Roll Camera and the Challenge of Piecing Together a Film
Take the helm of a film production riddled with comedic problems and exciting scenes on the verge of greatness in Roll Camera.
It took a lot to convince me to even think about packing up Roll Camera! The Filmmaking Board Game… So why do it?! This hilarious game about piecing together scenes between problems and ideas, all with a limited budget and schedule, was a blast! With a higher difficulty level, I was looking forward to the challenge. Onward to another masterpiece!
Game Overview
Game Name: Roll Camera! The Filmmaking Board Game
Publication Year: 2021
Designer: Malachi Ray Rempen
Artist: Malachi Ray Rempen
Publisher: Keen Bean Studio
Solo Mode: Included in the Base Game
The difficulty level is simple to figure out during setup: On the back of the budget and schedule dial are indicators. Easy! The goal is to make a complete and memorable film before either the budget or schedule runs out. There’s a spatial puzzle with the set, and lots of issues to work out!
First Play
August 4, 2021
Complexity
2
Latest Play
October 29, 2022
Expansions
0
Setup Time
5 Minutes
Lifetime Plays
4
Play Time
35 Minutes
High Score
N/A
Game Area
28" x 24"
Low Score
N/A
Directing the Show
Amongst the many unique roles, I chose to use the director this time around. Note that these are double-sided with different bean people. Lots of diversity here!
As I started to plan the beginning, I could see a nice opportunity to make a horrible movie. Remember that quality is important, but it can be so bad it’s great!
By trading quality for time or money, this could turn out to be a great idea. Or… An absolute disaster. Ha ha!
These player board options definitely changed the game quite a bit, and in a good way. Plenty of other choices!
Excellent Storage
Almost all of the components, save for the board and rulebook, fit inside a wonderfully thematic container.
This roll of film opens up to feature places for everything. I should also note that there is plenty of additional room, which I hope means we’ll see some expansions!
At this stage in my life, time feels more important than ever. Spending even an extra 10-20 minutes on setup and cleanup can be a noticeable hassle. Luckily, not here!
I might have settled for something a little less fancy, yet this also goes hand in hand with the unique box…
A Top-Loading Box
Ta-da! When I first learned about this clapper-style box and how the components would have to slide in and out, I thought it might be a little too gimmicky for a game.
However, it’s quite nice! Rather than having to deal with a box top and bottom, it all stays together very neatly.
Sliding in the components still requires a little more care than usual, and I can see the rulebook getting a little dinged up in the process over time. Still, it’s pretty neat!
This also easily allows for storing the box horizontally or vertically without the pieces flying all around inside.
Every Type of Problem
Although the problems represent penalties, they truly give each play a unique flavor. Finding ways to resolve each card is important and helps mitigate the issues.
I particularly liked the illustration for the one labeled, “Everything is going wrong at once!!!” So many issues!
There’s also an incentive to work through these quickly, as every 5 resolved problems can add to the budget or schedule. Sometimes, a problem can even be useful!
I was almost used to the cinematographer resolving problems so quickly, and had to quickly adapt this time.
The Best Kinds of Ideas
Whereas the problems presented scenarios to work through, I had other ways to change the game with all of the ideas. So many ideas! All pitched during meetings.
Every bit of flavor text added a fun little mini-scene, while the effects made sense. Anything for the best movie!
Actually, it looked like I was on track to create something that was so bad it would be great. That’s how every filmmaker must think, right? Ha ha! Lots of fun, indeed.
I was thrilled with the stock footage, which reduced the film’s quality by a lot. Exactly what the director planned!
A Lucky Set
At the center of every film is the set, where 2×2 pieces can be added over time. Dice may be placed on the blue spaces in order to match the right pattern on each scene card.
Normally, these set pieces need to be rearranged at least a few times to film all 5 different scenes. Not this time!
By some extreme luck, these set pieces worked perfectly. I had some ideas that allowed me to ignore certain icons or use wilds in different ways. Not even a problem ruined it.
Granted, I also cycled through a few new scenes to find the right ones. That was the trick and it was awesome to see!
Dramatic Comedy
My favorite part of the setup is the big reveal of the script! It consists of a top and bottom, mainly to provide ways to raise or lower the quality once a film has been completed.
This is also why I knew Lethal Unbearable Anguish was going to be far from a masterpiece. The audience expected a drama, and I was going to ruin it with silly comedy.
See? I really know how to direct. Ha ha! I’m joking but can appreciate all the work that goes into real filmmaking.
