Hollywood Animal

Hollywood Animal

61 ratings
Traveler's Hollywood Animal Guide: Hints, Tips and Tricks!
By traveler0420
Everything you need to know: Timeline of the entire game, how to snowball early, get great talent and make amazing cinema.
3
3
3
   
Award
Favorite
Favorited
Unfavorite
Introduction
This is an edited version of my personal notes. Please treat this as an appendix to a better, well written guide! Please let me know if you plan to use anything here for your own content creation purposes, my Discord ID is traveler and my Twitch ID is traveler0420.

As of time of writing, the game version is 0.8.16EA.

Patch notes are posted in the #announcements channel of the Hollywood Animal Discord[discord.com]

Additional helpful links:
Additional useful guides I found on Reddit:
Playstyle
Hollywood Animal is pretty easy once you get the hang of it.

Theatres

The main thing is to buy up theatres as soon as possible, ideally around 1931. You will need approximately $27million for this, previously about $9million was enough. There are initially 1409 theatres available, up to 1500 by 1932, then from June 1938 to March 1940 new cinemas appear every month for 1750 total available theatres. Your competitors will slowly be buying out theatres as well as selling them gradually on a monthly basis.

It requires a bit of early gambling with the cost of renting out theatres for your initial movies and the expected return from audience turnout and ticket sales. With more playtime you will get a feel of how many showings you can profit from and later playthroughs it should be pretty simple to snowball.

Note: Independent theatre availability was tweaked in patch 0.8.11EA and has not been tested yet.

Talent

The second thing, after theatre ownership, is talent. The best talent is usually snapped up by Gerstein Bros and other big studios before the game starts, but there is a simple, albeit time consuming way to deal with that. Once your Casting Studio is built, make a note of every actor with attractive Commercial or Artistic status traits. You will see either a popcorn icon for Commercial traits or laurel wreath icon for Artistic traits:



Click through the actor's profile and look at their Contract conditions to see when it ends:



In the example above, I make a note that on 9th Oct '42, a 6.0 actor is available. After consolidating all the talent you desire, you will end up with a timeline with each milestone being a talent to sign up. Here is a part of my list for example:
  • 27 Feb '35 - 6.7 composer
  • 07 Mar '35 - 6.0 star actor
  • 07 Mar '35 - 7.0 actress
  • 07 Mar '35 - 7.0 true artist actress
It is then super easy to track the current game time against your notes. And yes its super nerdy to keep a list, but if you are looking for guides then you are probably a nerd anyways :P But if you follow this method, you will eventually find yourself with more than enough Artistic talent to fulfil the Boutique studio policy.

Another thing you want to do is deny your competition access to talent. This is especially important later on as access to good talent dries up once World War 2 gets in motion, and between Dec 1941 and Jan 1942 when you start losing talent to the ongoing war.

To do this just sign everyone up to 3 movie contracts. Later on when you get an idea for which talent are being used more, then sign them up for yearly contracts. A good early money saving tip is to sign talent up initially to a 1 movie deal, then after the movie is done you get a 10% successful collaboration bonus in negotiations, making it cheaper to sign them onto longer contracts later on.

Filming Schedule
Always 5 Days per Week and 8 Hours per Day for best outcome.

Friends
Always take Protection from Police Raids service! I usually remind myself every 6 months by activating the service along with the favours Cinema Raids and Touting Mayor's Achievements - The extra screens help remind me to take the anti Police Raid service - One popup is easy to miss, three in a row is a little harder. It helps get Goodwill Points for Influence Points and for further police protection later on.

Keep in mind its an additive 15% debuff to audience numbers for each favour you complete, and you also take a rep hit, which doesn't matter after you reach the 1,000 rep Behemoth studio policy requirement. If you are feeling frisky you can also gain some cheap Goodwill Points by activating Removing popcorn for KKK and Trailer ads for bars for the Bootleggers. The KKK services are whatever, and the Bootleggers seem to be able to dissolve anyone in acid which is great for literally killing the competition.
Secret Influencer Portrait Swap
Taken from Reddit.

