Script writing software

Software

Donna Pudick said:

A novelist friend of mine wants to rewrite her novel into a screenplay. She says there is computer software designed for such a task. Can anyone help me find it and which company is the best? Can it be downloaded into her computer from their website?

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The best sofware for writing a screenplay is almost certainly Final Draft. At $229, it isn't cheap, but it's what most pros use. http://www.finaldraft.com/
You can get a boxed version, or download it directly from the website.

At the other end of the price spectrum are templates for Word such as ScriptSmart, which is a free download from the BBC website" http://www.bbc.co.uk/writersroom/scriptsmart/

The only thing the software will do is help to format her material and make it recognizable as a screenplay.

The TASK will be for her to write her novel as a screenplay. Software will not reduce a 400 page novel into a 100 page screenplay.

http://www.scriptware.com/ and http://store.write-bros.com/products/mms/index.aspx are also helpful. Scriptware is supposed to be easiest.

I know others who say Final Draft isn't the business standard, yet there are some who say it is.

*** I am editing this to also add: http://www.sophocles.net/
I know a couple who use that and prefer it. ****

Taking your novel to screenplay might be harding than they assume. They might want to find a writer or have their agent talk to producers who will find and pay a writer to do it.

I use Final Draft 6.0 (they're on 7.0 now), but I actually find Movie Magic Screenwriter to be a much better program. I know plenty of people who use it.

Final Draft isn't so much the "industry standard" as it is the most prevalent, pervasive program. No one can tell the diff between a script printed in FD and one printed in MMSW (the same can't be said, however, for those printed using MSWord templates).

I know a few people who've used Sophocles and rather like it. I think Derek (dpaterso) or ComicBent used it or something similar to it once, or perhaps it was a Word template. I can't remember. I used to use a Word template but, now that I have a legit program, I'd never go back to the templates. FD is much better than any template I've ever used.

Anyway, if your friend is REALLY serious about doing the novel-to-screenplay thing, I'd second the recommendation of Writer1 that she really study up on format and dramaturgical structure AND that she shell out the money for MMSW or FD (or find it one ebay, or get a college student she knows to use their discount to get it for about $100 cheaper).

I found Scriptware so easy to use - loved it.

But I also have Final Draft and will use that when the time comes...

Hi Donna, any of the three leading screenwriting software packages will give your friend all she needs formatting-wise:

Movie Magic
Final Draft
Sophocles

"Try before you buy" demo versions of each program may be downloaded from these sites and are perfectly useable, tho' some functions may be limited, e.g. with FD you can only save 15 or so pages, printed pages will have a TRIAL VERSION watermark, etc. Read the onsite instructions to discover which limitations apply. Student discounts may be available, and buying through a third party vendor may save money too. Try a Google search on strings like movie magic screenwriter sale just to see what kind of prices pop up.

Your friend will benefit greatly from reading screenplays (if she isn't already doing so), many of which are available online at numerous sites and may be downloaded free for educational purposes. Here are just a couple of links:

http://www.imsdb.com
http://www.script-o-rama.com
http://www.simplyscripts.com

If your friend is a Microsoft Word user, screenwriting templates are available here:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/writersroom/scriptsmart/

The same site also has a couple of helpful files that explain format:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/writersroom/scriptsmart/formats.shtml
http://www.bbc.co.uk/writersroom/scriptsmart/screenplay.pdf

Feel free to ask more questions. Or give your friend the URL.

-Derek
-> * <- Click on this magic star to be transported to my website. Ruby slippers optional.
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The practice of art isn't to make a living. It's to make your soul grow. ~The Complete Handbook of Novel Writing (Kurt Vonnegut)