because I was nervous–this was finally the kiss. It was a very important moment, and not getting it close to perfect would gnaw at me for days and days. But I’d been planning this moment for a while–it had been in my head for a very long time (or as LunarFox might put it if she were writing this, Sean told me how it was going to happen a while ago).
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Finally, I realized that I’d loved the original picture of Sean kissing Ed without the bruising. I’d had them try several different kisses, and snapped a ridiculous number of pictures from different angles, etc. (FYI–the kiss interaction used for them is the kiss that is given when they agree to “go steady”–I’ve always thought it was the best kiss in TS3, to date). So, I had to make Sean cover up the bruises before he kissed Ed, so that the bruises wouldn’t detract from the moment.
The Edith Prescott Mystery Series 
lots of hard work… all very worth it!
fantastic job on the recent chapters!! =)
p.s. i didn’t realize that the “go steady” kiss is different from the regular one. hm, maybe i should pay more attention to the game rather than trying to fulfill all their wishes all the time =P
Lida: Thanks! Yep, yep, the “go steady” kiss is very different from the other kisses. If you are trying to fulfill their wishes all the time, then you are actually playing the game, rather than staging shots, most of the time, lol. 🙂 Staging shots can get in the way of actually playing the game, sometimes….the Ed Prescott file is strictly for staging….I don’t play the game in that file unless I’m trying to get something that can only be achieved through playing.
Okay, I can see exactly what you mean. It does take away from the kiss. The final product was perfect. So yes, always trust the gut!
Also, I didn’t even realize that “go steady” had a kiss! LOL! Shows you how often I actually play.
Lunarfox: I’m glad you agree with my assessment. 🙂
Yep, yep, I noticed it had a kiss the first time I used it in my ill-fated legacy, and I was so surprised by it that I wasn’t able to catch a picture of it the first time.
Ah, I can see exactly what you mean and I agree! The kiss you ended up using was perfect.
I didn’t realise “go steady” had a kiss either! And when I load TS3, I actually only/i> play. So what’s my excuse? LOL. Probably that I usually play TS2 and in that, I think they only hug when they go steady.
Carla: Yay! I’m glad that I didn’t make a mistake and wimp out on using a photo that would have actually been better….
That’s one really great thing about blogging these things–you learn so much about the interactions, and it can help if you plan to stage your own stories. I’ve learned so much from other story blogs. 🙂
This is true, definitely. I’m intimately familiar with many of the TS2 interactions, just from blogging. It’s one of the best ways to get to know the game!
You did well to cover up those bruises. It is difficult to take the right angle when Sims are kissing and to convey passion at the same time. But you did, Rachel. Well done! 🙂
Moondaisy: Thanks! I’m flattered that you think I achieved that…. 🙂
A very good decision by you, I must say. 😀 Even if you had to redo it. And I’ll keep that kiss in mind if I ever need it. Thanks!
Amelia: Thanks! It was a difficult decision (mainly because I had to redo it, but also because I worried about how realistic it would be to have him cover up the bruises).
You should definitely keep that kiss in mind–I really hope they give us more interactions with TS3 Ambitions, and I’d really, really love more romantic interactions.
Lucky for you the P.I. is coming and that should come with an armful of interactions and objects and everything! 😀
Amelia: I know! I’m so excited. Once this story is finished, I’ll have to take a small break to plan things out. I had hoped to time it so that I would be able to play with the new EP in the break, but I don’t know if that will happen or not…..it’s hard to tell. Then again, I only put out one update per week, so it may not be that difficult to time it right….
I agree, the bruises do take away from the kiss. My eyes were instantly drawn to it rather than the kiss so I think you made a good choice in using the one where he has it covered up.
It was a perfect kiss moment and very well captured. It has all the elements; tension, awkwardness of a first kiss, the feeling that gravity will pull them towards each other despite any doubts/confusion that might still be lingering around, romance…
I can almost imagine Eddy’s leg lifting up (like in the kiss on Princess Diaries) – that classic first kiss moment you see in the old classic movies.
The image and narrative really did it justice. I just had this great exhalation of breath that I hadn’t known I was holding in and then afterwards, a smile tugging at my own lips.
Sorry for the ramble. I’m a romantic at heart so those moments really make me go all weak at the knees!
Carnaxa: Wonderful–it’s always nice to hear when one made the correct judgment call.
I’m so relieved the kiss moment went over well…..I thought about it a lot, but it was still pretty difficult for me to write. I tried to think about descriptions of kisses that had ever stuck with me, and realized that I couldn’t really think of any. I knew that she would be nervous and uncertain up until the very moment it happened, and that he would be sort of….coaxing….and maybe acting with the confidence of someone who believed that such a moment was inevitable.
You are definitely not rambling! I’m so happy when I satisfy the romantics among my readers, because it is the area I always feel the most unsure about. I can describe and strategize and get a decent mystery plot together, but if the characters aren’t compelling to read about just in their own relationships with each other, then it’s not much fun. 🙂
I know what you mean about working hard to get the right shot for a kiss, but now that I know about the “go steady” kiss, I will definitely keep it in mind – a pity you can only use that kiss once! The shot you used in the chapter was just perfect, it had the right amount of heat and hesitation for this moment between Sean and Ed and looking at the image above the bruises would definitely have definitely been an unwanted distraction.
Illandrya: Aww, thank you so much! It’s nice to know that others agree. The first round of pics just didn’t look right and I had to fix it.
The “go steady” kiss is the best for this sort of situation, to date….I really wish they’d come up with more romantic interactions soon, though.