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The Movies Help Thread
Last post 01-09-2006, 22:58 by markbond. 8 replies.
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01-09-2006, 22:54 |
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markbond
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Insane Senior Member
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The Movies Help Thread This is the official compendium help thread for all The Movies related information. If you feel you have something to add which could be beneficial to those reading it, then please, privately message me and I will happily update it as required. Contents: - The Movies Game Help
[list] - 1.1: Frequently Asked Questions
- 1.2: The Movies: Premiere Edition
- 1.3: Guide: Star Ratings
- 1.4: Guide: Studio Ratings
- 1.5: Modding
- 1.6: Basic Tips
- 1.7: Full Keyboard Controls
- The Movies Online Help
- 2.1: Frequently Asked Questions - Beginner Tips
- 2.2: Uploading Movies
- 2.3: Virtual Credits
- 2.4: Buying/ Downloading Props
- 2.5: Copyright
- 2.6: Hot Picks
- 2.7: The Charts
- Movie-Making Help
- 3.1: Real-Life Filmmaking
- 3.2: Backdrops
- 3.3: Titles
- 3.4: Music
- 3.5: Voice-overs
- The Movies Forum Help
- 4.1: The Different Boards
- 4.2: Posting Movies
- 4.3: Movie Promotion
- 4.4: Your Profile
- 4.5: Reputation
- 4.6: Inserting Items
- The Movies Fansites
- The Movies Glossary
- Forum Guidelines
- Acknowledgements
[/list] As this is a rather sizeable thread each sub-topic has been assigned a number. To find the topic you want instead of searching endlessly, simply press Ctrl+F on your keyboard and type the number assigned to your wanted topic in to search for it.
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01-09-2006, 22:54 |
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markbond
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Joined on 08-09-2005
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Insane Senior Member
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Re: The Movies Help Thread
The Movies Game Help
1.1: Frequently Asked Questions
1.2: The Movies: Premiere Edition
1.3: Guide: Star Ratings
1.4: Guide: Studio Ratings
1.5: Modding
1.6: Basic Tips
1.7: Full Keyboard Controls
Frequently Asked Questions
1.1
What is The Movies all about?
The game is beautifully simple to learn, yet hugely engrossing and entertaining to play. Based on an original idea from games designer Peter Molyneux, you'll find yourself in charge of running your very own Hollywood movie studio, making movies and (hopefully) leading it to greatness. The game plays through from the birth of cinema to the present day and features technological advancements, major historical events, movie-making fads, and a whole lot more.
The game starts in the early 1920s and will go on until 2005. But the game won't stop there, as you can keep playing for as long as you like with all of the game's technology unlocked and available to you to play around with.
For a more comprehensive overview of the game please click here.
How do I move and delete buildings?
Pick up a builder. Bring them to the building in question and hover them over the bomb to delete or the multi-arrow icon to move. After a second or two, the icon will turn green.
To move the building: Simply place it where you want.
To delete the building: Click and the building will be destroyed. You will get some money from this though.
After moving or deleting the building, there will be a lot of trash and absolutely no grass left where it stood. This will bring your studios attractiveness down, and perhaps your studio's overall rating, so I recommend having some janitors handy to clean up. Lay down some grass soon as well.
How do I move and delete ornaments?
Hover your cursor over the object in question, wait until it's highlighted,
then click and drag the object. You can move it, or right click and delete it.
How do you change a star’s salary?
You can hit F6, which will take you directly to the salaries screen. Be careful, you have to watch the other Stars' moods after raising a salary as they can get very jealous. Also, decreasing a salary will understandably anger your Star, so, I wouldn't do that unless it's necessary. If you don't like the F1-9 keys, there are three other ways.
1. Click and drag your star until they're in the Finance room in the Production Office.
2. Click on your available money on the top right of the screen, then press the '>' button to go to the Salaries screen.
3. Click and drag the information icon (the big i) to the finances room in the Production Office, this will bring up the same salary screen.
How do I watch my movie before casting it or adding text?
You can't. You must cast your movie before either viewing it in Post Production or the 'Movie-Player' option inside the Production Office. Post Production is a building that must be unlocked in Story Mode. You unlock it by fulfilling certain objectives set forward after the first award ceremony. Hover your cursor over the little Award icon on the timeline to see the objectives you have to fulfill (Post Production won't be available for unlocking right away, you have to unlock several other buildings first.)
How do I add subtitles to my movie?
In Post Production, for info on the production office look above. You must first shoot your movie. Place the shot movie in Post Production. After doing this maximize the bottom toolbar. Click on the section that has the "ABC" written to the left of it. Type what you want in the box that pops up and click the tick. Move the box to place it where you want, you can change the length of time in which it'll be displayed by moving the little bar on the right side of your subtitle.
Why aren’t there any more job applicants?
There are limits to how many people you can hire in each job. To get more unemployed workers you can fire or sell current stars or extras.
The Movies: Premiere Edition
1.2
If you're wondering what the difference between the standard edition and the premiere edition of The Movies is, then please read on. The following is content in the premiere edition only:
[list]
[*]A soundtrack containing music from the game. This is compatible with CD audio devices.
[*]Marketing videos
[*]Concept artwork
[*]Exclusive costumes. These will be unlocked through time as with other costumes and you should find them in the "Premium" section of the games wardrobe screens. You need to have The Movies installed to use these costumes.
[/list]
Guide: Star Ratings
1.3
Movie Success: This is the most important factor when rating a star. This rating is dependant on the star quality of the most recent film(s) the star has been involved in. There are a lot of factors involved in determining the star rating of movies but if you have a good scriptwriting office and your stars are somewhat experienced in the films genre it shouldn’t be too difficult to build this up. Obviously as the timeline progresses and better scriptwriting offices become available and more technologies there are the easier it becomes to build this rating up.
Salary: This is probably the most obvious one. Bigger stars need bigger payments so make sure you give it to them by adjusting there salaries (how to do this has already been covered in this thread). I think someone has said that this rating maxes out at $100,000 but big stars will probably demand more than this to keep them happy anyway.
Performances: This is how well the star has performed on their last film(s). This is dependant on their mood, genre experience and genre fit. Make sure to keep stars de-stressed during filming and put them in films they are experienced in to get this high. Genre fit is dependant mainly on their image and age (or at least how old they appear). Young and slim works best for most genres although old and fat is supposedly good for comedies.
Image: From what I can gather 3 factors affect image. The first is what they are wearing. Give them makeovers and put them in the clothes they rate highest to improve this. Update their clothes as you research each new decades costume packs to keep them in fashion. The next factor is their age. The younger the better but if you are trying to achieve a 5 star ranking it is going to take a while so a nip/tuck is definitely in order. The last factor is physique. Either get them to work out when they are free or send them in for liposuction when it becomes available to boost this.
Entourage: The more assistants a star has the happier they are. They need to be assigned from people waiting in line for employment (although wannabe stars don’t seem to be able to take this role). I found to get it to max for my star it needed 6 assistants.