This provides a cosmetic change to the game by replacing a default actor with an influencer. Press Q+P on Main Menu before starting a new game. Enter the code in the box that pops up. A harmonica sound should play on successful activation. Only one of these can be activated. Not all codes have been verified.

Influencer
code
BRICKY
15istheanswer
DANSGAMING
fifteen
ELWYCCO
15isbetterthan220
EZEKIEL_III
yougofor15
SIPS
15means15
ESCOCES_GAMER
SexyyBarrigón15
CHICHES
notienescorazón15
CRINGER
weAPPYyouCringer15
GHOSTKAI
superspy15
CHARLIE_PRYOR
charliethegreat15
ZEALAND
exFMBase15
TIGERWRITER
youaremytiger15
ARATHRAK
ChrisWilliamson15
MADMORPH
bearhiddenbehindthemask15
Achievements
  • "Can't make the scene if you don't have the green.": Accumulate $20 million in the account.
  • "From a great inner pain.": Written a hundred scripts.
  • "I want everything I've ever seen in the movies!": Release a movie with ten story elements.
  • "I'm not here to say please, I'm here to tell you what to do.": Push five initiatives through the Alliance.
  • "It's not the years, honey. It's the mileage.": Completed Act One.
  • "Second star to the right and straight on till morning.": Turn Wendy Carpenter into a level 10 actress.
  • "Well, my next one will be better.": Released a film written, shot, and edited at the studio.
  • "You can't take it with you, Mr. Kirby.": Owned 1001 movie theaters.

Hidden achievements
  • "Chicas, champagne, flash.": Unlocked all illegal gifts
  • "Let's go home, Debbie.": Kept a prisoner in captivity for five years.
  • "Nothing is written.": You stole the Duvalls' money and suppressed the secret.
  • "We all go a little mad sometimes.": You've killed six people.
  • "You had me at hello.": Befriended four characters at once, with just one film.
Upgrade Path
Upgrades are unlocked when the Script Department is first built, therefore it is always worth using Luxta to decrease building time and allow you to start upgrades sooner.

* Starred Departments mean you should use bonuses to decrease time spent researching when possible. Not all upgrades are possible within one playthrough.

Script Department*: Story Workshop (locked) -> Develop new Story Elements -> New Story Element every six months -> New Story Element every three months -> 6-10 Story Elements in the Story Workshop then whatevers left

Distribution Department*: Marketing and Outreach -> Theater Management -> Analytics And Statistics -> Post-release analytics -> Audience analytics -> Viewership Projection -> Emergency printing -> Printing office -> Accurate viewership projection -> Twelve week calendar -> Twenty-four week calendar then whatevers left

Pre Production*: Casting Office -> Sets and Props -> Technical Support -> Exp for directors and cinematographers -> Double exp for directors and cinematographers -> Scouting Office -> International location scouting -> High quality locations -> Amazing locations then whatevers left

Production Department*: Level 2 Soundstage -> Double exp for directors, actors and cinematographers -> Line Production Office -> Auxiliary film crew -> Level 3 Soundstage then whatevers left

PR Department: Double Reputation for profitable films -> Reputation for Loyalty -> Double reputation for Loyalty then either Icons if you have lots of Artistic trait staff or Idols for Commercial trait staff then whatevers left

HR Department: Services -> Ethnic composition -> Illegals -> Ascetic staff -> Enthusiastic newbies -> Professional achievement -> Labor market -> Positive attitude -> Cheap illegals -> Mothball buildings then whatevers left

Financial Department: $1,000,000 loan -> $500 cash per month -> $1000 cash per month -> Early repayment -> $2,000,000 loan -> $6,000,000 loan then whatevers left

Legal Department: Mid-level legal protection -> Delay contract payment -> 5 year contract -> 10 year contract then whatevers left

Maintenance: Repair Crew -> Medium landscaping. Power plant and Water tower aren't worth researching atm

