Any one ever played the rare board game from Parker or Palitoy called Movie Maker? In summary it was a type of monopoly game in the Hollywood world. With the need to buy directors and actors, scenes and cinemas, the game provided a lot of fun.
It was designed for 2 to 6 players and each had a large coloured movie camera as there piece for play.There were also 6 Oscar figures, plastic with a layer of faux chrome that often peeled slightly off on every playing of the game. There is a stack of paper money. The Movie Maker cards are nice and sturdy, with sharp corners. The drawings and artwork on them very appealing too, evocative of the golden era of Hollywood.
Back in 1968 this was unveiled to the world. Though my introduction to playing it was several years later in the mid seventies when it was a friends family favourite.
The layout of the board and the fact that you roll two six-sided dice to move your pawn around a track causes most people to make the inevitable comparison to Monopoly. After throwing two dice and moving your camera the number of squares, the player discoveres the consequences of the square it ends up on.Like Monopoly instead of passing "Go" to collect your money, you pass "Box Office", and money is all important.
To win the game you need to complete movies and make money - the most money wins. As movies generate income for you, there is great urgency to get a complete movie out fast. To make a movie you need a story, a director, a male star, a female star, and the required number of location units which is stipulated by the story.
The stories, directors and stars are all part of the same deck of cards, called the "Production" deck. This deck is shuffled and placed face down at the beginning of the game. You get to draw a card from this deck when you land on a square that says “Take Production Card”. Location cards may be purchased when you land on a square that says “Location Units Available”. There are four such squares on the board, offering either one or two location units. These are not auctioned off if you don’t want them. You may purchase them and then sell them to another player though. There is also a square that says “Location Unit License Lost” which, if you are unlucky enough to land on, requires that you return a location card for no compensation. If you do not have any location cards, there is no effect. Locations cards that have already been used to complete a film are not considered, only the unused location cards in your possession.
Stories, directors and stars may have different box office values (and different face values), and the combinations affect the total value of a film. An Epic is worth more on completion (5 million) than a Comedy (3 million), or a Western (2 million). Directors fall into one of four classes, with the first class directors being worth the most, and the fourth class directors being worth the least. The box office value a certain class of director adds to a film is constant, it does not depend on the type of film it is. Stars are different in this regard. Their box office values for the 6 different genres (Epic, Historical, Comedy, Musical, Western, Horror) are listed on their cards, and vary considerably. Thus, obtaining the right stars for a given story will yield the best return. However, you don’t want to wait too long to make that perfectly matched movie, or you might fall behind.
As soon as you meet the requirements, you can group the cards together and place them as a completed film in front of you. There is no limit to the number of completed films you may have, but you may never remove any cards from a completed film. Every time you pass box office, you receive 10% of the completion (total box office) value of each completed film you have.There is a square on the board that rewards you with an Oscar, if you have at least one completed film (which does not already have an Oscar). Having an Oscar on a film increases it’s box office value, meaning more cash every time you pass box office.
There are various other squares on the board that either help or hinder. Some reward you with a donation from a sponsor, another causes you to lose a star. There is a "Sponsor Charity Performance" square that costs you money if you land on it, but rewards you with a card that you can redeem for four times the amount if you later land on another "Charity Performance" square. There is even a square ("Box Office Flop") that causes you to lose your last completed film (if you have one).
There are also 6 distribution company squares, each representing a different distribution company. If you land on such a square and the relevant distribution company has not yet been purchased, you may purchase it. If it has been purchased, any other player landing on it must pay the owner a base rental fee plus an additional amount for every completed film they have. In addition, the value of each of your completed films is increased for each distribution company that you own.
The game ends when a player draws the last card (there are 48 of them) from the production deck. The player drawing the last card is allowed to purchase it and use it to complete a film, or else it is auctioned and the winning player is then also allowed to use it to complete a film. The total value of each players assets is then calculated and added to the amount of money they have. The player with the highest total is the winner.
This game is a real delight and a trip down memory lane for anyone that remembers playing it.
