This is our entry for Cassandra Clare’s contest to win an ARC of the next installment in the Infernal Devices Trilogy, Clockwork Prince. To enter the contest, we had to create something that relates to the Infernal Devices and the characters. Neither of us is particularly good at drawing or video making, so we decided to do this instead: We created our interpretation of the institute where the characters live using The Sims. Next, we made a Sim of each character, who you will see in the images. We used the institute and some other locations that we created to replicate some of our favourite and important scenes in the story. Now, after about 30 hours of planning, creating, and overcoming many obstacles (the sims are different to control!), here is our masterpiece. Enjoy!
THE INSTITUTE
“Being in the Institute was a bit like being in a castle”
This quotation, and the fact that the Institute is inside an abandoned church, inspired our vision. This is how we saw the institute in our imaginations.
The inside of the Institute's library. Check out the angel statue!
Henry's Workshop
THE GALLERY of SCENES
This is the scene after Tessa has just awakened in the Institute for the first time, in her room with Charlotte.
“Will interrupted. ‘Henry,’ he said, ‘you’re on fire. You do know that, don’t you?’”
“’But the books are all behind bars!’ she said. ‘Like a literary sort of prison!’
Will grinned. ‘Some of these books are dangerous,’ he said. ‘It’s wise to be careful.’”
“’You’re not Will.’ He sounded curious, but not at all annoyed, despite the fact that Tessa had barged into his bedroom in the middle of the night and surprised him playing the violin in his nightclothes.”
[Unfortunately, the Sims didn’t have a violin for Jem to play. So here he is, playing a standing bass.]
Here is Henry, inventing in his workshop. This isn’t a specific scene from the book; we just wanted to re-create what we imagined it to be like.
Tessa and Jessamine at the park.
"I am not a shadowhunter, Tessa. I despise everything about the Nephilim. I have never wanted to be one, and my dearest wish is to leave the institute and never speak to a single soul who resides there ever again."
A conversation between Tessa (as Camille) and Magnus in DeQuincey’s library.
It was more difficult than we thought to get Magnus to lie down on the table! See those rails? That’s the bed he was laying on, which we put inside the table to create this image.
Tessa and Will’s first kiss. “She never imagined that the kiss would be so brief and desperate and wild. Or that it would taste of holy water. Holy water and blood.”
And the water on the floor? The game didn’t have a function to make spilled water, so we had to make Will and Tessa pee on the floor!
Tessa and Jem at the bridge.
“’This is it,’ he added, gesturing before him. ‘My favourite place in London.’”
“Jem himself lay very still, his shirt torn, blood pooling blackly around him.”
You can even see 2 automatons in the background, who have just attacked Tessa and Jem! The automatons are usually meant to look more like people, but this made it easier to show what they are.
Jessamine reads to Nathaniel while he rests.This scene was also difficult, because Jessamine kept trying to get in bed with Nate while Nate tried to get out!
Will and Thomas, during the attack on the institute orchestrated by the Magister.
“’Hail and farewell, Thomas,’ he said.”
We had to kill Thomas 3 times before we got this scene right, because Will kept fainting when he died!
After the funeral, Tessa and Will share a kiss on the roof of the institute.“When he bent to kiss her, it was all she could do to hold herself back until his lips met hers.”
“’William,’ Magnus said, honestly surprised. ‘What on earth are you doing here? Has something happened at the institute?’
‘No.’ Will’s voice sounded as if he were choking. ‘I’m here on my own account. I need your help. There is—there is absolutely no one else that I can ask.’”
BLOOPERS!
While we were creating the scenes, sometimes we ran into some difficulties which resulted in some funny pictures. Other times, the characters were acting out of their own free will and had some fun!
Magnus's eyes just couldn't handle Will's beauty. He went cross-eyed!
Henry is having some fun in his workshop...
While Jem is really excited about the mail!
And Magnus makes his move on Will!
When that didn't go well, he tested his charm on the angel in the library
And Will entertained himself by disturbing the elderly.
Here, you can see how things don't always work out right. We accidentally killed Henry!
Remember how we said we made Will and Tessa pee on the floor to make it look wet? Here you can see that in action!
We went to eat dinner before we started working on the scene in Tessa's room, and this is what we came back to see.
I guess shadowhunters have slumber parties too!