Trailer: The bigger the trailer the happier the star. Make sure that trailers are placed a good distance away from each other to maximise the potential green box footprint when placing. Then fill the surrounding area with the most expensive objects and plants available. The most modern car is a good boost, as is a nice fountain and a pinball machine. Also make sure they are connected to paths, the area is covered in grass and it is in a good state of repair.
Press: The only worse than being talked about is not being talked about so make good use of the photographers at the gates or make your stars give the odd PR press conference to boost this. PR can also help improve the rating of the film they are in so this has multiple benefits.
Relationships: This is the area that I focused on the least for most of the time but it has to be done. Get your stars to talk to fellow stars as much as possible to boost this. Begin with talking in the streets, then move on to the bar, the VIP bar, the restaurant and then the VIP restaurant in that order to help the relationship grow. I also think that the maintenance value of the bar / restaurant helps it grow faster.
Awards: They will need to have achieve an award or two to reach 5 star status but if you have been putting them in your best films and they have been giving good performances in order to achieve high ratings in those categories they should have win awards quite frequently.
Guide: Studio Ratings
1.4
Capital: This is one of the most important factors and is quite simply dependant on the amount of money that you have in the bank. As long as you are making fairly high ranking movies you should find that you are making a profit off of them so it is only really a matter of time before this stat gets maximised. If you are able to get the award that halves the amount your stars are paid then so much the better.
Movies: This is the other most important factor and is determined by the quality of your most recent releases. If you have your scriptwriters working in the best facilities that you have available churning out 3 – 4 star scripts as long as your stars are somewhat experienced in that scripts genre it shouldn’t be too difficult to produce films above a 4 star quality. I generally have 2 sets of stars working on 2 movies at once. The first set is made up of a director and 3 actors all of whom are proficient in 2 genre types (I chose Action and Sci-Fi) and they were set to work on scripts from the top scriptwriting office I had available. The second set (again 1 director and 3 actors) all specialised in one genre (I chose Horror) and worked constantly on scripts produced in the second best facility available to me. I also ensured that each movie had the PR rating maxed out (by PR’ing their next script while they were shooting and PR’ing any free actors during shooting). This generally meant that I had two 4 – 5 star films released at all times and kept this rating high.
Stars: This is based on the number and quality of your stars. If you refer to the Star’s Star guide you will see how to get them to be a high rating which will them impact on your studios rating as a whole. You do not need to get stars to the 5 star level to get the studios rating up. I had around 8 stars all most of whom had 3 or 4 stars or possibly less when I got my studio to it’s 5 star rating.
Lot Prestige: This is itself dependant on many factors as evidenced in this screenshot.

This information can be found out by right-clicking on the “I” (I only just found that out by looking in the manual now and never actually made use of it).
Cleanliness and Maintenance are dependant mainly on how many people you have employed in those roles. The more the better but it could probably be helped by good lot planning. Deleting any unused buildings or sets will give your men less to maintain and placing them close together will mean it will take less time to move between them and give the janitors a smaller area to clean. I did neither of these things so this is probably why they are not as good as they could be.
Connectedness just means that you need to connect all your buildings to a path. It is the flashing path tiles that you need to connect.
Catering is, I assume, based on the quality of your eating / drinking facilities. Simply build the best and keep them maintained.
Sanitation is, again I assume, based on the number of toilets available. I only had one of the large facilities and 2 or 3 VIP restrooms dotted about.
Attractiveness and Ornament rating go hand in hand. Attractiveness is due to the number and placement of your ornaments and the other is based on the quality. Ornament quality will improve overtime as you research new ornament packs. Delete old ornaments and replace them with newer ones to keep this rating high. To get a high attractiveness rating I did the following things. First I covered the whole lot with grass and re-did the odd area as the grass seems to deteriorate in areas where a lot of people walk on it e.g. around sets. Next I lined my paths with the most expensive flower boxes available putting in as many as I possibly could. You should see that any areas where there are red dots (showing a low attractiveness area) along the path will disappear. Next I put in a hell of a lot of trees in every single piece of free land between buildings. I found that as I placed more and more the attractiveness boost for that type of tree dropped so I would suggest starting with the most expensive placing around 10 – 15 trees in an area then moving down to the next most expensive and repeating in another area until the lot is practically covered in green. It was this that pushed me over the edge and got me the 5 star studio ranking. Expensive objects like cars and pinball machines are also good but these I kept limited to around my stars trailers to boost there rating’s. A gym with expensive equipment will probably also help.
Awards: To boost this you need to be winning awards. If you have good stars in good movies that you will need to boost your capital and movies ranking then you should be able to win a few awards along the way. Each award has it’s own criteria to win so check what you need to do at the award ceremony and try to achieve it. With some highly trained stars and good scripts I found it quite easy to walk away with at least the highest ranking movie, star, best performance, best direction and highest rated studio each year.
Modding
1.5
There is often a few people who wonder if Lionhead supports modding. The answer is yes, as is explained below:
[list]
[*]StarMaker is a modding tool that allows you to create your own character.
[*]The game was made in such a way that modders can easily create their own content like custom backdrops and costumes.
[*]The fact that a note is included in the readme and the terms of use about modding clearly prooves the point that Lionhead supports modding.
[*]Lionhead continues to take a pro-active interest in the modding community to see how they can support them and work with them.
[*]The movie making tool in The Movies is arguably one of the biggest modding tools in itself: Machinima for even the novice gameplay. Everyone can now make their own unique movies instead of it being limited to only a small section of gamers.
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As long as modding falls within, the rules Lionhead supports it. However, Lionhead prefers discussions about modding to be kept to the fansites. For more information on the fansites refer to the fansite section. For more information on Lionhead's policies regarding modding read the Modding FAQ.
There is also much debate on whether or not "naked" or "nude" modding is allowed. The answer is no. "Naked" or "nude" modding does not fall within the rules and is therefore not supported. While this rule is debatable it will nonetheless not be changed. So:
[list]
[*]Do not upload movies with "naked" or "nude" modding.
[*]Do not post links to "naked" or "nude" mods.
[*]Do not post pictures of "naked" or "nude" mods.
[/list]
The Movies is rated "T" for Teen - that means no nudity. As the rules also say, you must make sure all posted movies "[do] not contain content which is racist, pornographic, defamatory or otherwise objectionable."
For details or questions on modding, please read the Modding FAQ or take your discussion to the fansites
Basic Tips
1.6
Relationships
Don't underestimate the usefulness of friendships, especially between your Stars. The better they get along, the better your movies will be. Keep that in mind when you're casting a movie. It's not only great for Romance movies, it's useful in all genres.
Star Maker
I have yet to take a Star that's been produced in game. This way, you can tweak it so you have the best Stars. Also, it's important to make it so they can handle Stress, and just have an overall pleasant demeanor. Remember, you can always have them practice the Genres, but you can't send them to a therapist to get rid of their “stress pot” title. Always think about the older years for your current Stars. Plan for them. Despite calling it the "Silver Screen", audiences seem to rarely like silver hair on it.