Additional info - THE RULES of THE GAME
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IntroductionYou are a film producer and your aim is to make top quality
and successful films. Having done so you then try and make
as much money as you can through the box office. If your
film makes an Oscar so much the better. If it is a flop —oh
dear!
To make a film you need a Film Story, a Director, a Male
Film Star, a Female Film Star, and of course the relevant
number of Location Units.
All Films, Directors and Film Stars are available to you in
different values. This means that if, for example, you make
an Epic Story which is the top value film with Epic Film
Stars and a first class Director, it will earn you more money at
the box office than a Comedy Story with a mixture of stars.
As the game proceeds you may bid for any part you need to
complete a film from another player - but keep an eye on your
cash- it can soon go!
The winner, at the end of the game, is the player who has
made films to the highest value plus the value of all his assets
and cash. Good shooting.
PreparationPlace the board in the centre of the play area. Each player
selects a coloured playing piece. Shuffle the pack of
Production Cards and place them face down on the board.
Place the Location Cards, Distribution Cards, and Charity
Performance Cards in their appropriate places on the board.
Banker
Elect one player to be banker. The banker gives 750 000 £ to
each player, including himself, and places the balance of cash
in a convenient location with the Oscar pieces.
What you need to make a filmTo complete one film the player needs:
1. A Film Story
2. A Male Film Star
3. A Female Film Star
4. A Director
5. A Location unit or units
These cards are obtained and bought when the player lands
on 'Take Production Card'. Location units can be bought
when the player lands on 'Location Units available'.
What your film is worthThe value of your film depends upon the production cards
accumulated for the making of each film. You can collect
any combination of production cards to make a film. It is an
advantage however if, for example, Turk Logan who is an
Epic film star, is matched with an Epic story rather than a
Comedy. It means that once you have completed a film it will
earn you more money at the box office.
You therefore have the choice of aiming to make a high value
film collecting the appropriate cast for each film or taking
pot-luck with a mixture of different people in your film.
Films, film stars and directors are graded in the following
values:
The FilmsEpic Story
- worth 5 000 000 £ on completion
Historical Story
- worth 4 000 000 £ on completion
Comedy Story
- worth 3 000 000 £ on completion
Musical Story
- worth 3 000 000 £ on completion
Western Story
- worth 2 000 000 £ on completion
Horror Story
- worth 1 000 000 £ on completion
The Film StarsJohn Haines Jnr. Western Star
Dan Thacker Western Star
Rosa Lee Western Star
Sheila Wild Western Star
Frank N. Stein Horror Star
Count Vampire Horror Star
Lucretia ffang Horror Star
Hermione Hyde Horror Star
Richard C. Redford Epic Star
Turk Logan Epic Star
Caron Myers Epic Star
Rosanna Rhodes Epic Star
Rupert Jago Historical Star
Cecil C. Wolfe Historical Star
Vanessa Yardley Historical Star
Vivienne Orde Historical Star
Ronald Rombach Musical/Comedy Star
Dancy Scott Musical/Comedy Star
Dolores de la Rue Musical/Comedy Star
Laura Lovejoy Musical/Comedy Star
Lou Cumins Musical/Comedy Star
Harold Foy Musical/Comedy Star
Meryl Munro Musical/Comedy Star
Bila Bliss Musical/Comedy Star
The DirectorsFirst Class Directors: Friedrich von Einstein
Meyer Wallenstein
Solomon Galt
Second Class Directors: J. J. Hackensack
L. P. Bailey
Barnum Flickstein
Third Class Directors: Norbert Barrington
Prince Oliver
William G. Grant
Fourth Class Directors: Otis P. Goopher
Sultan Spokes
Reginald Ponsonby
Obviously more locations are needed for an Epic film than for
a Horror film. The player requires the following number of
location cards to complete his film:
4 location cards for an Epic film
3 location cards for an Historical film
2 location cards for a Comedy film
2 location cards for a Musical film
2 location cards for a Western film
1 location card for a Horror film
Assessing the value of your filmEach production card has a face value which is payable on
purchase to the Bank. When it becomes part of a completed
film its value increases. To assess the value of any
combination of cards collected in a completed film, refer to
the table on the face of each card.
