I decided to try out FilmGenerator, a website which provides multimedia/film-making software online, after an animator friend posted about it on social media. I was pleasantly surprised by the fact that I could use a “test” account to log in. I was certain that I’d have to sign up for an account, and was hence prepared for it. I tend to find signing up a hassle, so I really liked the fact that I didn’t have to do it, for this site.

Details of the site and FAQs can be found in its ‘About’ section, but I’ll quickly list its key features:
- Has functions such as storyboard, comic book, screenshots, mobile site & app
- Has over 80 robotic voiceovers (multilingual)
- Small file size. An hour-long DVD quality movie is 2 MBs in size
- No flash, a common web browser can play the movies
- Supports most languages
- Output format: film, storyboard or text

Now, let’s get back to my experience. I planned to create a short film about a girl, Tina, who goes into a city on a tour, but is killed by a speeding truck. This was to be my first movie ever.

The site’s features were basic, and easy to use. I had to start by entering a title and a description for my movie, and then I had to choose the setting, the characters and sounds. I found the site’s robotic voiceovers really helpful. I hadn’t expected to find features like those on a site which can be used for free.

Well, the finished product wasn’t quite the glamorous Hollywood-style movie my novice mind had expected, but that definitely wasn’t due to a lack of features, or ease in using them. The movie looked a little wanting, even by novice standards, so I plan to get back to it someday, and see Tina to her sad end.

Another thing which I liked was the fact that the site wasn’t very data-consuming. I have a limited data plan, so data-heavy sites are a huge no for me.

Would I pay to use the site, if a better-known site were available at a similar price? No. But would I recommend the website to my friends? Definitely.