Lot Layout
Be careful when laying down your sets. It's a good idea to plot out the layout for related sets so your Stars don't have to run across the entire length of your Lot to get to their next scene. Also, I find it useful to have the Casting Office among or near the sets, since as soon as they're done rehearsing they will run out of the Casting Office and off to the various sets at their disposal. Here are two examples of lots made for different purposes; one for practicality and one for aesthetics:
Aesthetically Designed

Practically Designed
Timeline
The timeline can be found on the top of the screen. Above all else, I’d suggest you plan for the Award Ceremonies, keep in mind what it takes to grab the most Awards. The real world events will also have big effects on the popular genres, so if you want to make a profit watch for those small globe icons. To see how the real-world event effects the Genres, hover your cursor over the Globe to see what's what. You can also right click on your Scriptwriting Office to find out what's the most popular genre at the moment.
Publicity, Public Relations and Photographers
This is generally extremely useful. The PR Building will not be unlocked until later in the game so make use of those Photographers that hang out at your studio gate. Be careful what you let them photograph, as it can have either good or bad effects on your Star's mood. ![Good [Good]](/Emoticons/good.gif) publicity has an almost immediate positive impact on the chart rating of your Star.
Reviews Room
Drop a finished film into the Movie Player Room of the Production Office to get a sneak peek at your new film. Depending on how it is, you can adjust the marketing budget for your movie. If it sucks, no real reason to spend a fortune on marketing. If it's good, all the more reason to release it with a big bang, and a big budget.
The Shift Key
By holding the Shift key while moving across your lot, or any movement around your lot, it will greatly speed up the process and allow you to get that Photographer to those two conversing Stars, or that Stress Pot Director to the bar all the faster. Also, holding it down while placing Ornaments, it allows you to spin it completely around and go outside the little boxes it's confined to normally.
Full Keyboard Controls
1.7
Basic Movement
Up Arrow or W = Scroll Camera Forward
Down Arrow or S = Scroll Camera Back
Left Arrow or A = Scroll Camera Left
Right Arrow or D = Scroll Camera Right
Shift + Camera Movement = Speed Up Camera Movement
Shortcut Keys
1 = Go to Script Writing Office/Next Script Writing Office (cycle through all these)
2 = Go to Casting Office
3 = Go to Active Set (set with a shoot taking place)/Next Active Set (cycle through all these)
4 = Go to Production Office
5 = Go to Post Production (if built)
6 = Go to Advanced Movie Maker (if built)
7 = Go to Staff Office/Stage School/Crew Office
8 = Go to Set (active & inactive sets)/Next Set
9 = Go to Trailer/Next Trailer (cycle through all trailers)
0 = Go to Research/Post Production/Advanced Movie Maker
TAB = Go to End of Highest Priority Sparkling Stream
F1 = Open Facilities Menu
F2 = Open Sets Menu
F3 = Open Landscaping (paths as default)
F5 = Open Finance Screen (graphs)
F6 = Open Finance Screen (salaries)
F7 = Open Charts
F9 = Quick Save
F10 = Load
E = Staff Finder Menu - Scroll Right
Q = Staff Finder Menu - Scroll Left
Spacebar = Center Camera on the Studio Gates
L = View Studio Attractiveness
M = Toggle Overhead Camera On/Off
P = Pause/Unpause
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01-09-2006, 22:55 |
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markbond
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Joined on 08-09-2005
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Left on... NEVER!
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Insane Senior Member
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Re: The Movies Help Thread
The Movies Online Help
2.1: Frequently Asked Questions
- Beginner Tips
2.2: Uploading Movies
2.3: Virtual Credits
2.4: Buying/Downloading Props
2.5: Copyright
2.6: Hot Picks
2.7: The Charts
Frequently Asked Questions
2.1
What is The Movies Online?
The Movies Online is the Community Website of The Movies Game where people can upload their own movies, watch and vote for movies from other players, download extra content from the Prop Shop, etc. The Movies Online is the place to be when you want to learn more from your fellow movie makers or if you want to show your master pieces to the world!
Can everyone join The Movies Online?
The Movies Online is the Community Website of The Movies Game where people can upload their own movies, watch and vote for movies from other players, download extra content from the Prop Shop, etc. The Movies Online is the place to be when you want to learn more from your fellow movie makers or if you want to show your masterpieces to the world
Do I have to pay extra to use The Movies Online?
No. The online element of The Movies is free. For watching movies and giving them a rating and a comment you'll only need to register at Lionhead Studios - http://register.lionhead.com . If you want to upload movies and participate in the Charts to win Online Money; you'll need a copy of The Movies Game and register in order to do so.
Can I download movies from the website to my computer?
Yes, on every movie page there's button to download the movie to your hard-disk. You can watch them first through streaming and then download it to watch them over and over again.
What are the different titles a Studio can get?
Every Studio gets a title according to their quality and experience. The different titles are; (starts with) Greenhorn, Wannabe Big Cheese, Junior Studio Manager, Promising Studio Manager, Respected Studio Head, Celebrated Studio Head, Highflying Moviemaker, Big Fish, Movie Mogul, Movie-making Legend
For more detail about the Terms of Use of the website, please visit this page.
Why is my movie no longer being displayed on the website?
Your movie may have been ‘removed’ from the website, in which case it is probably because it contained prohibited content and was deemed inappropriate for display on the website by our monitors. Anyone who has had a movie removed should have been notified by email and should have been directed to the section(s) of the TOUs that has been violated.
Getting Started
Now that we've got the boring technicalities out of the way, it's finally time to get started. First and foremost, you will need to register. To do this, visit here. Once you've registered and obtained a Lionhead Community username and password, you can activate your copy from within the game for online use. To do this select "Online" from the game menu. It will then prompt you to log in. Linking only has to be done once. Please keep in mind you can only link the game using one username and password, so choose wisely. After logging in within the game, you should then arrive at the online menu.
The Online Menu
To access the The Movies Online, select "Online" from The Movies main menu. Once logged in, you'll arrive at the online menu for your studio. This menu has the following elements:
[list]
[*]Online Balance: This tells you how many virtual credits your currently have.
[*]News Ticker: Important news items with events or information scrolls here.
[*]Charts: The Online Charts button will show the rankings for movies, studios and stars on The Movies Online.
[*]Your Movies: This lists movies that you can upload. Each movie in this list also displays its file size. There is also a trash button to delete the films from your hard drive. To upload movies, you have to export the film in Online format in the Post Production facility. Only movies made and edited exclusively in The Movies will be uploadable. Use of any external editor will make a movie ineligible. This is required to provide a level playing field for all members.
[*]Your Online Movies: This shows every movie you have uploaded to your online studio and also shows how much of your file space allotment (25mb) you have remaining. The Trash button is also there which lets you delete a movie from your online studio. Keep in mind that deleting a movie from The Movies Online removes only the movie itself. However, the movie page and any comments made about the movie remain. Also, another key reminder: If you delete a movie shortly after uploading, you'll accrue a penalty charge. Your credits will be decreased by the amount the film was credited in the first place. As of 12-11-05, the window for this penalty is seven days after you upload the film. This is subject to change. Be sure to check the community site regularly for updates on this time frame.
