GPB Education is headed to the movies with its latest online game for middle and high school students. Created in partnership with the Georgia Council on Economic Education (GCEE) and the award-winning media developers at FableVision Studios, Lights, Camera, Budget! capitalizes on the excitement of the film industry to teach  personal finance concepts.

Lights, Camera, Budget! was designed to work across web and mobile platforms and is available online and via mobile devices at this link: http://www.gpb.org/lights-camera-budget-game.

Taking on the role of a movie producer, students start with $100 million in funds and move through three phases of the game: pre-production, production and post-production. To ensure that the movie is completed, students must correctly answer questions about financial literacy topics in order to earn enough money to hire the top actors and directors and get the best locations and marketing firms. 

“Lights, Camera, Budget! uses humor and riffs on well-known shows and movies made in Georgia to portray its film industry as a creative and multi-faceted career opportunity for students,” said Gary Goldberger, President and Co-Founder of FableVision Studios. “FableVision's design approach integrates personal interest and relevance with important financial literacy content for a fun, engaging experience that's aligned with GPB Education's excellent educational offerings.”
 

Students must analyze the risks and rewards of each choice and its impact on the budget, with the goal of creating a blockbuster movie that doesn’t bust the bank.

Throughout the game, players draw on and enhance their knowledge of key financial literacy concepts, including debt, interest, loans and credit, budgeting, and goal setting.

 “Lights, Camera, Budget! stands out in a crowded field of financial literacy materials because it intensely focuses on the decision-making process,” said Dr. Chris Cannon, Associate Director and Chief Program Officer, Georgia Council on Economic Education. “Good decision-making is at the core of healthy personal finance. The creative character names, unique imagery and unexpected events encourage multiple plays that should reinforce the content and decision-making skills in a positive way.”

Lights, Camera, Budget! is aligned to the Georgia Standards of Excellence (GSE) and was vetted by Georgia educators and students who provided feedback during the development process to guide production. The project was made possible through funding from the SunTrust Foundation.

As one of the largest PBS stations in the nation, Georgia Public Broadcasting (GPB Media), has been creating content worth sharing for over 50 years. With nine television stations, 18 radio stations and a multi-faceted digital and education division, GPB strives to educate, entertain and enrich the lives of our viewers and listeners with programming that includes statewide radio news, current affairs, high school sports, educational resources for teachers and students and enlightening programs about our state like "Georgia Outdoors," “A Seat at the Table,” "On Second Thought," "Political Rewind" and more. For more information, visit www.gpb.org.