Post Production: Two paths here - going Professional post-production facilities helps boost your staff early, but researching faster upgrades like Concert Hall helps achieve the $500k Luxta building task later on. Eventually you will want Professional post-production facilities, the rest are nice to have but Behemoth facilities trump them so researching them only helps make things cheaper

Security: Bodyguard -> Operations Center -> Security Services -> Abductions -> Contract killings -> Repelling attack +50% exp then whatevers left

Services: SilverMoon Kronos watch -> Alexandre Dumas Siglo VI cigars -> Whiskey Glennafola 50 Cask Strength -> Wardrobe by Christo Duvalier -> Lussuria Atlantic sports car then whatevers left

Engineering: Research Group 2 -> Technology invention -> Research Group 3 -> Additional research groups then whatevers left
Timeline of Events
Note: This is incomplete and a work in progress. I will try and collate events that are constant in every game, but depending on random events, such as the outcome of the Fred Carpenter vs. Richard Stripes mayoral election, some circumstances may change and not apply.

1929
  • 01 Jan '29 - Game starts when first movie post-production begins with hiring Post-production Head
  • 03 Jan '29 - Build script department when all dept Heads appointed
  • 22 Jan '29 - Finance executive addiction problem
  • 07 Feb '29 - First movie completes Post Production with Medium quality
  • 09 Feb '29 - Introduction of IP and cash to solve problems
  • 17 Feb '29 - Script department completed if using Luxta. Introduced to research upgrade system and research Story Workshop. Remember to pause time and assign research to all departments!
  • 25 Mar '29 - First movie releases
  • Remember to build and hire Security before first movie concludes distribution
  • You get some talent once Pre Production is built, and you can fire and rehire management staff for cheaper
  • 13 May '29 - Lydia Globe comes back to extend vacation for 3 months
  • 20 May '29 - Your actress b*tches about Lydia Globe
  • 29 Jun '29 - Tour for journalist
  • 12 Jul '29 - Rotten Fates script for $1,000 cash
  • Don't forget to fire the drunk editor and racist composer
  • On building Casting Office: Hire A-list actor task, two actors with Artistic and Commercial appeal are generated.
  • 11 Aug '29 - Lydia Globe comes back to extend vacation for 2 more months
  • 11 Oct '29 - Lydia Globe finally returns!!
  • 13 Oct '29 - Fred Carpenter introduces Wendy Carpenter
  • 20 Oct '29 - Gerstein Bros. tries to buy out nonce actor
  • 19 Nov '29 - Luxta Constructions contract, $500k worth of buildings
1930
  • 23 Jan '30 - New revolutionary zoom out technology
  • 01 Apr '30 - Police Chief wants movie with Heroes in Uniform story element
  • 27 Nov '30 - Irish Mob wants movie with Alcohol - Spirit of Freedom story element, $300k on completion
  • Ideally Theatre Management built around this time, buy up theatres, need approx $9 mil to buy 900+
1931
  • 10 Feb '31 - Richard Stripes wants movie with Corrupt Official antagonist
  • 07 Dec '31 - Mafia offers The Sicilian Tiger, a script with 7 story elements + million dollars
1932
  • 21 Mar '32 - Admit into FSAA, somehow there is a spare theater to buy?
  • New talent pool around this period
  • 17 Apr '32 - FSAA established, Pollux Award initiative
  • 01 Jul '32 - New cinemas, up to 1500 total
1933
  • 05 Jan '33 - Choose Studio Policy Path
  • 13 Jun '33 - Police Chief wants to be a composer, with a bonus in a Wild West setting
  • 14 Oct '33 - Security gets Police Surveillance ability
  • Ideally write scripts with a female protagonist because:
1934
  • Feb '34 - Nazis offer German Actress
  • 25 Mar '34 - Hitler assumes power
  • 02 Jun '34 - FSAA votes on The Code (1141 votes)
1935
  • 01 Jan '35 - Jurgen Stelm apparently executes Frau Riedler and replaces her as the Nazi friend
  • 15 Sep '35 - Jews flee Germany, new talent pool with insane stats and low self importance making them very cheap to hire
  • 12 Nov '35 - Mafia offers director
1936
  • 17 May '36 - Gerstein Bros. force The Code into adoption. Afaik it's impossible to vote against it this time around, but you can start a vote to delay the adoption of The Code for a year which can be beaten with 800 IP votes
  • 10 Jun '36 - Nazis offers Son of the Fatherland script, a script with 5 story elements
  • 27 Nov '36 - KKK wants movie with White Supremacy story element. If you reject them they will protest and your theatre attendance drops to <5% for a few months
1939
  • 01 Sep '39 - Germany invades Poland, Nazis are no longer friend. WW2: Europe setting available
1938
  • 04 Jan '40 - New theatres available for a total of 1830 cinemas
  • 05 Jan '40 - You can hire Tatsuya Igawa, a 7.7 actor, for $10k
1941
  • 07 Dec '41 - Japan attacks Pearl Harbour, Actors start leaving to fight war, WW2: Pacific setting available
1942
  • 12 Jan '42 - Gerstein Bros buys up every independent movie theater
  • 13 Jun '42 - First hint of Gerstein Bros vs FTC movie theater Supreme Court case
1943
  • 26 Jan '43 - Another hint of Gerstein Bros Supreme Court case on movie theater ownership
1945
  • 07 May '45 - Germany surrenders the war
  • Sep '45 - Actors that left to fight war return
  • 04 Oct '45 - Supreme Court confirms trial US vs. Gerstein Bros. movie theater ownership
  • 11 Dec '45 - Pentagon supports movies about American soldiers in WW2, filling theatres to capacity if released before Dec 31 '46
1946
  • 10 Aug '46 - Supreme Court upholds US vs. Gerstein Bros. No longer movie theater ownership, comes into effect 31 Dec '48
1949
  • 01 Jan '49 - Act 1 ends, so does the current version of the game.
Luxta Construction Contract Task
Here's the buildings I used to complete the task. You can take them to court, and with Fred Carpenter's lawyer service you can reach above 50% winrate. But I generally find this pretty simple to complete.
  • Services $105k
  • Sound Studio $19.5k
  • Engineering $180k
  • Marketing and Outreach $22.5k
  • 2x Lvl 2 Soundstage $66k
  • Sets and Props $67.5k
  • Security Services $21k
  • Film Lab $30k
The Code