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The Studio
Once you've registered and released your first movie, you will be represented online by your studio. The personal studio page is where your studio will be seen by all and also where your movies and stars will be featured. The studio page shows your studios name and your current reputation moniker. Depending on not only the number of films you've uploaded, but also the quality of these films, you'll be awarded one of the following titles:
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[*]Greenhorn
[*]Wannabe Big Cheese
[*]Junior Studio Manager
[*]Promising Studio Manager
[*]Respected Studio Head
[*]Celebrated Studio Head
[*]Highflying Moviemaker
[*]Big Fish
[*]Movie Mogul
[*]Movie-Making Legend
[/list]
The studio page is also where viewers can stream or download all your current or archived releases, see listings for your past films, see all online awards and in-game Achievement Awards you've won, learn your studio release history, and read any studio description that you've made. This description can include anything you want your viewers to read, including the studio's goals, ideas or it can even preview upcoming releases.
Your studio page also helps you manage released movies, checking how much file space you have left, and deleting films. If you're a prolific director and make movies at an alarming rate you will likely get to a point where you will need to remove one film to make way for another. To remove a movie using the studio page, click on the "Remove This Movie" link. Your studio page will also let you enter in current competitions.
Movie Pages
Each movie you make has its own page featuring a thumbnail image from the film. To choose the frame you want to use as the movie's online thumbnail, use the "Online Thumbnail" button in the Post Production facility tools. Your movies page is also where viewers can watch, download, or e-mail films. Visitors will see the film's current star rating, the stars and extras featured in your movie, the technology employed, running time, and any description you want to add.
A movie's page also features all ratings and comments given by viewers. These ratings ultimately determine the movie’s position in the charts and how well it will do in award ceremonies. Remember that a movie's page will remain even after the movie itself has been deleted.
Uploading Movies
2.2
Can I upload every movie I make with The Movies game?
Yes; you can upload every single movie made with the game to The Movies Online. You'll have to stay within the limits of your personal web-space though; but deleting older movies to upload new ones in not a problem.
What happens to my movie once it's uploaded?
Your movies will be entered – automatically – in the different Charts. There will be other competition on the website where you have to subscribe to participate.
Can I use everything in my movies and upload them?
If we're talking about game content – sound effects, props, costumes, sets and scenes – then yes, you can use everything. However, we have to point you to our Terms of Use for more detailed regulation about The Movies Online, the use of subtitles, custom sound effect and copyrights...
Do you own my movie when I upload it to your website?
No. You have created your movie by combining the various assets/content supplied with the game (and perhaps adding your own content) and as such you are the ‘author’ of your movie and own it as a ‘work’. However, you do not own the assets/content supplied with the game, which belong to Lionhead.
Can I add any music I want to the movies I want to upload to the website?
No. Apart from the music tracks that are provided with the game, you may only add music which either you have created yourself (and which is therefore original to you) or which you have specific permission to use.
Are the uploaded movies monitored?
Yes. We randomly review movies that have been uploaded. We need to monitor them to ensure that they adhere to the upload rules and guidelines – see the TOUs (using the link at the bottom of each web page).
Why have I been banned from uploading my movies to the website?
You will have been banned because you violated the terms of use on several occasion and to a significant extent. You will have received a warning. We want this website to be an enjoyable experience for all those looking at the movies. Your continued violation of the terms of use will have given us no alternative but to ban you.
Can I sell my movies either on eBay or anywhere else?
No. The assets/content supplied with the game and which are used in each movie created using the game belong to Lionhead and commercial use of these assets/content or use for any form of financial gain is strictly prohibited. Lionhead does not permit use of the game, and any assets / content supplied with it, other than in accordance with (i) the End User Licence Agreement which you agreed to when installing the game and (ii) the TOUs.
How can Lionhead use my movie when I upload it to the website? Am I entitled to a fee or royalty if Lionhead uses my movie?
No. By uploading a movie to the website you grant Lionhead a non-exclusive licence to use your movie without charge or payment. Lionhead will generally only use your movie for promotional and marketing activities connected with the website, the game and possibly other products developed by Lionhead / Activision; for advertising purposes; for competitions; etc.
Virtual Credits
2.3
A user receives virtual credits when he or she does one or more of the following:
[list]
[*] Movie Views - Every time a registered and logged-in community member views your movie (once per member), you're awarded with a small amount of credits. (200 VCs a view)
[*] Winning Awards and Competitions - Monthly and special competitions will certainly assist in your state of financial affairs if you've got the talent.
[*] A High Charting Movie - Every month, an award ceremony takes place wherein a snapshot of all the online charts is stored for posterity. The top 25 movies overall, and in each genre, the top 25 studios, and the top 25 stars all receive significant credit bonuses.
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Buying/Downloading Props
2.4
Once you have uploaded at least one movie, you are able to buy and download extra content for your game installation. You will see the amount of virtual credit you have in your account at the top of the screen. Visit the PropShop and browse the content available. When you have selected your items, click the checkout link to preview and check your purchase, then click the purchase link.
Once you have purchased your items, start the game and go to the online screen from where your downloads will be detected and installed. You must restart the game after the downloads have been completed for the content to be available.
Note:[ The Download progress meter seen on the online screen tracks the file transfer process only. After transfer the files are installed locally by the game, during which time the progress meter may stay at 99% and the game window may be unresponsive for a short while, before informing you of completion.
Also note: For Windows XP and Windows 2000 users, you must be logged onto your system as an Administrator with full administrator access and privileges for the items from the Propshop to install correctly.
Copyright
2.5
It's sometimes difficult to know what to do when it comes to copyrights. Often times it is hard to decided whether or not something has been given a copyright to begin with. In general, the best slogan to subscribe to for this is: When in doubt, don't! However, for clarification, please read the following terms when dealing with issues of copyright:
[list]
[*]Copyright is legal protection provided by the laws of the United States, and enforced by the United States and most other countries (some countries do not apply) that gives the authors of original works exclusive right to publish or reproduce those works; and to seek compensation from those who make unauthorized copies or reproductions of those works. Chances are, if you are reading this guide, your country supports and practices the USA’s copyright laws.
[*]If you did not make or create it and you use material from novels, videos, plays, poetry, movies, CD-ROMs, video games, paintings, sheet music, recorded music performances, software code, sculptures, photographs, choreography, architectural designs, scripts and graphics, you probably are committing copyright infringement.
[*]Phrases, facts, select fairy tales, deities, etc. cannot be copyrighted.
[*]Anything published on the Internet is not public domain. Anybody tells you differently, they are simply wrong. There is only one exception to this rule and that is if the author died over fifty years ago, and/or specifically placed the work in the public domain by stating, “this work is dedicated to the public domain.” If this is not the case, the material is not within the public domain. No matter how much you want it to be. In short, if you didn’t make it you should not use it.
[/list]
The following applies to those interested in uploading music using eJay. Ejay states that:
[list]
[*]The samples that are contained within the software are royalty free and are completely free of rights.
[*]The samples can be used in the creation of any type of Audio Tracks.
[*]Audio tracks that you create including the samples provided can be sold without any authorisation from eJay or Empire Interactive Europe Limited.
[*]You can use your audio tracks for promotional use or for inclusion in audio / video presentations without obtaining authorisation from eJay or Empire Interactive Europe Limited.
