Wer noch nicht weiß was the Movies ist, gibts hier die FAQ
General Gameplay
What is The Movies all about?
The game is very simple. An original idea by Peter Molyneux - you get to run your own Hollywood movie studio. The game can really be divided into 3 main areas - designing your movie studio, forging the careers of movie stars, and making movies. It is possible to focus on any of those areas that most appeal to you, and spend less time on the others. The game plays through from the birth of cinema to the present day and a little way into the future, with all the technology and historical advances that occur along that timeline. The really cool thing about the movie-making part is that the movies themselves can be watched, once they are made! It will be incredibly fun to make movies - something no other game has allowed you to do. Throw some actors into some costumes, put them on sets, pick some scenes for them to act out and watch them go. The end results can be fascinating and hilarious - it is possible once the movie is made to add your own voice and text and music, really personalising each movie you make. The movies can then be uploaded to a website for all to see!
So what do I have to do exactly?
There are three major aspects about The Movies; running your own movie studios, creating and managing your very own superstars and creating your own movies.
What's the most important; the management of your studio or the actual producing of the movies themselves?
It's equal as all players should be able to do both things. If you don't want to deal with one side at all you can easily direct it to advisors who will take care of the management or directing of the movies. All the different movies have a director; it's up to you as to whether you want to dive down into the details with them.
On which formats will this game be released?
The Movies will be available on all formats; PC, Xbox, PS2 and Nintendo Gamecube. The Movies will take advantage of each console's strengths. This means each system on which the game is released, will vary in interface. We are not talking about ports; every version is done by a different team.
What game modes will be available?
The Movies comes with a Story Mode and a Sandbox Mode (free play).
Will there be missions and scenarios in the game?
Yes there will be, for example; different characters approach you, offering you challenges, such as a mobster asking you to cast his (talentless) wife in a movie. If you accept, he may repay you with having a word with the taxman and getting you off paying tax for a year, in return for suffering the terrible acting abilities of his girl. If you don't accept his offer, he won't be happy and may never approach you again. Or someone may ask you to try and make the first colour film. It's your call as to whether the extra research needed is worth the reward and kudos after the film's release.
Do you have to do the missions, or are they ignorable?
The missions are there purely to add extra spice and help keep your studio advancing. They don't have to be completed or accepted, but it may be in your best interests to try.
Will there be a demo available before or after the release?
There won't be a demo released before the game comes out as this will take time that could be invested in actually making the game. It is a possibility a demo will come after the release.
Management
How customizable will talent (actors, directors, screenwriters, etc) be in this game? Can gamers have portraits, bios and more for their stars and crew?
The actors and directors are very customisable - they can be put in different outfits, be given plastic surgery, and have makeup applied. As their career progresses their biographies change, reflecting their movie triumphs and failures. They form relationships, and they all have their own history of behaviour in terms of getting caught in the press being drunk, picking fights, or hitting on the opposite sex.
Do I get to decide what my movie studios look like?
You decide the look and feel of your studio. Do you want a lush wonderland or are you happy with a practical, simple industrial lot? In fact, do you want to give them trendy bars and cafeterias or a rusty burger stand? It's your world - they just live in it. The Movies has an amazing amount of unique sets and locations, some of them will have an increased effect on the happiness of the people such as a fountain or statues of former Star actors. People will stop and stare in wonderment at certain items and soak up the beauty for a while!
So do I have to run this huge complex of movie business all by myself? Am I some sort of god?
No! The great thing about being rich and powerful (apart from getting to spend it) is that you can hire people to do things for you. The Movies enables you to do precisely this. If you're not interested in how much the clapper loader and key grip get paid, you hire someone to take care of even that for you. Just like in real life! You can sort the costumes, dress the sets, change the matte backdrops and set the cameras. Or you can just concentrate on the arty side of film-making and let the game take care of the rest.
What about the famous paparazzi?
Well, you'll have to keep your actors in shape and keep them out of scandals so that the paparazzi don't have anything on them... Such a thing could seriously damage their career and your reputation!
Can I write my own script and/ or scenario?
You will be able to pick a script provided by the game or you can write your own, it's up to you. Keeping in mind Lionhead could produce a large amount of them, and given the possible variables that are present, this still will provide an enormous amount of scripts to choose from. Plus you can interpret any script as its being filmed with the help of sliders which control aspects of the action such as violence, romance, realism etc...
Will it be possible to win a prize for my movie?
Yes you'll be able to post your own movies online for all to see or just send them to your friends if you're a bit shy! Awards are regularly given out and your movies will be up for a Stanley; the very sought after Lionhead version of that other famous movie award.
