Hollywood Jungle – In the Thicket of the Stars

 

This game suggestion is, so to speak, “open source” and can be used for non-commercial purposes. If someone is crazy enough to try and make money from it, they can ask me first.

Game description:

In “Hollywood Jungle -– In the Thicket of the Stars” you play an agent struggling for success in the crazy world of the movie industry. Your clients are hungry for fame, attention and awards. From the award-winning genius to the completely untalented conformist – your success depends on your ability to deal with scandals, film funding and a lot of competition.

Game components:

• 1 game board with various “film sets”, “film festivals” and the “film funding”
• 6 playing pieces (agents)
• 6 “client” cards (3 types: ingenious eccentric, moderately talented, talent-free conformist)
• 1 “raven black paparazzo” playing piece
• 1 “film funding” playing piece
• scandal cards
• Event cards (producer, etc. see above!)
• Movie project cards (e.g. “indie movie”, “blockbuster”, “Oscar contender”)
• Awards (Golden Palm, Oscar, Golden Raspberry)
• 2 dice
• Play money (in the form of “Hollywood Bucks”)

Preparation:

1.     Each player receives an agent figure and draws a client card at random. The clients are:

o    Brilliant eccentric: talented, but attracts twice as many scandal cards and does not receive any film funding.

o    Moderately talented: moderate abilities, moderate chances of scandal and may occasionally receive film funding.

o    No-talent conformist: Little talent, but largely scandal-free and with generous support from the film fund.

2.     Place the ravenous paparazzo and the film fund in their starting positions.

3.     Each player receives a starting capital (e.g. 10,000 Hollywood Bucks) and draws a film project card to start the first shoot.

How to play:

Objective: As an agent, you try to help your client achieve a successful film career – whether through film awards, lucrative deals or scandals that still make you money. At the end, the player with the most awards and the most money wins.

a)    Start of the round: At the beginning of each round, each player draws an event card. These cards influence their clients' careers and their projects in a positive or negative way. The cards either take effect immediately or retain their effect over several rounds.

 

b)    Agents move: Each player rolls the dice and moves their agent figure accordingly on the playing field. There are special fields where film projects are shot, film festivals take place or prizes are awarded.

-         Clients move with them: The agents take their clients (actors/stars) with them on the board. They can participate in film shoots, go to festivals or negotiate with other agents to start new film projects.

c)     Scandal cards: If a player lands on a scandal space or encounters the paparazzi, they draw a scandal card. This card can have negative effects (e.g. loss of money, loss of image), depending on the client:

-         Eccentric genius: Draws twice as many scandal cards.

-         Moderately talented: Draws one scandal card.

-         A conformist with no talent: Is largely free of scandal (every second scandal card is dropped).

 

d)    Film funding: If a player lands on a film funding space, they receive financial

support. This varies depending on the client:

-         A conformist with no talent: Receives generous sums.

-         Moderately talented: receives smaller sums.

-         Genius eccentric: receives no film funding.

 

e)     Film awards: At the end of each round, there is a film awards ceremony at which clients with the most successful projects and the best reputation can win an award:

-         Golden Palm / Oscar: These prizes go to outstanding film projects.

-         Golden Raspberry: The client with the worst film of the year is awarded an “anti-prize”.

Special actions and events:

• The raven-black Paparazzo: The Paparazzo moves randomly around the playing field and hands out scandal cards to the clients he has in his sights. Some scandals can be “fixed” with money or clever management, while others destroy careers.
• Negotiations between agents: Agents can swap film projects, hire clients or make deals to get new locations.
• Film funding is flexible: Film funding is awarded at the discretion of the funding authority, but only to clients who behave in a politically correct and well-behaved manner.

Clients in detail:

1.     Brilliant eccentric:

o    He wins film awards almost single-handedly.

o    He attracts twice as many scandal cards.

o    He receives no film funding because he does not follow the mainstream.

2.     Moderately talented:

o    He has moderate chances of winning film awards, but has to work hard for them.

o    He occasionally attracts scandal (one scandal card per encounter).

o    He gets support from the film funding, but not in abundance.

3.     Untalented conformist:

o    Chances of winning film awards are slim – he is more likely to win a Golden Raspberry.

o    Scandals hardly affect him, he only draws every other scandal card.

o    The film funding loves him and showers him with money.

End of game:

The game ends after a set number of rounds or when one of the clients has received a certain number of awards. The player whose client has collected the most money and film awards wins.

Appendix: Types of event cards:

1. Star collapse: Your star is under too much stress (for example, due to too many scandals or unsuccessful negotiations with the producer) and collapses. You have to sit out three moves to “revive” him – with alcohol, relaxation yoga, or a scandal in the press.

1.     Manager cards:
Managers bring order to the chaos of the stars, but can also cause problems.

o    “Manager saves the day”: Your client is involved in a scandal? No problem – your manager takes care of it. Discard a scandal card.

o    “Manager on strike”: Your manager is on vacation or on strike. Your client cannot complete any projects this round.

2.     Consultant cards:
Consultants offer valuable advice (sometimes more than necessary).

o    “Brilliant Consultant”: A consultant improves your client's image so that he receives double the film funding.

o    “Bad Consultant”: An incompetent consultant gives bad advice – your client loses 5,000 Hollywood bucks.

3.     Critic Cards:
Critics can make or break a movie's reputation in the blink of an eye.

o    “Rave Reviews”: A famous film critic loves your client's latest movie – you immediately receive a film award!

o    “Devastating Review”: The critics hate your movie. You lose all chances of winning an award this round.

4.     Producer cards:
Producers finance movies or ruin careers with questionable decisions.

o    “Big Deal”: Your producer signs a lucrative contract – you immediately receive 10,000 Hollywood Bucks.

o    “Cut Budget”: Your producer drastically cuts the film budget. Your client has to sit out this round.

o    “Mob Style”: The producer is somewhat like the big mob boss 'Lucky Luciana' and you have to pay a bribe of 1000 Hollywood Bucks or sit out a round.

5.     Director cards:
The director can make or break a movie.

o    “Master Director”: Your client works with a legendary director – you can immediately draw an additional movie project card.

o    “Catastrophic Direction”: Your movie is taken over by an incompetent director – your client immediately receives a scandal card.

6.     Studio cards:
Studios are the power behind every movie – they decide what gets produced.

o    “Studio Push”: Your client has pushed back the deadline, but the studio is speeding up production – you have to complete a movie project immediately.

o    “Studio Closure”: Your client's studio goes bankrupt. Lose 5,000 Hollywood Bucks and you can't start a new project until you find a new producer.

7.     Media Scandal Cards:
The media loves a good scandal – and that has a massive impact on your clients.

o    “Front-page scandal”: Your client has made the headlines! They immediately draw two scandal cards, but you get 5,000 Hollywood Bucks from the sales figures.

o    “Rumors dispelled”: Your client was involved in a scandal, but a good lawyer clears it up. Discard a scandal card.

8.     Awards show cards:
Sometimes a random event can influence who wins or loses an award.

o    “Sudden favorite”: Your client is suddenly considered the favorite for the Oscar. You immediately receive 5,000 Hollywood Bucks and an additional award.

o    “Scandal at the ceremony”: An embarrassing incident occurs during the awards ceremony. Your client loses all chances of winning an award in that round.

© 2024 Q.A.Juyub alias Aldhar Ibn Beju