Write, Camera, Action
Move Over Steven Spielberg…..
A Review of Write, Camera, Action
Rich Cunningham
Some of the greatest filmmakers today made films that were, in part, based on ideas or events that happened to them in their childhood. George Lucas based “American Graffiti” on his high school years. Steven Speilberg based “Raiders of the Lost Ark” on old movie serials that he had enjoyed growing up. Spike Lee’s films are filled with the struggle of underprivileged minorities trying to survive in today’s world, and are semi-autobiographical in content.
So what has this got to do with computer software, you should be asking about now? Everything, since this review will focus on a program that at its best can help your child to become another George, Steven, or Spike, or at the very worst, improve his language, writing and thought process. The program in question is one of the latest releases from our friends at Broderbund Software in Novato, California. It is a part of their Active Mind series, and is called Write, Camera, Action. It is a program that is designed to help youngsters improve their writing and language skills, along with the development of thinking and reasoning skills such as problem solving and critical thinking. This is a mighty big chunk for one program to bite off, but it is handled quite intuitively.
The setting for the program is in HOLLYWOOD, just like the sign on the hill outside of town exclaims. The player is selected to be the savior of the studio, by helping create the next masterpiece and make loads of money. To do so, he/she is given total creative control over the film making process, ala Orson Welles and “Citizen Kane”. While this is certainly no “Citizen Kane”, it involves a cute film called “The Case of the Maltese Malcolm”, a missing cat. It is the player’s job to help finish writing the script, filming the movie, editing the movie, composing the sound track to the film, and then creating a publicity blitz to help make it mega-blockbuster. Sounds pretty complicated?
It is actually easier that it sounds. The main educational purpose is achieved by the player completing the movie. There is an assistant producer named Bailey who helps explain the intricacies of movie making, and if you follow her advice, you will have a finished product. The interface is fairly intuitive, and easy to pick up without spending too much time reading the manual. It does require keyboard use, and is not totally point-and-click. It is also impossible to do something out of sequence, because the story builds on events happening in a certain order. For example, you don’t have a world premier before the film is cut and a publicity campaign is developed. Likewise you can’t film a scene until you dress the set with the proper atmosphere and props. The program will not let you proceed until you have the completed all the tasks in a certain area.
This program succeeds on two levels, in my opinion. One, it is fun to just play around with the aspects of movie making. Can you make a comedy instead of a mystery? Then you can explore the movie studio, and see what really goes in to making a film. While this is not a sophisticated program, it does capture the essence, if not the spirit, of film making. The other level is succeeds at is accomplishing the educational goals that it sets out to. There are 6 reading areas and 6 expressive writing areas that Broderbund focuses on to develop educational results. For example, in the area of Critical Thinking, since the film is a mystery-based , it is necessary for the player to align the clues in a certain order for the appropriate outcome.
The documentation that accompanies the program is very good. The main manual is well laid out, with ample examples and photos. There is a small section for parents, that in my opinion, could have been larger. There is small but complete troubleshooting manual that addresses most major problem areas. I can’t discuss the accuracy of it too much, since I didn’t need to use it. It installed perfectly on my system using Windows 95, and ran with no flaws or lock ups.
This is a very solid program that balances educational goals and creative fun. It is extremely non-violent even if it involves a mystery. It is very family safe, and could be fun for the whole family. I spent a couple of hours exploring the many aspects of it, and was not bored once. It was quite fun going to the premiere of my film, and rubbing elbows with all the Hollywood elite, and avoiding the paparazzi. So if you want to help that budding Orson Welles in you house, this program will go along way to helping in that regards.
School House Scorecard
| Product: | Write, Camera, Action |
| Company: | Broderbund Software Inc. |
| Cost: | Not Available |
System Requirements:
IBM: Windows 3.1 or Windows 95; 486/33 or higher; 8mb ram; SVGA graphics (640×480x256 colors); Windows-compatible sound card; 2X CD ROM; 3mb hard drive space; QuickTime 2.1 (included on CD); optional printer
Macintosh: System 7.0.1 or higher; 68030 25mhz or higher; Power Macintosh; 8mb ram w/4.7mb free; 2X CD ROM; 256 color graphics; 13 inch monitor; Sound Manager (included on CD); QuickTime 2.1 (included on CD); optional printer
Breakdown:
Ease of Use 5
Learning Value 3
Entertainment Value 5
Graphics 4
Sound 3
Overall Score:
(* 0 rating, 0 votes)
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