The Movies
How long can my movies be?
The movies you create can be as long as you want. The average movie length is between 30 seconds and 3 minutes, but if you wanted to and had the money and the time, that movie could go on for two hours. Though your audience may not want to sit through them, they can be as long as YOU want. The Movies also has a sandbox mode which allows you to play around without worrying about money.
Am I supposed to make trailers or mini movies or ...?
There has been some confusion about this issue in the past and it is good to clear this up. In The Movies you get to make movies not trailers.
Which genres can I expect for my movies?
There will be eight genres to begin with; but we hope there will be expansion packs with new sets, costumes, genres etc... The eight genres are: Action, Horror, Comedy, Romance, Sci Fi, Western, Thriller and War. You can mix genres to create subgenres e.g. horror / comedy, Western / romance.
What are sets and which can I choose?
Sets are the constructions in the studio lot where the cast and crew assemble to shoot movies. They are customisable in terms of appearance, and props can be placed down within them. There are lots of sets and thousands of scenes in the game, spread across 5 categories, providing locations for all 8 genres of movies to be shot. The sets will vary from outdoor locations to city settings or lifestyle, all with unique refurbishing.
What are the two ways of making a movie?
Making a movie is done through its own screen. The process of planning out your movie, done in this screen, will be a fun experience in itself. If you design your own movie, you have the power to define as much or as little as you want, filling in those details that interest you, and letting the computer fill in the gaps for you. You can choose predefined sets and props or go for a more interactive way.
There are two ways to initiate the movie-making process: buy a script, or write your own script. It is possible to play through the whole game by buying scripts, but pre-written scripts are rarely innovative - it is possible to become more successful if you write your own.
Technology
What technology can I use to make my own movies?
People are wondering about special effects as well; expect explosions, matte backdrops and scrolling backgrounds. You could also go for animatronics or squibs or even weather machines, so expect some hot, juicy movies to come out!
How do I get this technology then?
The Movies spans more than a century of film, from 1900 to 2010. This means that not only do you get to research the great leaps forward, such as sound, colour, 3D and computer graphics, but you can even delve into the mysteries of the future.
Your researchers will look into new ways of taking The Movies to a new height, including Technicolor and other hot features. As with everything else in The Movies you can choose to sink large sums into research and be the first with new technology or you can be crafty and wait and see if it takes off before you make that investment
Final film
Will I be able to edit my film?
In the sense that you can change the order of the scenes you shot, yes. You can add voiceovers and Peter Molyneux expressed the wish to bring out a Director's Cut with even more possibilities to edit your movies.
Can I add sound and music during the editing of a movie?
Yes you can, and even record your own voice (actors) and add them...
Can I change the order of the shots?
A very valuable point and - again - the answer is yes. See above.
What about the credits?
You can make your own credit screens indeed, or leave it up to the game to generate them for you!
Will I be able to do some marketing before I release my movie?
For each Movie you release, you get the opportunity to put money into marketing your film - the result of marketing a film is that it gets into more cinemas, and thus reaches a larger audience, bringing in more money. You can also leave this to your advisors, who will spend what they consider to be a small, medium or large amount of money on marketing at the time. However, if you want to customise it a bit more, you can choose how to distribute your marketing money across a variety of different media types: Posters, Magazines, Cinema, Radio, Television, Video, DVD, and the Internet. Posters, magazines and cinema are available from the start of the game - the other media types open up as the game progresses, through research.
Expandability and Customization
How modable will this game be?
The game has been designed to be mod-able from the very start. Lionhead are thinking of releasing the actual tools they used to create scenes, shortly after the release of the game. They want people to be creating their own content and share it.
Will there be official downloads available for this game?
Oh yes, there will be official props available to download and install. In fact, many of these will be rewards to players that upload their movies and get votes on them. As this game will be modable, there will also be many unofficial downloads for the game!
What about sound in The Movies?
You will be able to add your own soundtrack to your final production, including both music and vocals.
Actors
As The Movies is set over a number of years, will the actors show differences between their original naive selves to when they are pushing beyond the end of their career?
Definitely. You will notice them age, and so will your audience. If you want to keep your ageing leading lady playing the young love interest, she better get a nip and tuck to keep convincing the punters. Or send your stars down the gym regularly and they will become fit and muscular, perfect for their new role in a romantic comedy! They can also change from the young, sweet actor they once were in more than physical ways too, developing drinking problems and have marriage crises over the years.
Do the actors demand anything in return for their flawless talents?