[*]You are not allowed to sell eJay demo tracks in their original form as supplied with the eJay software, but you can remix the demo tracks as long as you inform us first before selling any remixed eJay demo tracks that you create.
[*]It is not compulsory to credit eJay or add the eJay logo to any packaging that you create regarding your audio tracks, but if you would like to include the logo we can provide the file you require on request.
[/list]
So if you are concerned as to whether or not you can use eJay music in your films, the answer is yes.
If you believe that any Material or Content appearing on any Lionhead Web Site has been copied in a way that constitutes copyright infringement, please forward the following information to Lionhead Studios Limited, 2 nd Floor, One Occam Court, Surrey Research Park, Guildford, Surrey GU2 7YQ, UK ( Fax: (+44) (0) 1483 401101) marked Attn: Legal Department :
[list]
[*]Your name, address, telephone number, and email address;
[*]A description of the copyrighted work that you claim has been infringed;
[*]The exact URL or a description of where the alleged infringing material is located;
[*]A statement by you that you have a good faith belief that the disputed use is not authorized by the copyright owner, its agent, or the law;
[*]An electronic or physical signature of the person authorized to act on behalf of the owner of the copyright interest; and
[*]A statement by you, under penalty of perjury, that the above information in your notice is accurate and that you are the copyright owner or authorized to act on the copyright owner's behalf.
[/list]
The details of coypright infringement continue on, however for the sake of time and space this is the extent of description that I'll be giving on this. Use common sense and when in doubt, don't!
Hot Picks
2.6
Hot Picks are films selected by Lionhead that demonstrates new and innovative ways to use The Movies or is an overall well-done film. Hot Picks are generally selected weekly and are posted in the Online Community forums. To keep an eye on the Hot Picks for the week, refer to the following:
[list]
[*] Hot Picks
[/list]
The Charts
2.7
The charts is the centre for the ranking of movies. Ranking helps determines a movies overall success and how many virtual credits it receives. For more information on virtual credits refer to Section 3.4. The Box Office Factor is calculated for every movie on the site using the three following numbers:
[list]
[*]Average Community Rating
[*]Number of Community Views
[*]Number of Days Since Release
[/list]
The higher your movie's average rating is, and the more registered users who have seen it, the greater your box office factor will be. However the longer your movie has been released for, the harder it is to achieve high box office factors.
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01-09-2006, 22:56 |
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markbond
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Insane Senior Member
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Re: The Movies Help Thread
Movie-Making Help
3.1: Real-Life Filmmaking
3.2: Backdrops
3.3: Titles
3.4: Music
3.5: Voice-overs
Real-Life Filmmaking
3.1
Tips and tricks for good filmmaking.
Continuity: always try to keep a sequence free from continuity errors such as characters appearing and disappearing as if by magic, instantaneous clothing changes, etc. Such errors can ruin the audience's willingness to suspend disbelief.
Rhythm: if a rhythm exists in one scene, the next should match it if possible. For example, if someone is walking, try to make sure that the cadence is preserved from one scene to the next. However, see Edward Dmytryk's rules (below) for an important exception.
The 180 Rule: if two actors are interacting, they must occupy the same parts of the screen throughout their interaction. Always try to keep the camera on one side of the characters.
Show, don't tell: the best way to tell a story on film is by showing it. When characters tell the story it is less powerful than if the movie shows it. Unless you are trying to hide facts from the viewer, always show, don't tell.
Edward Dmytryk's rules of film editing:
Never make a cut without a positive reason. A cut should never be made merely because the editor feels the cut is too long. Sometimes a long scene can be best.
When undecided about the exact frame to cut on, cut long rather than short. This rule applies in The Movies, just as in real film editing. It's better to remove excess frames than it is to replace them, as frames added back on can appear to jump.
Whenever possible, cut 'in movement'. When a movement occurs on screen, the viewer's eye is distracted for a split second. The editor can use this to hide a cut. A small movement in one scene can be used to suggest the motion in the upcoming scene. When spliced together, the two scenes will appear to flow, and the cut will be unnoticed by the viewer.
Whenever possible, the viewer will tend to follow a character's eyes. Make cuts with this in mind. When the character's eyes exit the screen, that is the best time to make a cut, as the viewer will likely blink or start to search for a new focal point. If the cut is made at this point, the viewer will not notice it, since the eye cannot fully focus while moving.
The fresh is preferable to the stale. It's better to add extra footage onto the beginning of a new scene where the action is yet to commence than it is to leave excess footage on the end of the older scene once the action in that scene is over. In the latter case, the scene will change with the viewer unfulfilled in his search for action, whereas the former will reward the viewer upon the commencement of the action in the scene.
All scenes should begin and end with continuing action. If a scene shows an actor waiting or preparing to act, the scene is dead at that point. Similarly, if a scene ends with a pause, the scene becomes dead. These flaws will cause the audience to lose whatever momentum the sequence has built up. The answer to both of these problems is to cut in and out while some action is taking place - while the scene is alive.
Cut for proper values rather than for proper matches. A cut with a mismatched arm position or incorrect walking cadence will not be noticed by a viewer who is concentrating on the character's eyes or mouth. It is more important to make the scene work for the drama rather than for a perfect match of movement or position.
The Reaction is what really counts. In dialogue, a character may not be finished speaking when the person he is speaking to reacts. It is more important to show the reaction than it is to stay with the speaker until he has finished speaking. Always cut to a reaction shot when it is required. The reaction need not be emotional, but at the point when something of import has been said, the audience will be expecting to see the listener's reaction. That is the point to make the cutaway to the reaction shot.
Filmmaking terminology.
Jump Cut: a cut that is immediately noticeable to the viewer; a cut that looks wrong. Such a cut can be avoided by use of a cutaway, a close cut or a fade. Use of one of these techniques can hide a multitude of errors. If a scene was accidentally not filmed, if the required scene doesn't exist, or if it was accidentally deleted, often a cutaway or other technique can hide the error so that the audience doesn't notice anything amiss.
Cutaway: a cut to a new scene used to cover a jump cut. This can be any scene showing some element of the environment around the characters.
Close cut: a cut to show a character's expression. Usually used as a reaction shot.
Fade: this is used to separate sections of the film and to give the audience a sense of time passing or to allow the audience to catch its breath.
Look off: a cut to show what the character or characters are looking at. The cut to the object should occur at the time the actor (that the audience is focusing on) focuses on the object. After the actor (and the viewer) has taken in the object, the next cut will usually show a reaction shot.
Required Reading: Books on Film Editing and Moviemaking
1. Grammar of the Edit by Roy Thompson.
Probably the best book on editing I have read. This book expands on the core principles of film editing, giving a step-by-step guide to the process.
2. On Film Editing by Edward Dmytryk.
An excellent overview of the editing process. On Film Editing explains, in simple terms, the principles of film editing, using examples and anecdotes
3. The Five 'C's of Cinematography by Joseph Mascelli.
Gives a good introduction to the aspects of filmmaking that are of value to us as The Movies filmmakers.
Backdrop Creation
3.2
Making the Correct Folders
Making the correct folders is a very easy thing to do. This I would do first, to save time in the end. The folders must be created so you can save your work in there. Just follow these simple steps and you’ll be on your way to having your own backdrops!
