Movie Advice from Sims 2 Directors!

Some general movie-making tips:

• Take your time, try not to rush the ending. Or get lazy. That's what i did at the end of my first movie, I rushed the ending. [LdyHorib]
• Do your own thing - develop your own style that identifies you and sets your work apart from the masses. [TheSidDog]
• Choose a subject, characters, music, etc. that really mean something to you and come from your own experiences and what you know. Really work on something you want to rather than going by what others suggest. [Decorgal]
• Don't try to start and finish it in one sitting. Take some breaks and clear your head. I usually film a few shots, stop for a while, get on the BBS, and then go back to my movie. [MASTERSIMMER510]

Getting emotion into your video:

• I find the easiest way to pull emotion out of a scene is SLOW DOWN the film or the camera crawl in the editor. That way you can draw so much more out of the scene, also don't be afraid to hang onto a shot a second or so longer. You'll be surprised as to how much this can add to a scene. [tacoshack27]

Some thoughts on filming:

• Don't be afraid to use the camera man mode. I know it's a little hard to use at first time, but after you play with it a few time, you will get used to it. And it also helps you to avoid the Plumb-bob (the diamond thing) and you can zoom really close to the face too. To enter cameraman mode hit TAB (In cameraman mode use the arrow keys to move back and forth, left and right, + and - to zoom in and out, you can saved camera angle by hold ctrl + 4 to 9) Also, pause your game first and find a good camera angle before you actually capturing the scene. [littlesimgirl]
• Try and do as many close-ups as possible. [Decorgal]
• When filming, shoot much more than you really need so that you have greater choice when editing. [Decorgal]
• I like making a check list of shots that I'll need for the movie. I spend a lot of time creating one while listening to the song over and over and over while trying to not be distracted. I find it a lot easier when you have a list of what you'll need so you can just go into the game, set up the scene and start filming. It lets me know what few shots I'll need before I can consider myself "done" and go to editing. [XxMissAnnettexX]
• Get some extra shots. Some may not turn out like you had hoped, or you may end up with a gap in your movie where you need some extra scenes here and there. [MASTERSIMMER510]

Some technical pointers:

• On my Blog, I have easy to follow, step-by-step movie making instructions, including many tips and some of the needed cheat codes. And, if you are using WMM, I have great editing tips. My instructions should turn someone who has never made a movie before, into a pro, in a very short time. Click here to view the blog! [MchlMrqz1]
• Each time you record a clip try to put wall up so it won't make the sims look like they're in middle of nowhere. [littlesimgirl]
• Try to always keep out the talk & thought bubbles, as well the the plumb-bobs and the tops of the walls, where you can see the sky (even when your inside) OUT of the shot. Its easy to do if you plan ahead, and will make your movie look much more professional. To me, the talk / thought bubbles, and the plumb-bob, are the equivalence of seeing a microphone hanging down on the top of the screen while watching a movie at the show - you don't want that in your movies. [TheSidDog]
• Although for the most part I take freewill off, sometimes it's good to let Sims do what they want because you just might catch something they do that's unexpected but perfect for your movie. [Decorgal]
• Try not to get plumb-bobs in the scenes (I have a lot of trouble with that) and try to keep the walls up. [LpGfn]
• When you are editing, try using different titles and animations. And try to throw in some effects and transitions to really set the mood. [MASTERSIMMER510]
• Try to keep the talk/thought bubbles out UNLESS they actually help tell your story. Sometimes, they can come in handy when your sim is talking/thinking about what you want them to. I used them a lot in my "Musical Key" video, and I think they helped convey my meaning.[Teadragon69]