A sophisticated, entertaining, and instructive tool for creating animated stories. Hollywood inspires kids to write because they can instantly see their words come alive on the screen. Not only do their characters move, but they also speak the lines that kids write.
Twenty different backdrops inspire the action: a talk show set, a diner, a sports arena, a space ship. Kids can cast up to 10 off-beat characters in a show and develop their personalities by making choices about occupations (rock star or doctor, for example), hobbies (sky-diving or bowling, perhaps), moods (from paranoid to happy) and voices (whispery, commanding, and more). To move a character, kids simply click and drag it into position. An array of facial expressions, body language, and actions (talking on the phone or eating a pizza, for example) can be connected with a character. And, of course, kids can add sound effects and theme music.
Click any character, and kids instantly become scriptwriters. Hollywood's smartest feature: The software seems to "know" every character (as well as who they're with and where they are) and makes customized suggestions for story starters, plot twists, and dialog any time kids want help. It automatically incorporates stage directions like entrances and exits as well as the narration and dialog kids write. Any change in the script is instantly reflected in the action, and any change in the action produces an instant update in the script. And during both the creative process and the performance, Hollywood lip-synchs the dialog and reads the characters' lines with one of the best text-to-speech voice generators we've heard.
Add-on story packs with new settings and characters extend the life of the software.
