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Lionhead have released their second mailbag for The Movies. The game is due out later this year for PC and consoles and lets players direct their own movies. It is a unique idea for a game and one that seems to be shaping up very well. Instead of only showing you what we think you want to read about, what follows is the entire set of questions and answers from The Movies’ second mailbag.
Is there a tutorial when we start the game for the first time? John
Hi John. Yes, there will be a tutorial at the start of the game that will teach you all the basics. After this, there will be a collection of incidental tutorials that will pop up based on what you’re doing and what you need to know. These will appear more often if you’re struggling with a certain area of the game. The upside of this is that you’ll only be getting the help you really need.
What is the big difference between AMM – Advanced Movie-making – and Post Production? I read a lot about it on the boards and in the FAQ, but I’m still wondering what parts of making a movie are done in AMM and what parts are done in PP. Robin
Well Robin, the big difference between the two is that the AMM is for making movies and Post Production is for editing movies. In the Advanced Movie-maker you write your script, assign actors to roles, choose a director, pick sets, backdrops, scenes, props, etc… Once you’ve finished your script, you then send off your Stars and crew to shoot it.
After your movie has been shot, you can then edit it in Post Production. You can cut scenes or move them around, add sound effects, music and voiceovers and write subtitles. Once you’re happy with your movie, you can then render it to a video format on your PC.
Will we be able to give people – actors and directors – names? Connie
Hi Connie, you can do whatever you like with your Stars – actors and directors – and that includes changing their names. You can also change what they wear and even what they look like.
I’ve read the new FAQ for The Movies, but it doesn’t say anything about war movies? Only comedy, horror, sci-fi and so on… I hope war movies haven’t been dropped? Peter
Hi Peter. There’s no need to worry, as war movies haven’t been dropped. What we have done though is integrate war movies into the Action genre. All of the war scenes, sets, props and costumes that are featured in the standalone War genre have now been incorporated into the Action genre, so you’ll still be able to make the War movies of your dreams.
If all talent is hired from the line – queue – of wannabes, how do we create a star that would have the name, face, hair colour, etc. like we want it? Dan
Hi Dan, there’s a line of wannabes in front of the Stage School full of people who desperately want to be a Star in your Studio. Each one carries their very own stats for appearance, experience and mood so that you can decide which ones will make the best Stars. Every wannabe also has a unique look.
If you don’t want them, you can drop them in the Reject room to throw them out of your studio and swap them for another wannabe. If you hire them but then decide their looks aren’t what you’re looking for, you can drop them in the Makeover Department to change their costume, hairstyle, etc… or you can take them into Cosmetic Surgery to change their physical appearance.
Of course you’ll also be able to make your very own unique Star with our Starmaker (released separately), that will allow you to create your very own unique Stars and import them in to the game.
If I make a movie with the game, will it be possible to include subtitles in my movies? Jelle
Hi Jelle. You’ll be pleased to know that you can quickly and easily add subtitles to any movie by using the Post Production facility. There’s a subtitle track where you’ll be able to add your own text to any part of your movie.
Of course, you may find you don’t need to use subtitles at all, as you’ll be able to record your very own voiceovers for each and every character in your movie. And of course, if you want both subtitles and voiceovers in your movies, then you can do that too.
