SCRIPT

August 30, 2007

I have just completed a manuscript, a great story, and wanted to make it into a script. What SCRIPT SOFTWARE would you recommend? Ideally, the most popular software that is used.

Francesco Bonomo · August 30, 2007

I have just completed a manuscript, a great story, and wanted to make it into a script. What SCRIPT SOFTWARE would you recommend? Ideally, the most popular software that is used.

Final Draft ($229)

August 30, 2007

Final Draft ($229)

many thanks

Brian Drysdale · August 30, 2007

Final Draft is currently the main one, here's a thread on the subject:

http://www.cinematography.com/forum2004/in...script+software

I've used both Scriptware and Final Draft and whilst having different features, the actual writing process is pretty similar. OF these two Final Draft is the more modern program and has a lot more extras.

However, the limitation is the writer, not the software.

Bob Hayes · August 30, 2007

I use Movie Magic Screen Writer $175. I am very happy with it.

Tim O'Connor · August 30, 2007

I use "Pages" on a MacBookPro. It's pretty good but I'm wondering, do Final Draft or

Movie Magic Screen Writer have a way in which you can click on a certain character's name

and then center every instance of that name?

I find it faster to go through the script writing without formatting and then come back and hit

'dialogue' or 'character' or 'action' or whatever and format them. However I can't do all dialogue

or character names at once. I have to go through the script, select whatever in the format menu

and then apply it as I go. It would be way faster if I could format more efficiently. Do these programs

do that?

Francesco Bonomo · August 30, 2007

do Final Draft or Movie Magic Screen Writer have a way in which you can click on a certain character's name and then center every instance of that name?

If I remember correctly, Final Draft does that automatically, i.e. every time you push the RETURN key, and via the TAB key to select the appropriate formatting. It also stores the names of characters and locations, so you don't have to type them every time.

Brian Drysdale · August 30, 2007

If I remember correctly, Final Draft does that automatically, i.e. every time you push the RETURN key, and via the TAB key to select the appropriate formatting. It also stores the names of characters and locations, so you don't have to type them every time.

Scriptware does this as well, it seems to be a standard feature with these script programs.

Tim O'Connor · August 30, 2007

Hmmm, that would save me...HOURS! Thanks.

Paul Bruening · August 30, 2007

I started out on MS Word with hotkeys set to certain functions. Since I've had Final Draft, I've become a happy slave to it. I can think less about the act of typing and more about what's rattling around in my noodle.

Robert Glenn · August 30, 2007

i set tabs with microsoft word for my 2 scripts in college.. it did a pretty good job. Some people will say that you need to have script in a precisely formated fashion.. I think that's a bit silly.

Alex Ellerman · August 30, 2007

Final Draft is industry standard, but now that it has the save as PDF function, i don't know if it matters that you use final draft, unless you're collaborating with others...

Screenwriter, Sophocles, Movie Magic, and Celtx are also popular... the latter of which is open source.

CELTX

Jonathan Bowerbank · August 31, 2007

I use Movie Magic Screen Writer $175. I am very happy with it.

I'll second that. It's the only one I've used.

Sterling Silva · September 25, 2007

I use...and don't tell anyone cause this is a trade secret...THE FREAKING TAB KEY!

OMG I cannot understand what's so hard about hitting tab like 4-5 times for a name, 3-4 times for dialogue and 0-1 times for action.

Sooooo hard. Jeez.

Seung Han · September 25, 2007

Movie Magic is really good but I switched over to Final Draft when I was collaborating with another screenwriter. Still on Final Draft but I think Movie Magic is more flexible and intuitive. Don't really know why I am still using Final Draft though...

Leslie Bates · October 12, 2007

Final Draft is industry standard, but now that it has the save as PDF function, i don't know if it matters that you use final draft, unless you're collaborating with others...

Screenwriter, Sophocles, Movie Magic, and Celtx are also popular... the latter of which is open source.

CELTX

Does CELTX save to PDF?

Douglas Sunlin · October 12, 2007

I haven't used Final Draft, but if I understand correctly, it's more than tabs. If you're in Word you should be using Styles instead anyway.

http://www.finaldraft.com/products/final-draft/index.php

Hal Smith · October 16, 2007

There's a fully functional FD demo available on their website that will enable you to write a ten page script. Try it.

Disclaimer: I have absolutely no financial or other commercial relationship to FD - I just like what they've done.

Tristin Deveau · October 18, 2007

Does CELTX save to PDF?

No it doesn't, but it's easy enough to create a PDF using a third party tool like CutePDF (also open source)

I use Celtx and really like it, I would recommend trying it out before you shell out for a more expensive solution. If it meets your needs, why spend the cash, if it doesn't you haven't lost anything.

Benjamin Smith · October 24, 2007

I use Celtx and really like it, I would recommend trying it out before you shell out for a more expensive solution. If it meets your needs, why spend the cash, if it doesn't you haven't lost anything.

I agree I use celtx and i am overly impressed for being opensource.

Lance Flores · November 7, 2007

I use...and don't tell anyone cause this is a trade secret...THE FREAKING TAB KEY!

OMG I cannot understand what's so hard about hitting tab like 4-5 times for a name, 3-4 times for dialogue and 0-1 times for action.

Sooooo hard. Jeez.

For serious script creation you need a script program. Yes you can use MS Word (yuch) or even a typewriter. What's so hard about using a typewriter as well.

Script programs have much more to offer than just formatting. Breakdown, cast list, resource list, many of the things you need to budget and time your script.

These things have been invaluable to our production.

Lance Flores · November 7, 2007

I use "Pages" on a MacBookPro. It's pretty good but I'm wondering, do Final Draft or
Movie Magic Screen Writer have a way in which you can click on a certain character's name

and then center every instance of that name?

I find it faster to go through the script writing without formatting and then come back and hit

'dialogue' or 'character' or 'action' or whatever and format them. However I can't do all dialogue

or character names at once. I have to go through the script, select whatever in the format menu

and then apply it as I go. It would be way faster if I could format more efficiently. Do these programs

do that?

Yes. I really like Sophocles. If you are a writer/director or writer/producer it is great for designing, engineering (words artists avoid - but a necessary process if you want to get funded), but my 1st AD uses Final Draft which is easily imported into other production software we will use later in PP and Edit. So, for our reading script, I have imported the script into Final Draft for the final cut. Final Draft works very well on Mac.

Edited November 7, 2007 by Lance Flores

Alex Ellerman · November 7, 2007

i've been doing a little research on this when i bought Scrivener to help me outline... Movie magic looks to be overtaking Final Draft in terms of continued, ongoing development, free customer support (final draft makes you pay after awhile), and more bells/whistles... sure, FD is industry standard, but if you're sending PDF's, does it matter?