First, go to your main directory that you installed The Movies game, then click on the Data folder, located in:
C:\Program Files\Lionhead Studios Ltd\The Movies\Data
When you are at the Data folder, follow these easy steps for the right folders:
1. Create a folder called Textures
2. Go into Textures and create a folder called Backdrops
The folder Backdrops is where you will save your creations to.

Kudos to you, now the folders are created!
Making and Saving the Backdrop
If you have the picture or backdrop already, and it is 1024 x 256 (size in pixels), you can skip this step and just convert it to a DDS, make sure that the file has a name such as:
bd_villian.dds - Right
villian.dds - Wrong
If you are creating a backdrop, or shrinking a picture or something, first you'll need to do is to change the size of the image to 1024 x 256 if you are creating your own image. To change the attributes in MS Paint, go to Image>Attributes, or just press Ctrl+E. After creating your backdrop, you need to save it as a bitmap or whatever, and then convert it to DDS as explained below. Make sure you save the file with bd_ at the beginning.
Converting and Applying the Backdrop
Next, you will need to download a DDS converter. This DDS converter is for such things as creating title screens also. The files in The Movies are DDS files. You will need to convert them from whatever you use, MS Paint, Photoshop, etc. Download a DDS converter here:
http://files.filefront.com/dds+converter+v21/;3829638;;/fileinfo.html
Install your DDS converter and after it is all done, start it up and click on options to configure the DDS converter. Then click on DXT1c. This will be the correct setting, after your done, click OK. Now your DDS converter is all set to convert.

Now to convert the file you have made, first click on the Output Folder. The file path you need to put it in is:
C:\Program Files\Lionhead Studios Ltd\The Movies\Data\Textures\Backdrops
Have your backdrop file, such as my bd_villian, and press convert. Follow the steps in this picture:
1. Select your file
2. Make sure the output is .DDS
3. Click on output
4. Find your Backdrops folder in your Movies folder
5. After finding that, press OK
6. Click Convert
Your .dds backdrops will be located in the folder that you put “output” to. You can delete your original if you want, I usually keep mine.

And your done! In your game if done correctly, scroll down the backdrop list in game and you will see your backdrop in all caps.
Title Creation
3.3
Making the Correct Folders
Making the correct folders is a very easy thing to do. This I would do first, to save time in the end. The folders must be created so you can save your work in there. Just follow these simple steps and you’ll be on your way to having your own backdrops!
First, go to your main directory that you installed The Movies game, then click on the Data folder, located in:
C:\Program Files\Lionhead Studios Ltd\The Movies\Data
When you are at the Data folder, follow these easy steps for the right folders:
1. Create a folder called Textures
2. Go into Textures and create a folder called ui
3. Go into ui and create a folder called postproc
4. Go into postproc and create a folder called backdrops
The folder backdrops is where you will save your creations to.

Kudos to you, now the folders are created!
Making and Saving the Titles
When you make titles, there are a number of steps involved that are different from those of making backdrops. The files need to be 512 x 512 (size in pixels). To change the attributes in MS Paint, go to Image>Attributes, or just press Ctrl+E. After creating your backdrop, you need to save it as a bitmap or whatever, and then convert it to DDS as explained below. The file names are a bit different than those of backdrops. You need five title screens (five pictures) to make a set of title cards. They should be named as the ones look below (also in the picture from above):
1. YourTitle.dss: The Ending Credits
2. YourTitle_1.dds: Lionhead Studios Present
3. YourTitle_2.dds: A ________ Production
4. YourTitle_3.dds: Your Movie Title
5. YourTitle_4.dds: Lead Actors
Next, all you need to do is convert them to DDS files! Then you will be almost done!
Converting and Applying the Titles
Next, you will need to download a DDS converter. This DDS converter is for such things as creating title screens also. The files in The Movies are DDS files. You will need to convert them from whatever you use, MS Paint, Photoshop, etc. Download a DDS converter here:
http://files.filefront.com/dds+converter+v21/;3829638;;/fileinfo.html
Install your DDS converter and after it is all done, start it up and click on options to configure the DDS converter. Then click on DXT1c. This will be the correct setting, after your done, click OK. Now your DDS converter is all set to convert.

Now to convert the files you have made, first click on the Output Folder. The file path you need to put it in is:
C:\Program Files\Lionhead Studios Ltd\The Movies\Data\Textures\ui\postproc\backdrops
Have your title files selected by dragging and selecting, and press convert. Follow the steps in this picture:
1. Select the files by dragging and selecting
2. Make sure the output is .DDS
3. Click on output
4. Find your backdrops folder in your Movies folder
5. After finding that, press OK
6. Click Convert
Your .dds titles will be located in the folder that you put “output” to. You can delete your original if you want.
And you’re done! To use them in game, simply go to the post production center when editing a film, and scroll through the titles to find it.
Music
3.4
Music Recording
Recording your sounds in-game is definitely the easiest way to go, but you shouldn't do it for three reasons. The first, which is only a mild annoyance, is that you can't trim the silence off the ends of the sound. This will be a pain in the butt as you try and sync up where your dialogue actually begins somewhere in the middle of the file with your actors on-screen. If you're working off of a printed script, you will definitely have pauses as your eyes jump from the recording button to your script and back.
The second problem with recording in-game is a biggie - the game records dialogue at a very[ high quality - I'd guess somewhere around 44000 kHz. This is really bad - a ten to twenty second clip of recorded sound at that rate will eat up around 1,500 kb of disk space! That's insane, given the amount of dialogue a given film will have. The game manual says you can "even go as low as 16000 kHz". That's still too high. GoldWave (an audio editor) quick settings for voice recordings are 11025 kHz. The Movies can still import a file recorded at that rate, you won't be able to tell the difference in sound quality, and most importantly, the files will be a few kb, tops.
The third reason, while minor, is that the game names the files it records with the helpful naming convention of "dialogue(somenumber).wav" - which is okay if you're voicing The Baggage Boy, but not so okay when you're editing something insanely long and can't remember if that important speech was number 14 or number 82. If you record outside the game you can use your own naming conventions. When your Sounds folder is full of dialogue from old films and you can't find the stuff you just recorded, being able to separate them by movie title in the filename'll be a Godsend.
Music Conversion
Music conversion is a very simple thing to do. Just remember, you CANNOT put music that is copyrighted into a movie online. You must gain permission from the website/artist/producer. I’ve gained permission many times from many artists. By reading the rest of the music tutorial, you agree to NOT put copyrighted material in the movies.
I use the program Switch to convert to ogg file format, it is located at:
http://nch.com.au/switch/index.html
Music Implementation
1. Add the music file
2. Make sure the format conversion is .ogg or .wav or .wma
3. Convert the file to what you have the output at
The output should be:
C:\Program Files\Lionhead Studios Ltd\The Movies\Data\Audio\music
Voice-overs
3.5
Use Audacity
Audacity is an open-source sound editor that's easy to use, powerful, and flexible. And most important, it's completely, utterly, and totally free. It supports both .wav and .ogg files, so you can record dialogue and/or mix/remix the music tracks from the game itself.
