Yes, people have made movies with The Movies. There was a competition too, and the results of which were announced at E3. Now for my close-up…
During a ceremony today from the floor of the Electronic Entertainment Expo(E3) 2006, the Chrysler brand and Activision, Inc. (Nasdaq: ATVI) announced the top honors in the Chrysler in The Movies: Virtual Film Competition (CiTM). Actor David Krumholtz, star of the CBS series, Numb3rs, presented the first place award to George Lippert of Kirkwood, MO for his virtual film, "Bullets are Forever Starring Marshall Paris." After a screening of the winning film, Mr. Lippert received the keys to a brand new Chrysler Crossfire sports car.
You can find all the winning movies here: http://chrysler.movies.lionhead.com.
Chrysler and Activision also announced the nine semi-finalists, who, along with "Bullets are Forever Starring Marshall Paris" could see their films made into live actions shorts by independent filmmakers participating in the Chrysler Film Project. The Chrysler Film Project (CFP) is a competition where filmmakers compete to win a full-length feature production deal on behalf of the Chrysler brand. Five of the winning virtual short films will be made into live action shorts by the CFP filmmakers and will ultimately be distributed by Chrysler.
Rounding out the top ten winning virtual films were "The Car Whisperer," by Jonathan Cozzolino of Knoxville, TN; "Double O by Night," by Stephen Traylor of Parker, CO; "The Loaner," by James King from Gloucester, VA; "The Magical Car," by Steve Scott of Plano, TX; "Road Trip to Roswell," by Kristine Browne of Kennesaw, GA; "To Save the Day," by Chris Frey of Brooklyn, NY; "What Happened," by Jonathan Face of New York, NY; "The Winner," by Anthony Avvento of Celebration, FL; and "The Working Girl," by Patrick Williams of Houston, TX.
"The Virtual Film Competition was a unique process, combining gaming and film, that rewards the best of innovation, technology and creativity," said David Rooney, Director-Chrysler Brand. "Just as inspiration is inherent in the Chrysler brand, we are thrilled to be providing an opportunity that brings the winners’ inspirations to life."
"We join with Chrysler in congratulating the winners of the Chrysler in The Movies: Virtual Film Competition," said Dave Anderson, senior director of business development, Activision, Inc. "The Movies gives would-be filmmakers the tools to control their own studio and create their own films. Activision is proud to have The Movies be part of a competition that is as creative and innovative as the game."
The contest, which was launched in January, invited participants to create a two to three-minute film using Activision and Lionshead® Studios’ The MoviesTM Windows® PC game. Films had to include any of the new Chrysler vehicles – the Pacifica, the Crossfire, the Chrysler 300 and the PT Cruiser – integrated into The Movies game. Entries were judged by a celebrity panel which included Paul W. S. Anderson ("Resident Evil"), David Krumholtz ("Numb3rs"), Garry Marshall ("Raising Helen," "The Princess Diaries"), Guy Ritchie ("Revolver," "Snatch," "Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels"), Brad Silberling ("Lemony Snicket’s A Series of Unfortunate Events," "City of Angels") and John Singleton ("Four Brothers," "2 Fast 2 Furious").