Players can make a film using cards of their choice, but once
a film has been completed cards cannot be substituted.
TO BEGIN PLAYPlayers roll both dice for the highest score to determine who
goes first. Highest player then rolls the dice and moves his
piece the number of places indicated starting at "Box Office".
(Rolling doubles does not permit a second consecutive turn)
If a player lands on a space which says:
Take Production CardThe player takes the top card from the production card pack
that has been placed face down on the board. The player can,
having examined the card, elect to do one of two things:
1. He can buy the card
The player can buy at the face value shown from the
bank.
2. He can auction the card
If the player decides he does not want the card it is
auctioned and goes to the highest bidder from the
other players. The money goes to the bank.
If the player does not buy the card, or receives no offers from
the other players, he returns it to the bank by placing it face
down on the box marked "Production Box". This card plays
no further part in the game. All cards in a player's possession
must be in full view of the other players.
If a player lands on a space which says:
Location Cards availableThe player can buy the number of location cards available
shown on the square from the bank. He may, having bought
them, sell them to another player. They cannot be returned to
the Production Box. If no location cards are available play
continues.
If a player lands on a space which says:
Odeon/Classic/Rank/Granada/ABC/
Essoldo DistributionThis is an optional purchase. If a player decides to buy the
Distribution Company, and it has not been bought by another
player he can pay the bank the face value of 300 000 £.
Having bought the Company, the player is entitled to collect
50 000 £ rental from any other player that lands on his space,
plus 100 000 £ in addition for each completed film that
player may have.
The value of each film is increased for each Distribution
Company the owner has. A table showing the value is
printed on each distribution card.
If the player decides he does not want the Distribution
Company he cannot offer it to another player on that turn. He
can, however, buy the Company and sell or auction it to
another player on a subsequent turn.
The Box OfficeImmediately a player has completed a film, i.e. has a
complete set of production cards comprising a Film, a Male
Film Star, a Female Film Star, a Director and the required
number of location cards to make that film, he collects 10%
(1/10) of the completion value shown on the set of production
cards each time he passes Box Office.
The value of location units held does not count towards the
value of a completed film when assessing Box Office money.
Completed FilmsThe following calculations are examples:
Example 1You hold worth
an Epic Story.............................. 5 000 000 £ on completion
a First Class Director
Solomon Galt.......................... 500 000 £ on completion
an Epic Male Star
Turk Logan............................. 500 000 £ on completion
an Epic Female Star
Caron Myers........................... 500 000 £ on completion
Total 6 500 000 £
10% (1/10) of total film value ........ 650 000 £
Each time player passes box office, collect 650 000 £ from
the bank.
Example 2You hold worth
an Epic Story.............................. 5 000 000 £ on completion
a Second Class Director
L. P. Bailey............................. 300 000 £ on completion
a Comedy Male Star
Dancy Scott ............................ 400 000 £ on completion
a Horror Female Star
Lucretia ffang ......................... 100 000 £ on completion
Total 5 800 000 £
10% (1/10) of total film value ........ 580 000 £
Each time player passes box office, collect 580 000 £ from
the bank.
If a player lands on a space which says
Win an OscarAnd has a completed film, he collects an Oscar from the
Banker, and adds 500 000 £ in value to one completed film
he has made. This amount is also added to the value of his
completed film when assessing the money to be drawn when
passing the Box Office. An Oscar cannot be sold to any other
player or returned to the Bank for cash. An Oscar can only
be used on one film. The choice of film is the player's. If a
player has not completed a film he cannot accept an Oscar. A
film can only receive one Oscar.
Example 3You hold worth
a Western Story .......................... 2 000 000 £ on completion
a Fourth Class Director
Sultan Spokes ......................... 100 000 £ on completion
an Epic Male Star
Turk Logan............................. 200 000 £ on completion
a Musical Female Star
Laura Lovejoy......................... 200 000 £ on completion
Total 2 500 000 £
Add value of Oscar ........................ 500 000 £
Total 3 000 000 £
10% (1/10) of total film value........ 300 000 £
Each time player passes box office, collect 300 000 £ from
the bank.