This is the default implementation of The Code for reference. Does not take into account later additions/removals of Story Elements.
Story Element Combinations


This section shows successful Story Element tag combinations based on my research.

These results were from movies I analyzed using the Post-release analytics research as part of the Analytics and Statistics options in the Distribution department. Once Post-release analytics is researched, you can always browse Released Films in the Distribution department for your previously released films and choose Perform Analytics after clicking into About The Movie in the movie details screen.

You will get three screens, first shows Audience Analysis, Story Element Combinations and then Strength and Weaknesses.
  • Audience Analysis shows theater attendance and audience breakdown for the movie's distribution period, as well as the marketing advertisements used.
  • Story Element Combinations shows you successful and unsuccessful Story element tag combinations.
  • Strength and Weaknesses shows Actors that were effective and other elements that could improve production.
How this section works is I list the genre, e.g. Action, and list tags that work effectively with it. In the below example, Action pairs well with the Adventure genre in a Fantasy Kingdom setting. It also works well with the World War story elements that happen later in the game. There are also sub-genres, such as Caribbean, that pair well with similar story themes such as Bounty Hunter, Pirate, Treasure Hunt. There are also additional bonus story tag combinations, e.g. Treasure Hunt/Protagonist Finds Treasure, that pair well but don't belong as part of a bigger sub-section.

