Just want to suss out amongst budding or established writers who writes scripts using software and who does it manually. I've previously done it manually but as I'm going to have an attempt at full length screenplay as opposed to radio or TV sit coms I wonder if software would be better.
Any advice appreciated including any recommended software.
Thanks in advance.
Software all the time .
I think the most flexible option is Scrivener - it's also the cheapest (apart from the freebies).
It will serve you well in all your writing projects and is an extraordinarily versatile way of organising projects - you can keep notes, pictures, audio files, web pages - all in the one place.
It has a Screenwriting Mode, you can create a virtual pin-board for blocking out your screenplay as well as loads of other gizmos that you'll eventually get to grips with.
I own Final Draft but just don't use it anymore - unless I have to work on someone else's SP already in FD.
It's beautifully designed and the company's based in Cornwall.
So, Buy British!
Bought it.. Have no idea how to use it lo
Quote: Marc P @ 16th July 2014, 3:57 PM BSTBought it.. Have no idea how to use it lo
But, to be fair, you still have one of those wind up telephones...
Ignore him, OP, it's a piece of piss.
I must have given the number of merchants who call me on it!
After years of thinking about this, I finally, two minutes ago downloaded Fadein pro.
Both that and (the terrifyingly expensive) Final draft have demo versions. Really enjoyed FadeIn pro so went for that.
See: https://www.comedy.co.uk/forums/thread/14314#P461031
Read the whole thread, then PM me if you wish.
I know what 6 buttons on Open Office do so I think I'll have to stick with that. I'm not that technologically minded and it seems to be going OK at the moment.
Cheers guys, will check out all those recommended to see which best (simplest) for me.
I used to use the free software from BBC writers room, but having switched from PC to Mac I now use word and do my own basic formatting. I did try Celtx but never really got on with it. I also thought of buying Final Draft, but at the moment I am happy to use word.
I've got Final Draft and it's marvellous, although it takes some time to get used to, and there are still great chunks of it I've never used.
I think it can depend on what you're writing and who you're pitching it to. I started out writing feature length scripts on a word processor and the vogue at the time, which, I believe, is less important now, was to add 'more' and 'continued' to every piece of dialogue that was split between two pages. This was a pain on a WP as any minor edit resulted in having to trawl the whole 120 pages and change mores & continueds. So I bought a programme called ScriptThing which was really good and did a lot more besides mores & continueds.
Although, despite the manufacturer claiming that it was the software of choice for Dreamworks, I never came into contact with anyone else who was using it.
When I upgraded my PC I moved to Final Draft which, in my opinion, wasn't as good, but it seemed to go down well with producers.
If you're only writing sitcom length scripts and on a tight budget it is harder to justify but personally I like to concentrate on the content not the format.
steve
I type over old scripts. They are already formatted so I just change the words if I need to. Sometimes don't bother.
As soon as I was lucky enough for my work to be seeing the light of recording day I was forced to buy final draft and learn how to use it very quickly.