OTHER: Best SCREENWRITING SOFTWARE?

Yet another positive MM note

Yet another positive MM note

I switched back to Macs last fall after years of Windows comps, and both my versions of MM were on my PCs. I obviously want MM on my main computer, but most upgrades are only upgrade versions, so I was afraid I was going to have to pay full price for the Mac version, which I really didn't feel like I should have to do after using their product for thirteen years. So I sent Write Brothers an e-mail to that effect last week. Turns out the upgrade contains the FULL version for BOTH platforms, and it's only $99. All they need is the serial number from my last version. I do like that company.


And the new Navidoc feature, based on my download trial experimentation, could be pretty nifty. Power Structure's still far better for those purposes, but it's still a nice addition to have in the app itself.
 
Erik Olson said:
I have used Movie Magic extensively, but finally got tired of paying for keys to transfer the application (a very thin, overpriced one at that) from one computer to a next. My computers last two years at best and I have a minimum of two at all times. Three keys doesn't go far over the twelve years I've been tapping away at the keyboard. MM has been sold more than once and the transfer of ownership has, each time, affected me as a customer.
Click to expand...

I truly don't get that. I'm not saying it didn't happen; I'm saying I don't understand how experiences can be so different. I've loaded MM seven times that I can count, on at least six machines (one HD crashed), and I'm almost certain there were a couple more installs than that. I've contacted the company at least twice for more keys, and have never had a problem getting them, and have never had to pay for them. I've uninstalled the versions I didn't keep using, which I seem to remember makes a difference, but even so I would have needed one, and the last time they just reset me to one, with the two remaining. It's never, ever been an issue. Go figure.
 
Eventually FD will have to change their economic model. With new generations of folks who grew up with the internet now flocking into the industry, trying to charge $200+ for word processing software is going to be impossible. Not enough people will pay that kind of money for this - not with bt around. And frankly, good riddance. I've used (and paid for) FD since 3.0. And I think they're doing a really bad job for all the $ they raked in all these years. The product is sub-standard. Too many bugs. Too inflexible and idiotically so. If they die, I'll cheer. The truth is: content is what counts. If you can write a brilliant screenplay, it won't matter how it was written. Applications like FD are supposed to make the process easier - too often however, you end up fighting the software instead of it being "invisible". I'd pay a lot for GOOD software - and have... unfortunately, this niche (screenplay writing software) is not particularly rich in excellent software. YMMV.
 
FD is a professional industry standard, which means most pros use it because...most pros use it. That's a very powerful thing. Like Pro Tools in the pro audio world (where I live most of the time) platform standards are extremely compelling. If most screenwriters, directors, casting directors, producers, location managers...etc. etc. etc. use FD then it will *very* tough for any other app, even a great, free one like Celtx to make serious inroads. Unless it can perfectly emulate FD, which would probably be illegal.

Attempting to change the standard would create havoc among those who were willing and those who were not, which would be hugely counterproductive given that FD basically works well. IMHO for this reason alone FD is likely to remain the standard almost indefinitely.

It's in effect a language standard. Societies tend to stick with things like that, no matter how much "better" another might be. Teaching schoolchildren to write in Chinese is stupendously difficult, but they haven't changed that standard yet either. It's been in effect a bit longer than FD, too : )
 
Last edited:
The scripts I've submitted have either been on 8.5x11 with braids or pdf. No one ever asked me about software.
 
brianluce said:
The scripts I've submitted have either been on 8.5x11 with braids or pdf. No one ever asked me about software.
Click to expand...

Interesting, when I work on assignment the producers and I share the script using collaboware, an exclusive trademark of FD. They use the industry standard, good thing I do too, or we'd have a problem :)
 
brianluce said:
The scripts I've submitted have either been on 8.5x11 with braids or pdf. No one ever asked me about software.
Click to expand...

Paper's a standard too! So is PDF of course.

It's another matter when you're actively collaborating and rewriting within a production team. Currently I'm forced to use MSW with a screenwriting macro on a very extensive feature script rewrite. What a pain. If the original writer had only known about Celtx before he started writing we'd be fine. FD would've been even better for me since it's what I use by default.

Standards are a good thing...
 
Last edited:
alveraz said:
Interesting, when I work on assignment the producers and I share the script using collaboware, an exclusive trademark of FD. They use the industry standard, good thing I do too, or we'd have a problem :)
Click to expand...

Well that's one of the many advantages of being unsuccessful, I never get hassled with annoying things like trying to coordinate software and such.
 
i used FD throughout college and then i had a friend recommend Celtx. I would recommend Celtx over it every day of the week. Even if you are a FD junkie , Celtx gives you about 20x more tools to help you out from completion to end. I would pay the money that FD charges for Celtx if they asked.
 
I dunno about "industry standard" or anything like that, but I just have to say that I have been on Movie Magic Screenwriter 2000 since... well... right about 2000. :) I bought something called "Script Thing" about 1999, because the demo did everything I needed it to as somebody who wanted to pretend to be a scriptwriter :D, and then they got bought out by MM and I got a very reasonable upgrade offer that I accepted.

Just for the record, I have never had to upgrade since then. My MM2K license came with the ability to install the software on 3 PC's with "credits" that would allow me to not need the CD, which I have totally burned up by being stupid and not uninstalling before I reformatted, but I can still run it on as many PC's as I want as long as I have the CD handy. (And, really, I only need it on my main desktop and my laptop, so I don't have any problems with just using the CD.)

OTOH, I have not tried Celtx (since I already own MM2K), but I totally would have if it had been available back then. :) I tried working with Word templates back when I was first entertaining my delusions of being a scriptwriter, but it was just too much work. Free certainly would've been nice, but I think on a per-year basis, my money averages out nicely over all the years I've had the software...

With regards to the debate, I think Alvaraz has brought up the essential point--it doesn't really matter what you use until you get moderately successful and land at least a semi-regular gig. At that point, you're probably going to have to convert to whatever the people who are paying you are using, and you'll probably be glad to do it... :D
 
I had used OpenOffice to hammer all my stuff out - the bulk of my first script including all but the last re-write. Then I downloaded Celtx a few months ago and could not believe how much easier it made life. I'll probably end up buying Final Draft since thats what everyone seems to be using.
 
I use Celtx for most of my stuff and love it (not because it´s free but because it´s great).

I´m playing around with Adobe Story in the moment, because of the great integration with OnLocation and Premiere. It´s a wonderful time saver and great workflow. I can do things with it I only dreamed of before.

I worked with FD once and never understood how it became an "industry standard", actually it´s a PITA.
Coming from Celtx that gives you so much more, I felt like being thrown back to computer stone age.
FD looks and feels like Windows 3.5.

Probably the same thing like with Avid for years - compared to modern tools it was too slow, too less, too expensive but they used it cause they invested (way too much) money in it, everyone had it (you have to speak Avid if you want a job here) an it was compatible with.... well all the other Avids.

The PC revolution killed the analog pre-press industry (but they laughed first), it changed the post production industry (but they laughed first), and it will change the screenwriting industry (some of them are still laugh at you, if you don´t use the "industry standard" - but not long).

Check out Stu Maschwitz`s thoughts on The State of Screenwriting Software:
http://prolost.com/blog/2010/6/17/the-state-of-screenwriting-software.html


Frank
 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top