"NIVANFIELD" Chapter 8 - Extended Version

The bonus edition of Chapter Eight features an extended sex sequence. I wanted to show a passage of time, and the boys getting comfortable, horny, and happy with their new life together. (LINK BELOW)

But first …

Now that the series is done, I thought I’d share a look back at the making of “NIVANFIELD.” It’s no secret, it has been the most complex and demanding series I have ever produced, and by your response it has probably turned out to be one of my best.

This project began over a year ago, and if GolyHawHaw had not created his Chris Redfield sim, I never would have been inspired to undertake this story. Of course the first thing I needed to do was create a Piers Nivans sim from scratch, no easy task. Piers (and Adam Crosman whom the character’s appearance was based upon) has a very distinctive nose and brow which took a lot of effort to get just right. I did a lot of test renders and then more character adjustments to Piers until I was happy with the way he looked. I made significant modifications to Goly’s Chris Redfield sim as well. I started tweeting images of the couple last fall.

I was finishing production on “The Warrior’s Oasis” when I started planning their story.  In some ways, the “NIVANFIELD” story is similar to “The Warrior’s Oasis,” and I was worried that the relationship dynamic might be too close.  Early on, I made the decision to do a Hollywood themed version of their relationship. I knew it would be impossible to make a proper action-packed “Resident Evil” story with The Sims 4.

I started by rewatching the cut scenes from the “Resident Evil” game, getting familiar with the characters and their relationship, pinpointing the themes. I identified the main story beats of their relationship, the ones that I would recreate in my Sims Hollywood studio, and then I began to plot my story around those beats, figuring out the details that would get them from point A to point B. Instead of fighting Umbrella Corporation zombies, my boys would have to fight a Hollywood system that kept gay actors in the closet. And the parallels worked out really well. The story told itself, but I had a lot of little details to plan.

Not every detail was planned in advance. Some ideas came much later or during actual filming. I hadn’t originally planned for the director to be such a scumbag.  That idea developed with the production of the prequel bonus video “The Audition” in which Charlie Slade had to put out to get the role of Finn. And then filming Chapter One, the idea of having the director be a dick to Shane was totally spontaneous. From there I ran with the idea and worked it into the plot of the series. It’s always good to have an antagonist or villain to create some drama for the heroes to overcome.

During production of “Windenburg Wanderlust” I had to find, remodel, or create the set pieces (or lots.) Again, this was no easy task. I needed a lot more filming locations for "NIVANFIELD" than any previous series. Some locations like Aiden’s Hollywood Hills mansion or Shane’s valley home were found in the Sims Gallery and only needed minor modifications. However, the two studio lots required a lot of remodeling, and I had to build a new RE set on the stage each episode for the boys to film a new RE scene.

I wanted to create a unique title sequence for the series, so I bought an After Effect graphics template and modified it with images of Chris and Piers from the game. I also spent some time on font websites searching for the perfect brand style, something modern and bold for the title “NIVANFIELD.”

Music is always an important aspect in every series, and I did a specific search for royalty-free music just for “NIVANFIELD," looking for both a title theme and a love theme. Careful observers may notice that I often repeat a music track throughout a series to create a theme. Samir and Jace had their own special love theme throughout “The Warrior’s Oasis.” I suppose this motif came from my childhood love of John William’s “Star Wars” soundtracks, where Luke, Leia, and Darth Vader all had their own musical themes.

Filming "NIVANFIELD" was a lot more complex than any previous series. Getting the acting scenes to match the game cut scenes. Capturing all of the dramatic dialogue, much of which had to be written in advance.  The editing needed to be more creative too, finding ways to match game cut scenes and filmed scenes. Color correcting the filmed scenes to give them that green “Resident Evil” tint.  And finally, ending each chapter with a unique hook to keep you guys excited for the next one.

While this is probably going to be the end of their Sims story, I’m working on some 3D models of Chris and Piers in Daz for future photo shoots.

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