How do you beat Back Lot Island on Poptropica?

Answer 1

Back Lot Island is the 34th island of Poptropica, released for general play on April 25, 2013. The quest involves working at a movie studio in various roles, ending with the completion of a short film.

This solution contains all spoilers. There is a shorter version at the related question below and a video walkthrough at the Related Link below.

Arriving on the island

There are several businesses along Sunrise Street (Main Street)

-- To the left is the Wax Museum (multiplayer room), Queequeg's Coffee, and Digital Dreamscapes (film animators).

-- To the right is the Talent Agency, another Queequeg's Coffee, and farther right the Chinese Movie Theater, Souvenir shop, and the closed Film Studio.

1) When you arrive at the island, some reporters will think you're a star and take photos of you. They eventually realize you're not a star and go after a former kid star named Willy.

2) Enter the One-of-a-Kind Talent agency. Talk to the 2 pairs of people in line. Then talk to the lady at the counter. She'll call you a natural, a star. She'll also ask you to give her $1000 to set up your career, but you don't have any money. She'll tell you about Harvey Scoops, who needs help at his magazine (a gossip rag).

3) Continue right and meet the old couple, and see the name Carson Willis on the sidewalk. He is supposedly a legendary film director. Continue right.

4) The blond guy you meet is Harvey Scoops. He tells you about rumors of activity inside the closed Grand Majestic Studios. He gives you a camera and asks you to take a picture from the high building next door. But the camera doesn't work, because it is an old-style film camera.

5) Go back to the left. Cross the street when you don't see a car. Show your camera to the old man at the Wax Museum, who will give you a roll of film for the camera. Select it from your items t load it. Go back to the studio.

6) Climb to the top of the building to the left of the studio and use the camera. Move the viewfinder down and left to see a bearded guy inside the studio. Suddenly there is a small earthquake and you fall.

7) You awake next to a little gray dog in a technicolor wonderland. Are you in Oz?

At Sound Stage One

8) No. It is a painted backdrop next to Sound Stage 1 of the studio. Apparently someone is working there after all. Go right to the sound stage door.

9) You meet Sofia May, assistant to Carson Willis, who is secretly filming a movie in the closed studio. She says you can go inside. You see a cameraman, director Willis, and star actor Kirk Strayer, who becomes upset and leaves.

10) Follow Kirk and Willis out, and Sofia suggests you head to Kirk's trailer to convince him to come back to work. You will use the electric cart to get there.

Driving the Electric cart

The studio lot is very large and you could get lost.

-- Sound Stage 1 is at the upper left, where you start.

-- two blocks down is Sound Stage 3

-- three blocks down and one right is Post Production

-- one block down and one right is Kirk's Trailer

-- two blocks right is Sound Stage 2

-- two blocks right and three down is Sound Stage 4

10) Drive one block down and one right to Kirk's trailer. When you knock, he tosses out a coffee cup and says to refill it. It is a Half-Caf Leviathan Latte-Espresso. Willis says his picture will be ruined without Kirk, and you need to help.

11) Get back in the cart, drive back to Sound Stage 1 (upper left) and exit the cart. Walk left to the gate of the studio, which is now open for you to use.

Getting the Coffee

12) There are two Queequeg's Coffee shops. But neither has the size or type of coffee you need. However, you can MIX small cups from the two shops to make the special blend, which is reduced caffeine, half latte, half espresso.

-- At the shop next to the Talent Agency, they have no latte (milk foam blend). Get an Infant Coffee, full caffeine.

-- At the shop next to Digital Dreamscapes, they have no espresso. Get an Infant Latte, decaf.

* You will also meet child star Willy Bingleman at the first shop (Me no likey?).

13) Use one of the small coffees and you will be prompted to mix them into the larger cup, creating a two infant/ leviathan, half-caf latte-espresso. Bring the coffee back to the studio, get the cart, and deliver it to Kirk's trailer. Willis tells you to meet him at Sound Stage 1 for some more tasks.

The Studio Tasks

14) On Sound Stage 1, the cameraman leaves. Take over the camera and keep Kirk in the center of the frame as he goes left, jumps up the stairs, jumps right, walks right, runs left, goes downstairs, and finally runs out to the right. (You get as many takes as you need.)

15) Take the cart and drive to Sound Stage 2, two blocks right. Sofia says the script hasn't arrived. Drive back to Sound Stage 1 and climb onto the roof, where script writer Goldie has completed his work, But the pages blow away onto Sunrise Street.