Action
Adventure, Fantasy Kingdom, Brother in Arms (protag), Bounty Hunter, Cowboy, Soldier, Criminal Gang, Bandit, Pirate, Ace Combat, Shootout, Brother in Arms, Bank Robbery, Big Battle Scene, City Siege, Prison Break, Rescue Mission, Tank Combat, War is Hell, Antagonist Gets Killed
  • Caribbean: Bounty Hunter, Pirate, Treasure Hunt
  • Bounty Hunter: Sidekick, Pirate, Treasure Hunt, Shootout
  • Pirate: Treasure Hunt, Protagonist Finds Treasure
Additional bonus tag combinations
  • Bandit/Antagonist Gets Killed
  • Bank Robbery/Crime of Necessity
  • Prison Break/Crime of Necessity
  • Runaway/Prison Break
  • Big Battle Scene/Shootout
  • Treasure Hunt/Protagonist Finds Treasure
  • Loveable Rogue/Sidekick
Adventure
Action, Arthurian Legends, Fantasy Kingdom, Tropical Island, Bounty Hunter, Daring Adventurer, Pirate, Spirited Young Lady, Long Journey, Treasure Hunt, Protagonist Finds Treasure
  • Arthurian Legends: Knight, Evil Sorcerer, A Curse, Jousting Tournament
  • Tropical Island: Daring Adventurer, Tribal Chief, Long Journey, Treasure Hunt
  • Daring Adventurer: Damsel in Distress, Long Journey, Treasure Hunt, Protagonist Finds Treasure
  • Pirate: Long Journey, Treasure Hunt, Protagonist Finds Treasure
  • Evil Witch: Wizard, Antagonist Gets Killed
  • Wizard: Evil Sorcerer, A Curse
  • A Curse: Evil Sorcerer, Evil Witch, Wizard, Evil Transformation
  • Long Journey: Protagonist Returns, Protagonist Finds Treasure
Additional bonus tag combinations
  • Tribal Chief/Treasure Hunt
  • Treasure Hunt/Protagonist Finds Treasure
  • Criminal Mastermind/Antagonist Gets Punished
  • Knight/Jousting Tournament
  • Mad Scientist/Evil Transformation
Comedy
Clumsy Oaf, Farm Girl, Outcast, Love Interest, Sidekick, Love Triangle
  • Clumsy Oaf: Love Interest, Love Triangle, Winning the Beloved
  • Modern American Town: Farm Girl, Working Man, Struggle For Better Life
Additional bonus tag combinations
  • Working Man/Struggle For Better Life
Detective
Detective (protag), Serial Killer, Damsel in Distress, Femme Fatale, Search For A Killer, Antagonist Gets Killed, Antagonist Gets Punished
Detective
Detective (protag), Search For a Killer, Antagonist Gets Punished
  • Detective (protag): Murderer, Search for a Killer, Antagonist Gets Punished
  • Modern American City: Detective
Additional bonus tag combinations
  • Murderer/Search for a Killer
  • Serial Killer/Search for a Killer
Drama
Farm Girl, Outcast, War Veteran, Working Man, Angry Boss, Femme Fatale, Love Interest, Betrayal, Struggle For Better Life, Surviving in Wartime, War is Hell, Winning The Beloved, Protagonist Dies Heroically
Historical
American Civil War, Victorian England, WW2: Africa, WW2: Europe, Knight, War Veteran, Rival, Jousting Tournament, Big Battle Scene, War is Hell, Protagonist Overcomes Doubts
  • American Civil War: Soldier, Shootout
  • WW2: Pacific: Historical, Soldier, Brother in Arms, War Criminal, Surviving in Wartime, Tank Combat, War is Hell
  • WW2: Africa: Brother in Arms (protag/costar), War Criminal, Ace Combat, Tank Combat
  • WW2: Europe: Brother in Arms, Soldier, War Criminal, Big Battle Scene, Surviving in Wartime, Tank Combat, Torture in Captivity, War is Hell
  • Soldier: Brother in Arms, War Criminal, Love Interest, Big Battle Scene, Shootout, Surviving in Wartime, Tank Combat, War is Hell, Protagonist Dies Heroically
  • Brother in Arms (protag): Brother in Arms (costar), Ace Combat, Tank Combat, War is Hell
  • Brother in Arms (costar): Ace Combat, Tank Combat, War is Hell
  • Brother in Arms: Tank Combat, War is Hell
  • War Veteran: Brother in Arms, War is Hell
  • Surviving in Wartime: War is Hell, Protagonist Dies Heroically
  • War is Hell: Brother in Arms, War Widow, War Criminal, Ace Combat, Big Battle Scene, Readjusting to Life, Tank Combat, Torture in Captivity, Protagonist Dies Heroically, Protagonist Returns Home
Additional bonus tag combinations
  • Victorian England/Jousting Tournament
  • Ace Combat/Tank Combat
  • Escape Captivity/Torture in Captivity
Horror
Alien, Search for a Killer
Science Fiction
Space, Dystopian Futuristic City, Alien, Robot
  • Space: Alien, Robot
Additional bonus tag combinations
  • Dystopian Futuristic City/Robot
Thriller
Ancient Evil, Femme Fatale

