New Computer Tool Creates Animated Movie From Any Written Screenplay

"Movie-making for everyone: What if you could make a movie by just writing a story? Now you can."

That is the statement you're greeted with upon going to the Plotagon website. The new computer program from comic-book legend Stan Lee lets you create an animated movie on your computer, directly from a written screenplay. For both PC and Mac, the program allows you to visualize what you write. As the website says, you "write your story, choose actors, environments and music. Press play and your movie is done. It's that simple."

This program seems like a great way for screenwriters to better understand what they write and what about the story doesn't work, providing a helpful tool in the script development and editing process.

Plotagon comes with five characters and six environments in a style that looks very similar to The Sims game. After you choose those elements, the program animates by taking cues from the screenplay that you input.

For an additional cost, Plotagon offers more characters and environments in its store, including Alice in Wonderland, Stan Lee Superhero Pack inspired by POW!, and the soon-to-be-released Pride & Prejudice. The program also provides a way to easily share your creation with the world and get feedback.

According to Serena Chu in an article for psfk, "The computer-generated characters can be a bit domineering, considering their intense facial expressions and awkward body movements, nonetheless, this is a great example that demonstrates just how far 3-D model technology has developed."

To demonstrate how the tool works, Allure Media created Lifehacker — The Movie. Check out the animated short below.

For more resources on writing your best screenplay, check out the ScreenCraft post, Screenwriting Secrets From About Time Writer/Director Richard Curtis.