Screenwriting Software

Elwyn said:

Are there any screenwriting software packages on the market that's actually worth the price?

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There are free ones if you hunt for them. Try the BBC website. Unless I'm mistaken, I don't think they teach how to write a screenplay, Elwyn - they simply provide layouts and headings etc.

That's a trick question -- because the chances of ever your recovering your initial cash outlay are slim to zero. But, as you probably know, the main 3 contenders are:

Movie Magic
Final Draft
Sophocles

It's maybe worth visiting their sites to find out what discounts are available for students, etc.

You might want to download and try out the demos, and then try the no-cost alternatives, e.g. Celtx or, if you're a Microsoft Word user, free screenwriting templates which you can find here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/writersroom/scriptsmart/

If and when you start dealing with production companies who prefer to receive screenplays in a specific software format, that's when to decide which to buy.

-Derek
Derek's Web Page - stories, screenplays, novels, insanity.

celtx is totally free. Highly functional and recommended for the beginner.

http://www.celtx.com/overview.html

Here is a website that gives a bunch of "free downloads"...the catch is that you cannot save anything you type or print it out. But it's worth checking out, some of the stuff might be worth buying, depending on the price and what else is out there:

http://storymind.com/store/info/downloads.htm

There's:
Dramatica Pro
Movie Magic 2000
Final Draft 7
and a couple of other ones

Actually, I have the Final Draft 7 demo, if I save to html, I'm able to print.

Steph

I prefer Movie Magic, though Final Draft is also a fine choice.

I haven't had luck with free downloads, which I have looked into for my students (a few of them, not all of them by any means...and I don't recall names/or don't want to risk naming names; such a coward, but I am also computer challenged...so the free stuff may just have not worked for me).

Next semester for my Advanced Feature Script course I am requiring Movie Magic, yet allowing Final Draft for the handful of students who already own that.

Academic Superstore has the best price for each that I have seen - $89.95 for Movie Magic, including shipping and handling. (Think Final Draft is up around $150 or so....)

I bought Final Draft v.5 on ebay for a few bucks - it works fine for what I need it to do. Finding an older version of some of the programs may be a cheaper option until you are sure of what you want.

I got Movie Magic from the Writer's Store online and love it. I paid about $159, I think. I tried the demo version first to make sure I could navigate it without any problems.