16) Leave the studio and find the 4 pages

-- page 1 is blowing by the TV antenna above the Souvenir Store

-- page 2 is on the roof of the Chinese Theater - use the eves to bounce up

-- page 3 is atop the first Queequeg Coffee shop

-- page 4 is at far right above the Wax Museum

Click on the pages and tag them with numbers to assemble them in order, pages 1 to 4. Page 1 is the title, page 2 starts with "I know what you're thinking", page 3 is "What is it" and page 4 is labeled as End Scene.

17) Return to the studio, drive to Sound Stage 2, and deliver the script. Now Sofia says they need an actress. Leave the studio again and go to the Talent Agency. Use the photo there.

18) The owner of the agency turns out to actually be former actress Lacey Williams. Head back to Sound Stage 2 again.

19) You get to star in the scene as the Navigator. Go far left and up to the Dressing Room. Hopefully you remember the script and know your lines. They are "But.." / offer her a compass/ "Safe Journeys" / "Nooooo!"

20) Leave and go to Sound Stage 3 (near lower left in the back lot).

21) Help build the prop train by assembling the wood pieces. Hint: it is easier if you start from one side, and pair the L shapes to fill large 2x4 areas -- remember you have no pieces that fill 3 blocks. Fill all three patterns.

(there are diagrams in the video link)

22) Go to the upper right and take the white and black cowboy hats to Sunrise Street and cast your two actors. Willy Bingleman in the first Queequeg is the choice for the Black Hat (use). Offer the White Hat to the actor doing motion capture in Digital Dreamscapes. Go back to Sound Stage 3.

23) To coordinate the special effects in the train scene, all you need to do is click on one of the three effect buttons, in order, 3 times as they are cued. They are the buffalo, the tornado, and the black hat (villain).

24) Drive to Sound Stage 4 (lower right on the lot). Kirk Strayer refuses to do a King Kong role, so you get the part. Put on the Gorilla Suit.

25) You have to climb to the top of the building, where an actress is holding a red balloon. On the way, you have to pop 4 green balloons and avoid the attacks by the soldiers and cannons. The easiest way is to jump and smash them before they can attack you. If you make it to the top, you get to fall off.

26) Leave Sound Stage 4 and drive one block left to Post Production, where you will edit video and audio for a completed scene.

Post Production

27) Film Editing: On the three film strips, highlight the error frame and use the razor blade to remove it:

-- cowboy's gun falls out

-- boom microphone visible

-- wires sticking out of mechanical animal

28) Sound Editing: Use the Foley devices to add sound effects for each of the three scenes, when you see the red light flash indicating a sound to add

-- Balloon scene: click rain sound first (far right) then metal shade (thunder) then balloon popping, then the cup (splash).

-- Animal scene : click the flame sound, then the plate clattering, then the bear, then the ghost, when the red light flashes

-- Cowboy Scene : click the buffalo first, then the coconuts (hoof sounds), then the train whistle, then the punch sound (paddle)

-- King Kong scene : use the fan (plane sound), then the anvil sound (crunch on building), then the gorilla howl, then the bottle (sound of falling through air)

Film Premiere

29) Take the completed film reels and exit through the double doors. Leave the studio and go to the Chinese Theater. Talk to Sofia outside, then enter.

30) Climb to the projection room (jump up at right, left across box seats).

31) Show the movie, which is "The Many Splendored Zephyr" and makes no real sense at all. (Critics representing famous TV critics all seem to like it.) Leave the theater and Sofia gives you the Island Medallion.

BONUS QUEST (Paid Members Only)

- You will return to the studio to turn off a camera, but when you pick it up, you are confronted by the property owners, the Warren sisters. They have studio security chase you in your cart around the studio grounds. If you evade them for 90 seconds, you win. If they run into you enough times, you lose. As you proceed, more of the carts are chasing you, but there are speed-ups (rockets) and repair dots (green).

- The easiest way, other than endlessly circling the streets, is to drive right, then down and left to Sound Stage 3, which has an alley on the right side. If you can get into the alley, and have a crate fall behind you, the security carts can't hit you, and you will win when time expires.

- You get to keep the Movie Camera, which is just a handheld item.

Notes:

- Although you are supposed to leave the studio after the Bonus Quest, the scenes at Sound Stages 2, 3, and 4 are still as you last saw them, with Willis, Sophia, and the actors.

- Costume Hunters! Inside Kirk's trailer are an Indiana Jones costume and a white tux as worn by John Travolta in 'Saturday Night Fever.'