Indeed they do and keeping your actors happy is important for the success of the shoot and its budget. A catering service and good place for the stars to hang out are needed on the set and for those more pushy actors, it will need to be next to their 40-foot trailer and make-up area.
When they have been in a few successful movies, the actor's egos can become rather enlarged. They can develop drinking problems, requiring you to send them to rehab if they are to continue working, or they can put on huge amounts of weight, becoming too bloated for any successful roles. For this, you can either send him off down the gym, or get plastic surgery done for an expensive, but instant result.
Do we get the choice of who is hired from the crowds of talent out there?
If you want to hand pick who you star in future movies you can do that. Alternatively, you can leave it to your studio to do the hard work and let them surprise you. It is even possible for you to create your own actors and physically shape them to look like your favourite star.
Will actors who are working together form a relationship?
Some believe that actors are people too, and as such they are often known to have emotions. In The Movies, these are commonly directed to other actors you cast them with. You can observe them interacting with each other, doing such things as kissing and cuddling or throwing punches. If you keep two people together in a number of films, they can develop friendship, love or even hatred that will come across on screen, for better or for worse.
Do the actors specialize in certain genres of films?
Each of the actors has a rating for the different film genres, which will increase by working more on those types of films. Star the same actor in horror after horror film and they will become better at it and if you then go and put him in a comedy, he will give it a sinister edge that the critics will pick up on.
Will there be animals available in this game?
There are two types of animal in the game : horses and dogs. They both appear in movie scenes which require them, and they are both conveniently very well behaved!
Crew
Do I need a crew?
Yes you will need a crew, but you can leave the management up to the advisors (if you want to). This crew consists of many diverse types of employees; film crews, management, roadies, press etc... In fact, you can sit down and look at the world being alive, as there is so much going on!
Can I really choose how to treat my crew?
The debate rages. If you are a hugely successful movie mogul, do you rule your studio with a rod of iron, firing those who even pause before doing precisely what you tell them? Or do you indulge the whims of the so-called 'talent', giving them huge trailers, private jets and giant entourages of lackeys, lickspittles and hangers-on? The Movies is where you'll find out which approach works for you, so yes, you can really choose how to handle them - With kid gloves or a firm hand.
What different types of crew are there available?
On set there will be all the essential crew needed to make the shoot run smoothly, so camera men, a sound person, makeup people, grips, and a director and so on. Off set, there will be all the people needed to get the film into production such as scriptwriters and casting crew.
Can you hire and fire members of the studio's crew like you can actors?
As owner of the whole studio, your employees are yours to do with what you will. If you think you need to replace all your grips with new ones just because you can afford it, go ahead!
Money and budget
How is an income made?
Quite simply, money is generated from the movies that you make and release. The more successful a movie becomes the more return you get and the higher your budget for additional films.
How will you know how much money you are spending on each individual?
As people are paid, a small symbol will appear above them showing so. The more you are paying someone, the faster they will appear and the quicker your balance will drop.
Can you buy and sell actors?
A good way of making money is to sell actors that you no longer want or need, but look before you buy as you're getting their egos and bad habits too.
Sharing with peers
Can other people view the finished movies?
After you have finished filming, you can export your movies as an external movie file that is viewable on any PC. Alternatively it can be saved using an in-game format for people with the game, either on console or PC. The latter file size is much smaller, allowing movies to be easily saved onto memory cards.
Competition
Are there other film studios in competition with you?
There are other studios that are competing with your studios and although you can't see them, they can pinch your prized actors off you. Likewise, if they have an actor you like the look of, you can offer them more money and take them for yourselves. It pays to keep an eye on the competition in Hollywood
Can you win awards for your masterpieces?
There will be awards (see above) and if your films are top notch, you may be in with a chance to win. The extra publicity generated can only be good news for your bank balance and the stars' confidence.
Script and dialogue
How do you make a script for a new movie?
First of all you will need a scriptwriter and a place for him to work. Obviously if you only have the one writer typing away in a small hut, good scripts will take more time to surface. You will need to decide what genre of film you want and who stars in it; then you can commission your script. Once he starts writing, a star rating will appear. This star rating increases the longer the script is being written. So the longer the script is in production, the higher the quality, but the more you will pay the writers. Finding a balance is essential, as without a good script your movie will flop at the box office.
Can you write your own script for the films?
You can add any dialogue that you like into your movies afterwards, along with any captions. Being able to add your own sound to your movies also means that you can add your own soundtrack. You could use this to either enhance the intense atmosphere, or to make the slaughter of your main characters an unusually funny affair.
What happens after the script is completed?
After writing the script, the storywriter provides you with a storyboard where you can re-order scenes or add in new ones that weren't in the original script.
