The arrival of 3D games enabled the rise of the machinima movement during the early 1990s. Creative players began using the utilities included with, or developed by third parties for, such games as Doom and Quake to make their own movies. They created their own characters and environments, manipulating virtual cameras to set up shots and then recording the output. Later, they edited the digital video and added dialogue, sound effects, and other touches.

More recent games, such as The Sims 2, have allowed machinima artists to take their craft to new heights, thanks to built-in options that make video creation easier. The Movies offers even more robust tools, allowing you to tweak your storyline before you shoot the film, as well as edit and enhance the results afterward. “For aspiring moviemakers, there’s no easier way to bring your ideas to life and share them with the world,” Zamoyski says of The Movies Online, where you can upload your masterpieces.

“Initially,” he adds, “we wanted to be able to give as qualitative an analysis of player-authored movies as possible. However, it quickly became clear that where one movie might suffer in quality due to a certain creative decision, another movie might benefit from it. The appreciation of art is obviously an entirely subjective matter, so that is what makes The Movies Online so valuable, as it allows players to judge each other’s moviemaking efforts.”

Zamoyski points to two films in particular, “The French Democracy” and “Oh Its On 2 Tora Saru Bakuhatsu,” as examples of great player-made projects. The former explores the social factors behind the 2006 French riots while the latter satirizes Japanese anime.

“’The French Democracy’ is my favorite,” explains Zamoyski. “During the game’s development, I think every movie I saw was a comedy. I really wondered whether anyone would manage to resist the temptation of having giant chickens invade the Earth and instead make a movie that dealt with serious themes. ‘The French Democracy’ really did move me. I was eternally grateful to experience The Movies giving a player the ability to tug at my heartstrings.”

If you’d like some moviemaking advice straight from the game’s creator, visit the Video Guides section of the Movies mini-site on Feral’s Web site. In one of the seven tutorials found there, Peter Molyneux explains how he made “It Came From Uranus,” a tongue-in-cheek homage to the cheesy science-fiction movies of the 1950s.

"Oh Its On 2 Tora Saru Bakuhatsu." This satire is one of the most popular videos at The Movies Online.

"The French Democracy." This provocative film explores the tensions simmering below the surface in France.

• “I’ve seen a lot of people play the game by trying to pump out as many movies as possible, usually all at the same time,” observes Zamoyski. “For me, this is far too hectic a strategy. I prefer to put more effort into ensuring the quality of each movie by making sure my stars are in top form, as well as using the latest technologies and sets to wow critics and moviegoers alike. ‘Quality over quantity’ is my studio’s mantra.”
• You can temporarily turn actors and directors into maintenance staff, if they have some downtime between movies and you need some help in that area. They’ll return to their normal jobs when they’re done, but they’ll suffer hits to their images because they’ll see the move as a demotion. Try dropping a photographer next to them to quickly bump their images back up.
• You can also grab hopefuls out of the lines at any of the buildings and turn them into something else. For example, take someone waiting for a crew member job and turn them into an actor or director. They won’t have the natural skills that wannabe actors and directors possess, but you can mold them into solid talents, if you’re willing to take the time to do so.
• Build similar sets as close together as possible, so that your stars, directors, and crew aren’t wasting time running back and forth across the studio grounds between scenes.
• Don’t group a lot of heavily-used buildings, such as restrooms and restaurants, in the same area, or the walkways and grass will wear down faster and require constant maintenance. Areas in disrepair also negatively affect your studio’s prestige.
• Pay attention to your stars’ and directors’ moods, as well as their interpersonal relationships. Miserable people who hate each other can easily ruin a carefully-planned movie, just like they can in real life. Don’t be afraid to behave like a real studio mogul and spend as little money as possible promoting a film that’s turned into a disaster. If you really want to cut your losses, just sell the movie, as long as you have the appropriate building.
• Drop stars, directors, or even movies on the public relations building to enhance their status or create some pre-release buzz.
• Watch your stars’ and directors’ moods during filming. For example, an actor who is halfway through his scenes could become so stressed out that leaving him on the set will adversely affect the movie’s quality. It may be worthwhile to pull him off the production for some rest before sending him back to work, even if that delays the film’s release. Better to put out a top-notch movie late than put out a mediocre one on time.

• Keep your release schedule fresh by using as many different sets as possible and rotating actors and directors. If you tend to release too many of the same types of movies, starring the same people and directed by one person, you’ll negatively affect your novelty ratings. Reviewers and moviegoers will get tired of seeing the same people in the same genres.
• Using the same stars and directors over and over again will also negatively impact their stress levels, driving them to seek solace in food and drink addictions. Filmmaking will take longer as you deal with stars and directors who keep wandering away to alleviate their stress. Rotate in a fresh set of talent for the next movie and give the previous group a chance to kick up their heels in their trailers. (Palatial trailers certainly make them happy too.)
• Stay on top of your studio’s condition as much as possible. Keep buildings repaired and make sure litter gets picked up, or you’ll suffer negative prestige that will not only affect your studio’s overall rating but will also impact the kind of people who show up for jobs.
• Pay attention to overall aesthetics too, placing as much ornamentation around the grounds as your finances will allow. That will also help your studio’s rating, and your crew members, stars, and directors will remain happy because they’re working in a pleasant environment.
• When you cast a movie, save time by moving your view over to the casting building. Look at the list on the left side of the screen and click and hold on the director or star you want to use. While still holding down the mouse button, drag the cursor off that person’s picture — they will appear at that spot, dangling in the air like they do when you click and hold on them while they’re walking around. Then simply drop them onto the desired room in the casting building. This method is much more efficient than locating a star or director, picking them up, and then moving them over to the casting building.
• Don’t forget to right-click on stars, directors, movie crew, and extras to see all of their attributes, whether do so from the list on the left side of the screen or from themselves as they walk around. A left-click shows attributes that are relevant to their current situation, but a right-click gives you everything, which helps when, for example, planning your next project and trying to figure out who’s well-suited for a horror film.