Out & Away

Out & Away is a project about the feelings and emotions tied to moving and leaving your home behind. In this environment, the user experiences the last day of moving out, with the truck ready to leave, and just a single room left to pack up. The objects and  items the user interacts with will disappear into the moving truck, slowly emptying the old bedroom one item at a time. Eventually, the user will leave this bedroom for the final time. 

In its essence, Out & Away explores the emotional connection people have with both their personal objects, and the space they inhabit. From a toy you used in your childhood, to the collection of knick-knacks you have amassed over the years, there are emotions and inherent connections with these items. This environment is designed to explore these connections and how these emotions change as they disappear. 

I drew inspiration from my own experience through this year. From leaving home for the first time, to rummaging through and packing up items I had forgotten about for years. I moved from a noisy suburbia to acreage, which is reflected in the transition between locations in Out & Away.

Most of the assets within Out & Away were made by myself, with the exception of a single bird call, and the music used within the environment. I felt that the music by Scott Buckley was a perfect fit with the ambience and feeling I wanted to encapsulate. 

Using my own experiences, and building a narrative around them, I feel that I have successfully provided an insight into the essence of leaving home for the first time. With a sombre build, and the removal of beloved items from a familiar space, I hope that users who experience my environment connect with these emotions. This exploration into emotions was a cathartic experience, and I wish to impart some of that upon the users and audience who interact with this environment.