Additional bonus tag combinations
  • Ancient Evil/A Curse
Romance
Clumsy Oaf, Hopeless Romantic, Annoying Suitor, Femme Fatale, Love Interest, Rival, Love Triangle, Saving The Beloved, Winning The Beloved, Unrequited Love, Couple Gets Married, Sweethearts Stay Together, Protagonist Finds Love
  • Hopeless Romantic: Love Interest, Winning The Beloved, Protagonist Finds Love
  • Rival: Love Triangle, Unrequited Love, Winning The Beloved
  • Femme Fatale: Love Interest, Love Triangle, Saving The Beloved, Winning The Beloved, Unrequited Love, Couple Gets Married, Protagonist Dies Heroically, Sweethearts Stay Together, Protagonist Finds Love
  • Damsel in Distress: Saving The Beloved, Winning The Beloved
  • Love Interest: Farm Girl, Outcast, Rival, Love Triangle, Saving The Beloved, Winning The Beloved, Unrequited Love, Sweethearts Stay Together, Protagonist Finds Love
  • Love Triangle: Annoying Suitor, Saving The Beloved, Unrequited Love, Sweethearts Stay Together
  • Unrequited Love: Saving The Beloved, Couple Gets Married, Protagonist Finds Love
  • Winning The Beloved: Protagonist Finds Love, Sweethearts Stay Together
Additional bonus tag combinations
  • Hopeless Romantic/Sweethearts Stay Together
  • Saving the Beloved/Couple Gets Married
20 Comments
Titule 4 Oct @ 2:58am 
Yes, update would be much appreceated. And also an update of the mentioned "Hollywood Animal Calculator" Python Script
SNT 3 Oct @ 8:29am 
We need an update of this guide.
LadyVader 20 Sep @ 2:00pm 
betrayal has synergy also with romance
WesternCrusader666 29 Aug @ 4:23am 
Arthurian Legends and Love Triangle is a good combo
DuDu 7 Aug @ 8:27pm 
What are the best tricks (legal and illegal) to use?
Bohemian Rap City 13 Jun @ 11:56am 
I am currently into Sept of 1931 and making a profit on each film, but I rarely carry a film over into extended release because I am usually barely getting 10% of the seats sold in week 4. This means that my actual film profits per release is about $1m per film and 3 films a year. I have been locked at $3-4 million in my account for 2 years and have no idea if I need to crank out more films faster (increasing overhead) or keep it up with this pace.
Painter 10 May @ 8:55am 
( "You had me at hello.": Befriended four characters at once, with just one film. )

How should this be understood?
Antismus 1 May @ 8:06am 
how to acheive "You had me at hello"? :3
Veggieleezy 28 Apr @ 6:48pm 
Could I run this code in something like PyCharm? I don't have Python installed, but I do have access to PyCharm already and I feel a little more confident using that since I've been working with it a lot lately.
xtreampb 28 Apr @ 7:49am 
@DirtyBlue929 I think it is if an employee's happiness drops to 0 for an extended period of time. I've had her and even a department head commit suicide. Keep an eye on your employee's happiness and give them gifts if they are in the red.