Software

Hi,

Been writing some sitcoms, comedy dramas and drama for the last 6 months as a self-interest thing. Just learning and figuring out how to do it. Have written one episode of a sitcom which I've managed to get some interest in from an independent producer (meeting next wednesday) and an agency who want to see more of my writing.

I've been using Scriptsmart Gold because it was free on BBC's site. I think I'm ready to invest some cash in my 'hobby' so I'm ready to take the plunge and invest in a more professional bit of writing software.

I've heard about Final Draft. Can anyone recommend any industry approved and not impossible to use software? Is Final Draft the best thing to buy?

Thanks

Google Celtx, it isn't as advanced as Final Draft or Screenwriter but it is quite user friendly and it's FREE..!

It has a neat feature where you can instantly turn your screenplay into a radio play or sitcom or a few other formats...

Saves to PDF too...

I think you can download both Final Draft and Screenwriter 6 as a fully functional but time limited trial...

Personally, I prefer Final Draft, I won a copy of Screenwriter 6 but I just couldn't get away with it, in the end it's all down to personal choice...

If you're doing ok with ScriptSmart then I'd stick with that. Not sure how easy to use the more professional packages are, but I've never really had a problem with SS.

There are two products, Final Draft and Movie Magic Screenwriter 6
There's a sort of VHS/betamax war going on which I fear FD might be winning(they aren't particularly compatible).
I say sadly because I love ScreeWriter6 but fear I might have to switch across.
They are both really easy to use - very intuitive - albeit with a bias towards film screenwriting, but there are plenty of pre-loaded templates and writing your own is very easy.
They're hugely over-specced for what you need right now, but it's all there waiting for you when you do need it - great support , too.
Plenty of people will tell you that you don't need it - which you don't.
After all, it's the idea that counts.
But to my way of thinking, if you're going to make a profession of this business you want to get the best tools possible.
On balance, I'd have to go against my own choice and recommend FD, simply because I think it will become Industry Standard.
(Having said that, if one of them beats the other to a workable iPad app it might be a game changer)

The other brilliant tool is Outliner 4D - for prep work, blocking out and outlining I find this 100% indespensible. Great for plotting a series arc for a sitcom, for intstance.

Good Luck

Thanks guys, I'll check into the ones you've mentioned. My reason for looking at other packages was because I wasn't sure how widely accepted Scriptsmart Gold was in the industry? I've only been sending off to lower levels of people and thought if I wanted to send off to more mainstream avenues they might not accept Scriptsmart? I have a few niggles with the package itself but if it's an accepted form of formatting then I'll stick with it for now.

To be honest, untill you get the stage where you're doing revisions on the fly and you're into the production process, most people just want a PDF.
So I would concentrate on what you like to work with at home/office.

Scriptsmart is a Microsoft Word Template System.

The end result from any MS Word Template System is a Microsoft Word Document, which you could submit in that form or easily convert to a PDF file using say:
free PDF995 (http://www.pdf995.com/download.html) for submission.

So the result should always be acceptable.

But Scriptsmart is by no means the best of the MS Word Template systems; it is unsupported (the author has long since left the BBC) and clumsy. It's only real advantage is that it does work with the version of MS Word available on an Apple Macintosh.

If you want a better MS Word Template systems, use mine: The Scriptwriters Toolkit; I have made a complimentary free copy available to BCG members.

I do still support it and have recently made YouTube videos available showing exactly how to install it (same procedure for any MS Word Template system really) and done the first tutorial video on how best to use it.

If you are using MS Word 2010 let me know, because I have not yet edited & put up the Word 2010 installation tutorial video.

See this thread for more information. https://www.comedy.co.uk/forums/thread/14314/

I don't think you can wrong with Celtx. It's a great little package. I prefer it to Final Draft, which costs a bomb.