Screenwriting Software

[David Thrasher]

I've just purchased Final Draft so I can't tell you all of the differences quite yet but I can give a few first impressions: 

For the first draft of your script it appears that Final Draft allows you to do changes in formatting in fewer keystrokes than a standard word processing program like Word. 

It remembers character names so that when you begin to type that character's name in a dialog section, you can just type the first few letters of it and immediately go on. 

It has a number of standard abbreviations built in such as INT for interior that makes it faster to get your heading for what location it is in faster. 

It has a list of 90,000 names to help you pick out a character's name, if you don't already have one in mind. 

Revisions are easier because stationary elements such as page numbers stay put, although I'm sure you could take the time to set up headers and footers in Word to do the same thing. 

It comes with a good amount of templates (such as Standard Screenplay and two other variations, Sitcom, Stage Play, etc.) so that you'll have the right formatting for the particular project you are working on as well as some examples showing what various TV shows use. 

What it really comes down to is if what Final Draft (or Movie Magic - or any other dedicated software) does is worth it to you. I certainly don't think the mere use of such software makes your script any better or worse. I think it just helps you to avoid formatting mistakes more easily and crank it out a little faster. I expect there are some excellent screenplays written with general word processors, even as basic as Appleworks or Microsoft Works and lots of crappy ones written with Final Draft or Movie Magic.

Beyond that, how it is formatted depends on who you are sending it to. If it is just for your own use, you can do it whatever way it is most useful to you. If it is being submitted to a production company, then the formatting must be in an industry accepted standard.

-Dave

doug lauber wrote:

People used to write scripts on a typewriter.
I use MS Works and/or MS Word.
It just involves setting tabs.
Most of the time and work of scriptwriting, involves basic
rewriting. It doesn't have much to do with software features.
What are the features of Final Draft that make screenwriting
so much easier than, say, Word?   -doug