Essays |
||
|
Essays
So You Think You Need an Agent A Look
At Screenwriting Software
|
A Look at Screenwriting Software The script reader leaps from her desk knocking over her double mocha latte and her good luck pig and screams, “Yes! Yes! YESSS!” She can’t believe what she has just read, the most amazing screenplay she’s seen in years, decades even. She wraps her arms tightly around herself and sighs. “Finally, something worth reading,” she says, and as she reaches to return to her chair she glances down at her mess. Coffee saturates the very source of her ecstasy. She scrambles to save the script, but it’s too late; the screenplay of a life time is ruined. If the author of this astounding script sent his original and lone copy to the script reader, his only recourse is to enter berserker mode. But, if the author made another copy, or better yet saved his script on a computer, the coffee spill is merely a coffee spill and not the destruction of eight months of toil. Moreover, if the author had used such screenwriting software as Movie Magic Screenwriter 2000, Final Draft 6, or Sophocles, he may have spent more time writing than toiling. A screenwriter could certainly do well by working with MS Word, especially one familiar enough with the software to know how to set up margins, tabs, and macros. But, for most people software specifically designed screenwriting is more convenient. All three of the major brands I researched were similar in their features, and all three were closely priced; however when I demoed the software, one in particular stood out. Each company offered such script writing essentials as automatic formatting of margins, sluglines, character names, dialog, scene headings, and action. They also featured automatic pagination, automatic completion of character names, multiple templates, spell check, Word-like look and feel, script notes, statistical reporting, technical support, import/export capabilities, read-back capabilties, outline mode, and 3 X 5 index card mode. Additionally, they all allowed for integration with other software products such as those that can help create characters, generate ideas, or share screenplays with other authors (Student Software online). The price for all the options was between $129.00 and $199.00. Students and instructors can take advantage of academic discounts often knocking up to $50.00 off the retail price. Movie Magic Screenwriter 2000 is listed on Amazon.com for $169.99; also on Amazon.com, Final Draft 6 is listed for $182.99, and Sophocles, listed on its own website, Sophocles.net, sells for $120.00. Student pricing from the online Student Software Store listed Movie Magic Screenwriter 2000 for $129.00 and Final Draft 6 for $149.00. With so many similarities in features and less than a $65.00 difference in price, the deciding factor comes from actual use of the software. Three out of three reviewer postings on Epinions.com gave Movie Magic five (out of a possible five) stars, indicating that the software is “intuitive, easy to use, [and] highly functional.” One reviewer noted that Movie Magic is “very easy for the beginning screenwriter.” As a beginning screenwriter, I was eager to try out the software, but when I tried the Movie Magic demo, I was not overly impressed. I noticed that screenplay template has 1.5 margins on all four sides. It was my understanding that the WGA accepted format is a 1.5 inch margin on only the left side and a 1 inch margin on the other three. This seemed to be huge oversight of a small detail, especially if a beginning writer is relying on the software to follow industry standards. A little disappointed, I tried another company’s product, Final Draft 6. This software makes use of a colorful interface, and appears at first glance to be user friendly; however, upon my first few clicks and keyboard strokes, I decided that Final Draft was not for me. In particular the software didn’t seem to “like” Windows XP; the trial version stuttered and hung. A reviewer’s post at Amazon.com agrees when stating, “Even though it remains the Hollywood standard, Final Draft 6 leaves a lot to be desired. […] it remains clumsy to use and well behind the curve of technology. […] Final Draft 6 is still better than a typewriter or a standard word processor for writing scripts, but not by much. Considering the steep price, maybe it's time to revisit the competition.” With little sign of hope, I continued on and tried the last of the offerings. Of the three, I felt more at home using the Sophocles software. Its look and feel is most like Word, and its operation is more intuitive than the other two. Without an instruction manual, I had to poke around in each, and the Sophocles software seemed most in tuned to my poking. Screenwriting software abounds in number and price difference on the Internet. The three I chose, Movie Magic Screenwriter 2000, Final Draft 6, and Sophocles appeared to be the main contenders for market share. One interested in purchasing software of this type should download and tryout the demo for every offering considered. My own preference is Sophocles because it is not only carries a less expensive retail price than the other two but also has a more intuitive interface while offering the same features. Karen Walker 14 October
2003 Works Cited Amazon.com Website. 14 Oct. 2003 <http://www.amazon.com>. “Final Draft 6” Student Software Store. 9 Oct. 2003 <http://www.store.yahoo.com/studentsoftwarestore/finaldraft6.html>. “Final Draft 6 Needs Revision.” Amazon.com. Review of Final Draft 6 by User Name: Toddk1. 18 March 2003. 14 Oct. 2003 <http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ ASIN/B000060OFC/002-2384401-3904067>. “Movie Magic Screenwriter” Student Software Store. 9 Oct. 2003 <http://www.store.yahoo.com/studentsoftwarestore/noname8.html>. “Screenplay Systems Movie Magic Screenwriter 2000 – Full Version (907045W) For PC.” Epinions.com. 9 Oct. 2003 <http://epinions.com>. Sophocles Website. 9 Oct. 2003 <http://www.sophocles.net>. Student Software Website. 9 Oct. 2003 < http://shop.store.yahoo.com/studentsoftwarestore/index.html>. |
|