Act 2: Where Is the Game Heading?

Act 2 of Hollywood Animal, which spans up to 1965, is shaping up to be the most complex and content-rich part of the game.

Naturally, it will include a vast number of new events, scandals, characters, and large-scale storylines. Thought there was something suspicious about Joe Duvall’s death? Ever wanted to meet Arthur Gerstein’s younger brother (after all, the studio is called Gerstein Brothers)? Want to prevent the rise of spy mania in the US — or, on the contrary, help fuel it?

Act 2 will offer all that and much more. But today, we’d like to focus on systemic changes — how the core gameplay mechanics will evolve and expand, particularly those that directly affect how you make and release films.

The period covered by Act 1 clearly favored the film business. Movies were in high demand during the height of the Great Depression, throughout the New Deal years, during World War 2, and in the post-war economic boom. Most importantly, in a young and rapidly growing industry, things largely ran on momentum. Films were quick and relatively easy to produce, and talent was fairly undemanding.

Act 2 presents a radically different reality. Now, every project is a complex puzzle, requiring you to bring together a vast number of moving pieces. Getting a film across the finish line without things falling apart and successfully releasing it will feel like a true feat of heroism.

It’s not just that the average shooting period will increase (it will), or that the average shooting day will become more expensive (it will). It’s that you’ll have to account for far more variables at every stage.

New challenges arise as early as the script editor. Previously, character age was more of an abstract concept, and actor age only affected a limited number of mechanics. Now, you’ll need to define a clear age range for each role — and make sure that all characters’ ages align logically within the story. Yes, with upgrades, top-tier makeup artists can smooth over some inconsistencies, but don’t expect audiences to take a film seriously if a retiring 60-year-old police chief is played by a 23-year-old punk.

This means you’ll need to pay much closer attention to your talent roster — and they won’t make your life any easier. A new union bringing together actors, directors, and cinematographers will ban time-based contracts. At a certain point, only contracts tied to a specific number of films will remain. Meanwhile, competition for stars will become so intense that any reasonably notable professional will try to push various demands into their contracts.

Some will only agree to leading roles. Others won’t touch scripts below a certain quality level. Some will only work with award-winning directors, or have strict expectations about their co-stars. You can, of course, try to remove certain clauses using various resources (or your, ahem, special methods of persuasion), but either way, truly valuable talent can no longer be bent entirely to your will — unless your word carries REAL weight.

If characters sign multi-picture deals with you, they are no longer obliged to jump into your project at a moment’s notice. They may work with competitors, and you’ll have to catch openings in their often packed schedules. This also means that any production delays or deviations from the plan can lead to painful and costly consequences — unless you find a way to resolve the issue quickly. In extreme cases, an actor may even leave your set early to fulfill obligations to another project. Yes, you can negotiate exclusivity in advance, but that will