Changing Pitch
Audacity has a "Change Pitch" effect (located on the Effects menu) and it is quickly going to become your best friend. Why? Because even a slight change in pitch is enough to make you sound like someone else. By subtly shifting the pitch of your voice via the software, you can make it sound like you have an entire cast of characters.
Effects
Voiceovers aren't the only thing external recording is good for. With a little creativity, you can use Audacity's various effects and filters to generate sound effects. Think the laser rifle in-game sounds a little limp? Record your own blaster sound effects and replace them.
Extra Goodies
Audacity has a lot of plugins. A good place to start is the "Plugins" page on the Audacity website. Start with the Nyquist filters - they're the easiest to install and some are pretty darn handy. Plus, to save yourself some hassle ('cause it was a bitch to find, for me!) here is an excellent vocoder - which is essential for doing robotic-style vocals and other, similar effects.
The vocoder works by overlaying a "Carrier" sound over a "modulator" sound. The modulator is your recorded speech, and the carrier is a music or sound sample.
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01-09-2006, 22:56 |
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markbond
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Joined on 08-09-2005
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Left on... NEVER!
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Insane Senior Member
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old karma : 794
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Re: The Movies Help Thread
The Movies Forum Help
4.1: The Different Boards
4.2: Posting Movies
4.3: Movie Promotion
4.4: Your Profile
4.5: Reputation
4.6: Inserting Items
The Different Boards
4.1
There are a few different forums you can post in. Click on the forum titles to pay a visit to that particular forum.
The Movies
Hello all film fans and fanettes... This is all about The Movies Game related topics.
Your Movies
Promote your Movies here or share ideas for movies that you want to create with the community. This is not an off-topic board!
Mod Showcase
If you have a mod to show off to the community then this is the place to do it. Post the pics of your wonderful creations for the world to admire!
Online Community
The Movies Community Website - A Game In Its Own Right!
Off-Topic
Chat amongst yourselves.
Posting Movies
4.2
You should only post links to your movies in the “Your Movies” board. The "Your Movies" board is a place to advertise your movies and anything to do with your movies. For posting trailers and concept art or posters and previews etc. It's a great way to get your movie seen and reviewed. Because there are so many people wanting to get their movie seen there are some rules for posting. All of the normal forum rules apply to this board. There are however some additional rules which apply to this specific board which should be followed when posting a new thread.
Rules
These are things that you must not do. Doing any of these may result in your thread being locked, deleted, negative reputation being given or a combination of these.
[list][*] Do not just post links in your thread - This forum is not a place to "spam" links to your movies. You should at least post a description of your film. Perhaps some posters or concept art and other publicity material. Perhaps even give us some extra information about the characters in the movie or plans for sequels/prequels etc.
[*] Do not post threads offering to exchange reviews - When posting your movie you should not offer to review other members movies in exchange for them reviewing yours. If you choose to review a movie from a member who has reviewed your own that is fine but please do not say you will do this in your posts.
[*] Do not post your movie link in threads created to promote other movies - If you want to promote your movies in various thread use a link to your movie in your signature. Posting a link to your own movie in a thread made to publicise a different movie is not allowed.
[*] Do not bump your thread to the top without reason - Everybody wants to get their thread (and movie) seen and the forums do move quickly but please don't bump your thread to the top of the forum for no reason as it pushes other peoples threads off the board unfairly. You can bump your thread if you are adding new information (more than a single line) or if you are adding new posters or art etc. Bumps solely for the purpose of moving the thread to the top of the page are not allowed. Note: some members have been bumping threads and deleting their previous bumps to cover this fact up and keep the thread at the top of the board - moderators can see deleted posts and will close/delete threads using this method.
[/list]
Guidelines
These are not cast iron rules and can be "bent" or "broken" if appropriate. These things are more social guidelines than anything else.
[list][*]If you have recieved bad reviews from a user unfairly, for example 1 star with no comment you should contact complaints@themoviesgame.com giving appropriate URLs and usernames. Try to give a detailed explanation. Please try not to post complaints in the thread relating to the movie as this generally results in the thread going off-topic.
[*]If someone breaks the rules or tries to de-rail your thread use the "report" button on the left side of each post to report the post to a moderator to be dealt with.
[*]Try not to post duplicate threads. It's ok to post a thread advertising a new trailer for your upcoming film and giving some plot details etc. in that thread and to then post another thread on the same movie at release. But try not to post a thread about a release one day and post a similar thread the next just to get more exposure.
[*]Edit your posts where possible. Everyone wants to get their movies seen so bumping threads up the boards can be unfair. You can edit your posts for up to an hour after making them. Please try to edit rather than bump where it makes sense and is possible.
[/list]
Movie Promotion
4.3
Movie Title
People will be more motivated to watch your movie if it has an interesting sounding
title. While "Kung-Fu Ninja" might sound cool to you, rest assured that movies with
similar titles have been released in the hundreds. The title does not necessarily have
to do with the content of your movie, it's only task is to point to to the general
direction your movie is going - and to catch attention. Look at one of the top movies
for example, "Carpe Diem". A simple title. It could mean almost anything. But it sparks
the potential reviewers attention. Another good example would be "Man walks into
the bar".
Okay then, you have finished shooting your movie. Don't immediately upload it. Take your time and prepare some things, in order to rack in your first reviews and get that reputation of yours up.
Movie Poster
Do it with Photoshop. Or Paint. Or Paint Shop Pro. But do it. Create a poster. No matter
how professional it will look - it will help to distinguish your movie from the masses,
make people remember you and if all goes well, the poster alone will get you a few
clicks.
Movie Description
Every movie has an "about" field on it's page. Use it! Describe the sub-genre of your
movie, tell the masses what it is all about, point out a few flaws you may have found
while making the movie. Most people will not review your movie if you show no effort whatsoever to present it to them.
An Advertising Thread
Prepare a thread in which you advertise your movie. Choose the title of the thread
wisely ("Watch my latest movie" doesn't count, "Lionheart Studios releases the
tremendous comedy “Tutorials for teh win!" does count). Again, explain what your movie is all about, give a link to the movie, tell the community what reviewers had to say
about your other movies ... simply said: make them want to watch your movie.
Your Signature
Put your movies URL in your forum signature, so people can choose to watch your
movie everytime you post on the forums. An easy way to do so is to do as I say ( ):
Edit your signature, and insert this:
[movie=MovieNumber]MovieTitle[/movie]
Participate on the Forums
Let the community know you are there. Let it know that you care, that you got
interesting things to say and want to participate. Help other people out, and discuss
the current ongoings. Not just for the sake of people accidently clicking on that movie
link in your signature, but to build up a reputation as an accepted member of The
Movies.
Your Profile
4.4
Your profile affects many things, but namely how the rest of the community visualizes your existence in the forums. A standard profile is made up of the following things:

[list]
[*] Username - The name that you log into the forums with. Click on this to view a users profile.
[*] User Title - A title given to you according to rank. Once you get enough reputation you can customize this title.
[*] Reputation Level - How much reputation you have represented in bars (1 bar = <100 reputation, 2 bars = <200 reputation etc...).
