Dead Bird Studio is Act 1 of Chapter 2: Battle of the Birds. In this act, Hat Kid enters a movie studio ran by two bird rivals. They have collected several Time Pieces, so Hat Kid must sneak into the studio to get them back.
The Reception Area
As the act begins the screen will show the reception area with two birds arguing. When Hat Kid moves up to them, she will hear that their names are The Conductor and DJ Grooves. They are arguing over who will win the Annual Bird Movie Award this year, both birds insisting it will be them because of their new props, which turn out to be Time Pieces. Both birds will then go to shoot their movies, and the Conductor will tell the receptionist that he needs to fix the vent above the receptionist's desk to stop the smell of Penguin from getting to him. With the cutscene over, Hat Kid can wonder around the area, though there isn't much here.
The Badge Seller is here if you need to buy some Badges, and there is also a machine left of the desk that will give Hat Kid Sunglasses. Press it once to get one pair, press it a second time to get her a second pair (she will wear both at the same time), but pressing it a third time will cause the machine to explode, and Hat Kid will be billed 3,000 Pons for destruction of property.
Jump up on the shelves to either side of the room to get up to the vent and open it up. Once you do, Hat Kid will be billed 7,000 Pons for Trespassing. Following this, Hat Kid will have to sneak through the studio, and preferably with as little debt as possible.
Stealth in A Hat in Time
This act is based around stealth, so the enemies in this act work differently. They will walk around with red cones in front of them, showing what they can see. If Hat Kid goes within their line of sight, a question mark will appear above the bird(s) that see her and a squawking noise will be play to warn the player that they've been seen. If Hat Kid does not leave their line of sight immediately she will be caught, sending her back to the last check point and taking 1 damage.
Dead Bird Studio has two unique features for stealth. The first is that Hat Kid will be billed depending on whether she is seen (Owl/Penguin Harassment: -500) or caught (Disturbing Studio Recordings: -100,000). The second is that there is an achievement for not being seen by anyone, so be very careful if you want to get that.
Sneaking through the Studio
As you drop down from the vent, a scene will play with the moon penguins who are carrying the Time Pieces on a platform. A switch is activated that moves the platform. When control is given back, move Hat Kid up to that platform while being careful to stay out of the sight of the moon penguins walking about.
After hitting the platform switch it will take you straight ahead to where the Conductor is filming to the right. But first in front of the platform there is a red building prop with scaffolding. Climb up it to grab a Brewing Yarn. From here, you can see behind the Conductor's train set, but don't go back there; it will only cause Hat Kid to be hurt and reset to the check point. Climb back down and look for the pipe below where the Conductor is filming, and walk across it to go unseen. Jump up when you reach the end, and be careful not to be seen by the Express owl on the platform between the two teepee props. He keeps turning around, so wait for your chance to run by.
Enter the house (knock over the cactus if you like) and you'll see two more express owls patrolling in a square and a third one staring at an elevator. Watch their pattern and sneak past them when you can. After you sneak past them there will be a Pon on an elevated platform. From there you will be able to climb up to another platform just under the roof of the house where Hat Kid will be able to find her first Ice Yarn. Jump over the roof and jump over to the water tower to find another ice yarn.
After that move to the end of the house and you'll see another switch and another owl who keeps turnig around. This time the moving platform is behind a glass wall. You'll need to hit the switch first and then time when it comes over and can be safe to cross. For another yarn, you can get on it while returns to where it started to climb up another scafolding to get to some more Brewing Yarn. Now get on the platform while it's moving to the next area.
Once the platform stops, you'll be at another cross road; left over some wooden boards or right over a tightrope for a Relic. Taking the tightrope will take you to a platform with three levels, each with a moon penguin patrolling it. You can either walk up the normal way, or wall run up the platforms to avoid detection. Once you get to the top of the platform there will be another tightrope. It will lead to a platform with the Relic in it. Falling in the pit here will send you back to the cross roads, so be careful when crossing to get the relic, but it can be handy.
Take the left path now over the board, which has a platform with a penguin on it. This time you'll need to get across by long jumping or hoping on the sandbag to bounce across to another platform with another penguin. There are more sandbags here to help you across. Walk across the wooden board and you'll be at another one of the Conductor's sets. Below it is another platform and switch, but also another owl who switches from looking at one and then the other. There are teepees here to hide behind and the platform moves slowly at first, so time when to hit it and when to get on it so you can move to the next area.
Here there will be a penguin here looking through a fence, which you can get over by climbing on the giant speakers to the left side. To your right will be a big G, and above it is a chest containing Sprint Yarn. Head over to the next fence, and you'll see that there are several penguins and cameras looking through it. To the right is a fuse box Hat Kid can hit to turn off the power. Do it and run all the way to the end before the power comes back. There will be another fuse box here, so cut the power and run again.
Here there's another platform, but this one is very slow and moves past rooms two rooms with glass walls which have birds that can spot you in while on the platform. The first will be a room with DJ Grooves and a penguin looking out the window to in the room. The second room has an owl moving from one end of the room to the other to look out where you'll be, so be careful not to be stopped. When the platform stops you'll be at another platform, and near by there are two owls walking in a square on a platform. Jump to the platform above them so you aren't seen. Look down away from where the moving platform was, and you should see a platform that will lead you into the room the Conductor was in. Here there is a chest that has a Rift Token inside it. Get back up to where you were.
