We're ending the year with another video game ENF parody! I'm happy to release Embarrassment Quest 2, with the return of Riley Jane! Embarrassment Quest was one of the few videos that had multiple positive comments (this always helps my stores so if you like them, please rate and review!). Rather than do another combat based story, I wanted to film another trope in video games - selling items or in this case, clothes!
Selling and robbing clothes of townsfolk in Skyrim
I feel like I have seen this setup earlier in my days playing video games, but where I saw the specific idea was in the web series, The Guild. In it, one of the players has his keyboard hijacked by the protagonists, and they sell his avatars' clothes until he is left naked although it is never shown. In video games, like in reality, we want to dress our characters, who are sometimes an extension of ourselves, in the best/most badass look possible. This is why I like the idea of stripping away that "best self" and exposing one that we wouldn't want to be seen, because I find that this is best type of exposure and embarrassment. The heart-print underwear is always a favorite of mine, but it was also my nod to a classic video game Ghouls N' Ghosts, where the Knight in that came will be exposed in his strawberry-print underwear when his armor is destroyed by one hit (I just learned that it is strawberries NOT hearts!)
Initially my plan was to have Riley strip in one long cut as she negotiated for the sword she needs to use to slay the dragon. It occurred to me the day before that a more "video game" effect would be a jump cut where her clothes vanish after confirming the sale of an item. In one way, this would make shooting easier because it makes for a shorter take before cutting and moving to the next clip. The challenge becomes in having Riley freeze and then start the next take in as close of of a position that resembles the last one. Overall this went smoothly, with some very small differential placements. What helped as setting up the merchant table and leaving some items in frame that remained still in between each cut.
The other challenge was adding the other images/sounds/music to mimic a video game. The first time doing this in Embarrassment Quest it took two days. This time around things went a bit quicker now that I knew what animations I wanted. The added time can be exhausting but looking at the final cut make it all worth it because all of these elements remind me of video games I used to play.
This was also the film that made me laugh the most, so much so I ruined some takes because I couldn't contain my laughter. I knew using the confetti popper was going to be funny, but the large amount of confetti that shot out made me laugh so hard. To avoid laughing on take two, I had to look away. Riley absolutely understood the idea, how it was meant to be silly and over-the-top, breaking the meta by writing her as a player who is aware there is a game.
I couldn't wait to release Embarrassment Quest 2 and I hope y'all enjoy that in addition to the first. I don't know when I'll shoot a third sequel but I do have some ideas that I will save in the future because there are so many tropes I can make fun of.