[*] User Status - This shows whether or not you're online.
[*] Avatar - Your avatar is the icon associated with your profile. Hovering your mouse over this will let you see how many posts a person has made and how much power that person has.
[*] Badge - Represents your standing in the forums. New users have no badge. Keep in mind badges aren't always good. A "Low Karma" badge represents a delinquent user. "Medium Karma" represents a user who has proven his or herself in the forums. "Moderator" represents a user with the power to ban, lock threads, edit threads, sticky threads and more. "Lionhead Dev Team" represents a user who works for Lionhead and also has the power of a moderator.
[*] Studio Page Link - If you have a studio page you can have it linked underneath your avatar.
[*] Instant Messaging - If the user uses any instant messaging service, a link is provided to message them.
[*] Give Reputation Button - This button allows you to give positive or negative reputation. Refer to Section 1.4 for more information.
[*] Report Button - This is ONLY to be used to report spam, advertising messages, and problematic (harassment, fighting, or rude) posts.
[/list]
To customize any of the aforementioned elements, you can click on "User CP" to change your preferences. This can be found on the top left of the screen when you are logged in.
Reputation
4.5
 Quoting: Reputation Guidelines You may only rep up to 5 people per day, and you cannot rep the same person until you have repped 20 other people.
How to give reputation
Rep comes in two forms, positive and negative. To add to someones reputation click on the small text box in bottom left of someones post, it is next to the "Report" button.
This will then open a small pop up window where you choose to give positive or negative rep. If you want to give positive then select the "I approve" option and to give negative rep select the "I disapprove" option.
You must leave a reason for the rep so that people are made fully aware of what your reason for repping is. You should also remember to leave your name when you rep someone. It's only fair and this way people can discuss any problems they have with the rep you give via Private Messaging.
Where do I find out about the rep I have received and given out?
This can be found in the user Control Panel, which is in the top left of the window.
You will then be taken to a new window where you can see "Latest Reputation Received" and "Latest Reputation Given".
To find out how much power you or another member has, simply hold your mouse pointer over their avatar and the post count and power will be displayed. If the person does not have an avatar then post count/power will be seen where the avatar should be.
Positive, negative and grey rep.
If you have received positive reputation from a member who has one power point then you will see a small green box, the thread you were given it in, the date and a comment. If you see a red box then this means that you have been given negative reputation and someone disapproved of your post.
If you see a grey box then this means that the member who gave you the rep has no power points and this therefor does not effect your rep points.
You can see how many rep points you have by looking at the top right of the "Latest Reputation Received" window in your user CP.
What is rep good for?
If you receive enough rep then you will be awarded with a Medium Karma badge, this is obtained after you receive 100 rep points. This allows you to look awesome, grant you a certain level of respect and see which member gives you positive or negative rep, in your user CP.
Positive Reputation should be awarded if the post :
[list=a]
[*] Is helpful or
[*] Is constructive or
[*]Sets a good example to other board members
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Positive Reputation should not be awarded if
[list=a]
[*] You like/dislike the poster or
[*] You like their avatar/signature or
[*] You disagree with their comments
[/list]
Negative reputation should only be given if the posting is abusive, inflammatory or spamming.
If you have any problems with rep that you have received then post about it in the Rep Complaints Department on the OT boards.
Members should never ask another member for rep and it should only be given and received through the methods stated above.
All reputation given can be viewed by Mods & Admins.
Written by Jamie Durrant and Rab30 with help from Paimei.
Inserting Items
4.6
Occasionally you may want to include a link or image in your post. This can be done through a coding system called vB Code. Through this code you can do a number of things including but not limited to:
[list]
[*]Adding images
[*]Creating links
[*]Creating bulleted lists
[*]Formatting text
[/list]
For a full list of what you can do and how to do it refer to the following:
[list]
[*] vB Code List
[/list]
If you are interested in placing images, two good image hosting websites are:
[list]
[*] ImageShack
[*] PhotoBucket
[/list]
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01-09-2006, 22:57 |
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markbond
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Joined on 08-09-2005
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Left on... NEVER!
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Insane Senior Member
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old karma : 794
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Re: The Movies Help Thread
The Movies Fansites
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English
8EyedBaby
This is a site that has a collection of mods that is plentiful and useful. But, their forums are also a useful tool to track down answers to modding questions or to get a HOTPICK. This fansite, created by Ozman69, is a resource tool unlike any other.
The Director's Guild
The first and foremost Director's Guild has its forums up and running. With one of a kind technology no other fansite provides, we have a credit system on the forum, shops to buy privellages, bank accounts, lotteries, and more. We are also a friendly community still growing. Dont let yourself be demeaned of all our great tips and member only goodies. Join today!
Mod Warehouse
Want a costume, just find it and download it.
The Movies Agency
The purpose of this site is to provide information about members of The Movies Community, what is their speciality in making movies. It's a way of finding that perfect person to help you out with your next project.
The Movies Backlot
The Movies Backlot is the premiere destination for all your The Movies needs. After over a year, we have grown to be the biggest community driven fansite for The Movies. Our primary goal is to assist the community in developing movies and releasing them to the public. We will be offering mods, tutorials, as well as offering studio sites for the up and coming film makers of The Movies. Be inspired with The Backlot at your fingertips.
The Movies Files
After many days of hard work and many sleepless nights for our super coder Pro-Filer we are proud to present you The Movies Files. The Movies Files promises to deliver a huge database filled with files and information over the course of time. Everything you could possibly wish to download can be found here. Many of the things you've ever read or heard about Hollywood are right here in The Movies - from stars having affairs and hitting the bottle to teams of genius filmmakers creating the box office hit of the year. Movie mogul, talent spotter or film director; you can be one or you can be all three. That's the magic of The Movies.
The Movies - FSN
The only site to offer a live stream of Movies to the general public. Having more then 5+ channels for your viewing pleasure. With contests, random live streaming Review system (To review the movies on TMO) and Many projects in the making. If you enjoy making movies, you will enjoy viewing them here. FSN now carries the Voice Actor database where you can contract VA to your movies, with more then 30 members already signed up you garanteed a VA for your next movie. We also have the only Writers Corner where you the head writer can contract other Writers to help you on your Dialogue or in general. One last feature which is still in beta is the Director's Space where the Director can add a project and from there can work together with the VA and the Writers to get a project from beginning to end. more features to follow.
MovieWood E Magazine
A place to read community news and rants as well as catch up on competitions ofered by MovieWood E to help new studios get their chance at fame. Come read MovieWood E magazine, where everyoe is Virtually Famous!
The Movies - On Air!
This fansite is dedicated to the Movies own Radio! Ken and Roger's legendary show as well as many other TMOA programs can be found, downloaded, or listened to from this site. Its a worth while way to catch up on recenpt TMO events, competitions, and movies as well as advertise your own or just have a good laugh.
The Movies Planet
The Movies Planet is your No. 1 stop for anything related to The Movies Game, with a regualarly updated news section, informing the community of the latest happenings to the latest downloads, you can be sure that The Movies Planet will be providing you with everything you need first. The Movies Planet has one of the largest member bases and has an active communit | | |