Next jump over the wall between the two owls and over to the platform below the UFO. From here you should see a penguin moving through a hall way. In it there is a little nook that Hat Kid can hide in while the penguin is patrolling. After you get past him there will be three more sandbags to jump across to the finish line. All that's left is to talk with DJ Grooves.
Becoming a Bird
When Hat Kid approaches DJ Grooves he will be admiring a replica of the bird movie award before noticing Hat Kid. He will confide in her that all his penguins are terrible actors and to break his losing streak, he wants Hat Kid to star in his next movie! He will then tear up any debt Hat Kid received during the act.
Drawing Hat Kid
DJ Grooves then jump over to a camera and asks Hat Kid to come over to him. Talk to him again and he'll say he needs to take a picture, so he'll ask you to stand in front of the camera and hold still. At this point you have to move and ruin the picture, and DJ Grooves will learn the Hat Kid isn't very photogenic. So he'll ask her to fix her picture. Now the player will get a chance to draw over Hat Kid's face. Whatever is drawn here will replace her picture on the file select, so have some fun with it!
When you're done, DJ Grooves will give Hat Kid a passport, making her legally a bird (we think). DJ Grooves rushes off and tells Hat Kid to be on set tomorrow. After he leaves, the Conductor will appear behind the replica trophy saying that if Hat Kid is going to be helping DJ Grooves with his movies, then Hat Kid will also have to star in the Conductor's movies as well. He then tells her to show off their prop to promote the movie, giving Hat Kid her Time Piece for this act.
Billing Information
Through this act Hat Kid can do a number of things that will have the studio fine her for damages.
| Name | Price | How?? |
|---|---|---|
| Trespassing |
-7,000 |
Go through the air vent in the studio lobby. (inevitable, except in the Death Wish version of the act) |
| Destruction of property |
-3,000 |
Use the Sunglasses dispenser in the lobby three times. |
| Disturbing Studio Recordings |
-100,000 |
Get caught. Get spotted but not caught by one of the cameras. |
| Penguin Harassment |
-500 |
Get spotted but not caught by one of the Moon Penguins. |
| Owl Harassment |
-500 |
Get spotted but not caught by one of the Express Owls |
| Assault on Cactus |
-1,500 |
Knock over one of the cactus props. |
| Teepee T-KO |
-1,500 |
Knock over one of the teepee props. |
| Tampering with Electronics |
-1,000 |
Touch the fuse-boxes, causing the power to cut out. (inevitable, even if the fuse-boxes are not interacted with at all) |
Collectables:
In Dead Bird Studio there are 2 Sprint Yarn, 1 Brewing Yarn, 2 Ice Yarn (first chance to obtain), 1 Relic and 1 Rift Token.
| Item | NO. | Image | Details |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brewing Yarn | - | 
|
Before sneaking past the Conductor, climb the red building prop. The yarn is at the top. |
| Ice Yarn | #1 | 
|
After sneaking past the Conductor the first time there is a house with a water tower next to it. Jump to the tower to find Ice Yarn on the back side. |
| Ice Yarn | #2 | 
|
On top of the house after sneaking past the Conductor for the first time, left side. |
| Sprint Yarn | #1 | 
|
At the second moveable platform, hit the switch to move it forward and then hit it again so it moves to its starting position and get on it. Climb the ladder to find the yarn. |
| Relic | - | 
|
At the crossroad where DJ Grooves is filming, take the right path and tightrope walk to a platform with three moon penguins. Avoid them and reach the top to find another tightrope. Cross it to find a chest with a Relic in it. |
| Sprint Yarn | #2 | 
|
In a chest on top of the big sign that says "GROOVES," above the "G." |
| Rift Token | - | 
|
After the slow moving platform where DJ Grooves and the Conductor are in glass rooms, go behind the glass room with the Conductor to find a platform into his room. Be careful not to be spoted by the owl while you get the chest with the token in it. |
Time Rift
The Time Rift for this level is the Dead Bird Studio Time Rift. It can be found on top of the red building after sneaking past the Conductor for the first time, where the first Ice Yarn was found.
Diary Entry
After each mission Hat Kid will write in her diary about the last mission. The diary can be found in her room under the swimming pool of pillows. The diary will only read the entry for the last act that was completed.
"I have just met the strangest group of birds I have ever seen. Ever. One is a big disco penguin, and the other is a... uh... bird-ish thing? Is he even a bird? I have no idea. Birds don't usually have teeth, but this guy does. It's creepy.
"They're "fighting" to see who can make the best movie. That's in quotes because no one really seems to want to fight, except the Conductor."
Music
Here is a list of music used in this act. All tracks can be found on the A Hat in Time Soundtrack.
- Deadbird Studio Reception plays in the reception area at the start of the chapter.
- Dead Bird Studio plays while sneaking through the studio
- You Are Now Legally a Bird plays when talking with DJ Grooves at the end of the stage.
Achievements
Below is the list of achievements related to this act;
| Image | Name | Description |
|---|---|---|
|
Secret Intruder | Make it through Dead Bird Studio without being seen at all! |