How my background looks

Why doesn't my whole picture show up in the background?
When you upload a background, you have to crop it to a certain size using our cropping tool.  Only the area within the cropping tool will show up as a background.  If you missed a part you would like to use, you can change to a double or triple panel format, or you can upload a smaller version of the image.
Alternatively, if you're sure you cropped correctly, then the following question may help:

Why did the top and bottom of my background get cut off?
This happens on iPads, as well as any other device with an aspect ratio that is less than 16:9.  This happens to the Episode backgrounds too!  Our artists try to make sure that the background looks okay even with that small amount not shown

 

Directing / using my background in my story

How do I use an uploaded background?
The same way you use an Episode one -- nothing is different! Just enter the name of your background into a script.

How do I use a background as a screen without any text on it?
You can use the "@pause for a beat" command:

EXT. SOME BACKGROUND - DAY

 

    JOHN
Check out this cool tree!

 

EXT. MY TREE - DAY # your background
@pause for a beat
@pause for a beat # shows background for two seconds


 NARRATOR
Tap to continue...

 

EXT. SOME OTHER BACKGROUND - DAY


    JOHN
Wasn't that neat?

Why do I get a warning when I try to save?
This is just to indicate that your background hasn't been approved yet for use in a Published story. You are still free to use it in stories you are creating and sharing with your friends, and you can still preview your story on your device.

 

Content and approval

Why was my background not approved?
Backgrounds must be in line with our content guidelines.

Why does my background show up as a black screen in the app?
This means your background was reviewed and not approved. You will need to remove your background from that story and use a different one.