If a player lands on a space which says:
Bank to pay bearerHe receives the amount shown from the Bank in cash.
If a player lands on a space which says:
Complete box office flop lose last filmHe must, if he has a completed film, return the Production
Cards and the Location Cards to the Production Box. If the
player has more than one film, it must be the last film
completed. If the film has an Oscar it is also returned.
If a player lands on a space which says:
Star trouble lose next go and pay 50 000 £The player must miss the next turn and pay the Bank
50 000 £ in cash, even if he does not possess a film star at the
beginning of the game.
If a player lands on a space which says:
Star walkout lose Star to Production BoxHe must forfeit a Male or Female Film Star Production Card
in his possession, unless it is part of a completed film, to
Production Box. If no star is held play continues.
If a player lands on a space which says:
Retake required pay 100 000 £ or lose 2 goesThe player has the option of paying the Bank in cash
100 000 £ or losing his next two turns. This applies at any
stage of the game.
If a player lands on a space which says:
Director lossHe must forfeit a Director Production Card in his possession,
unless it is part of a completed film, to Production Box. If no
Director is held play continues.
If a player lands on a space which says:
Sponsor Charity Performance pay 50 000 £The player pays 50 000 £ to the Bank in cash , and receives a
Charity Performance card.
If a player lands on a space which says:
Publicity break gain 200 000 £The player receives 200 000 £ only if he has paid for a
Charity Performance Card. This must be returned to the
Bank in exchange for the money.
If a player lands on a space which says:
Location Unit licence lost, lose unitThe player must return one location card, unless it is part of a
completed film, to the location square. If none held play
continues.
If a player lands on a space which says:
Bad publicity for studio lose 500 000 £ per
completed film
The player must pay the Bank 500 000 £ for each completed
film in his possession.
If a player lands on a space which says:
Bad weather pay 100 000 £ per story
The player has to pay 100 000 £ for each film story card held
—which has not been made into a completed film.
BiddingBidding and negotiation between players can take place at
any time for Production Cards, Location Cards and
Distribution Companies. Oscars cannot be bought or sold.
Players at their turn have priority to bid and negotiate if they
decide to do so. No bidding between players can take place
until priority bidding has ceased.
This will ensure the game continues smoothly. Bidding can
be done for cash, exchange or both.
ExchangesPlayers may exchange Production Cards, Location Cards and
Distribution Companies between themselves. They may not
exchange these from the Production Box.
If you run out of moneyIf you run out of cash, you must sell any production cards,
distribution cards, or location cards either to the Bank at
"knockdown" value, or alternatively, you can sell them to any
other player. If you sell your cards to the Bank they are
returned to the Production Box. Location cards are returned
to the appropriate square. If a player runs out of both cash
and assets, he is declared bankrupt and can take no further
part in the game.
"Knockdown" value is half the face value.
Borrowing on a completed filmBorrowing cash or assets from the Bank or players is not
allowed, except for loans on completed films. If a film is
used as collateral, the bank will give half its total completion
value as a loan. This may be redeemed by the player if he
returns all the loan plus a fee of 1 000 000 £. When a film is
used as collateral it becomes the property of the Bank until
such time as it is redeemed.
Completing the gameThe game ends when the last production card is taken by the
player who lands on a space which says "Take Production
Card". The player taking the last card is allowed to use the
card to complete a film or auctions the card to another player
who may also use the card to complete a film. If desired the
game can continue by playing any cards that have
accumulated in the Production Box. These are shuffled,
placed face down and the game continues until these cards
are exhausted. If a short game is required each player is dealt
four cards from "production" square at the commencement of
the game.
EvaluationAt the end of the game each player adds up his cash assets:
a Value of completed films at completion value plus
Oscars, if any.
b Value of Distribution Companies at completed film
rate.
c Value of Distribution Companies at cost if no
completed film is held.
d Face value of miscellaneous production cards held.
e Total value of location cards held (50 000 £ each).
f Cash in hand.
The WinnerThe player having the greatest total assets and cash is the
winner.
The names of film stars and characters and their portraits in this game are
entirely fictitious. Any similarity in name or face to any person or persons living
or dead is purely coincidental.