Yet I’m certain we’re all here for the exciting overview of this nightmare of a film. Would it be bad enough?!
The Arrival of Lethal
An early morning arrival of a new bean person was simply too cute, but it was the beginning of the end. For little Hector wasn’t just a baby. This was the start of LETHAL.
That smile turned out to be a killer in the worst sense. Bean people dropped left and right until it was clear that Hector needed to be locked away from the world.
His dear mother, Florence, perished under his gaze when he broke free from the house. It was simply too much.
Note that Hector’s lethal stare was dubbed in editing with stock laser effects and common sound effects. Genius.
Lethal on the Loose
Hector’s father, Louis, was the only one capable of stopping his son. He feverishly worked out equations and tried to find the only way to stop the lethal attacks.
Around town, Hector was simply unbearable. Cue the montage of his travels through downtown, his lethal stare destroying everyone from the baker to the tailor. All gone.
That is until Louis showed up in a parade atop a float. But wait! Whatever is that contraption?! Ready, aim, FIRE!
It all went horribly wrong as a puny baseball thunked into Hector, causing his lethal glance to hit the bystanders.
Defeated by Laughter
Just when it seemed like everyone would deal with those unbearable eye lasers, laughter started to creep up from the far corners of the crowd. Deep, full-fledged laughter.
Pan to Hector, and his lasers flicker and die like the lights in an old truck suffering from a dead battery. It worked!
The laughter then goes on for far too long with camera angles that make absolutely no sense. This is the scene that turns the film into a classic for film aficionados.
And that’s a wrap! Note my quality marker… I set out to make an awful film. Mission accomplished!
Session Overview
Play Number: 2
Solo Mode: Included in the Base Game
Play Details: Normal Difficulty Level
Outcome: Win
As ridiculous as my final film turned out to be, I pulled off another win! This time, it was the worst quality that came in under budget and on schedule. What a fun little game! I can see how some elements could become repetitive, although there are production companies to introduce for more challenges. Plenty more to explore! Maybe next time I can aim for a proper masterpiece. Nah… Bad is great. Ha!
%
1 Play
Affordability
Price & Value
5
Functionality
Challenges & Mechanics
7
Originality
Design & Theme
10
Quality
Components & Rules
7
Reusability
Achievement & Enjoyment
7
Variability
Distinctness & Randomness
10
+ Pros (Positives)
- Creating the story from the 5 final scenes is a lot of fun and helps complete the play with a fun ending.
- Adjusting the difficulty level is easily done during setup and can involve production company challenges.
- Each problem and idea is unique with a mini-scene depicting some calamity or situation for the bean people.
- Any sort of story can be created, yet the lighthearted nature of the artwork ensures things are usually comedic.
- Finding the optimal placement for the dice every round requires some thought without feeling overwhelming.
- The theme is very unique and comes through with a set of complementary mechanics that are mostly intuitive.
– Cons (Negatives)
- There are a lot of different roles and actions to take, yet the long-term paths to victory are fairly similar.
- For the price, the amount of and quality of the cards is slightly disappointing next to the rest of the components.
- Each scene has a certain novelty to it and encountering it multiple times can feel a little repetitive.
- The storage solution is unique and thematic, yet it has the potential to snag the edges of the board or rulebook.
Victory Conditions
Complete 5 Scenes at the Best or Worst Quality
- Overall Goal Progress 100%
Goals and Milestones
Win at least 1 game as the cinematographer.
Win at least 1 game as the director.
Win at least 1 game as the editor.
Win at least 1 game as the producer.
Win at least 1 game at the easy difficulty level.
Win at least 1 game at the normal difficulty level.
Win at least 1 game at the hard difficulty level.
Continue the Conversation
Does the theme of Roll Camera! The Filmmaking Board Game appeal to you? I’ve had a great time so far with my rather unusual hits! Have you had a chance to play? Sometimes, it’s simply nice to play something that stands on its own. I’m often reminded of the fun I had making up storylines. Now I have a challenging way to bring those to life, in a way!
Ah, but how does it stack up against that classic of cinematographic art Shark in Venice? (This is a real film.)
The graphical presentation is surprisingly bare-bones considering the way many modern games look – I mean, it works and it’s easy to read, but I suspect that won’t do this game any favours…
If I ever win a filmmaking award, it will be for the worst of the worst… Really can’t do much worse than me. Ha ha! Interesting assessment about the graphical presentation. I rather enjoyed the different aesthetics and how they stood out against other games. Sometimes, it’s nice to have something that goes against everything you think would work!