Value
There is no denying that this is a tremendously valuable piece of software. This powerful, though somewhat difficult, program allows you to create scenes and movies in multiple genres and styles. Some truly amazing films have come from Moviestorm, so perhaps some of the difficulty mentioned may well be my personal issues with the program, rather than the program itself. If this were a $99 piece of software, I would caution rushing out to buy it, but acknowledge the power and depth of the program. As a FREE piece of software, there is no contest.
The camera window interface lacks simple options to move and pan the camera, instead relying on you clicking and dragging with different mouse keys. However, it does have a focal length slider. Those Hitchcockian dolly zooms you've been dying to do in your movies are a snap!
Final Comments Moviestorm is a great idea, a worthy program, and a decent start for Machinima creation software. I fully encourage anyone interested in creating simple movies on their computer to download this and give it a whirl. It has only been around for a few months and, as it is an online program, there will be updates and patches. This will likely clean up some of the issues I had, such as program stability and organization. I hope that more options are added (for character creation and manipulation, perhaps even a height and weight slide bar). This would allow the program to function more like The Sims where it counts, thereby performing as it was intended, to help us transition from The Sims to a dedicated program. So, go for it; try it; there is no risk!
Ease
of Use
5.0
Depth
of Options
8.0
Performance
6.0
Value
7.0
Overall
Score
6.5
David B. Grelck is a filmmaker and photographer. His first film, White Out, is being distributed on DVD worldwide, and the short film he wrote, produced and starred in “Gnome Man’s Land” is a web sensation.
