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Final Draft Writer comes to the iPad
Last month I told you about Final Draft Reader, an iPad app from the makers of Final Draft that allows users to view and make notes on their Final Draft scripts on the iPad. Of course, the number one response we got to the story was, "That's awesome, but where's the Final Draft for iPad that allows us to write scripts?" As of today, it's here. Enter Final Draft Writer. Final Draft Writer is Final Draft brought to the touchscreen. The app has actually been in development at Final Draft for over two years, but they didn't want to release it until they got it right. The company actually even brought in a specialized team of iOS developers to port their proprietary Final Draft system to the iPad. What does version 1.0 of Final Draft Writer do? It lets you create scripts from scratch, right on your iPad, for starters. The app offers built-in templates for screenplays, stageplays, one hour TV dramas, and sitcoms. Beyond simply creating screenplays, the app also offers several pro features found in the desktop version, including SmartType technology that remembers your Character Names, Scene Headings, etc; Character Highlighting that allows you to call out specific character dialogue in the script; the ability to show Active or Collated Revisions with colored pages; the ability to quickly switch from one revision to the next; a host of reports including Cast, Scene, and Location reports; a specialized Final Draft keyboard header that easily lets you navigate or add script elements; and much more. Sharing features include AirPrint printing, Dropbox integration, and importing scripts through iTunes or email. Final Draft Writer isn't going to replace Final Draft for OS X, just like no word processor for iOS will ever replace desktop word processors for professional writers that deal with manuscripts that are hundreds of pages long. But what Final Draft Writer does do is give screenwriters the ability to work on their scripts any time and any where that they are away from their computers. For writers, it's a welcome addition to iOS's growing list of powerful word processors. Final Draft Writer is available in the App Store starting today. Best of all, it's available for a introductory price of US$29.99 until September 30th, when it will go back up to $49.99. %Gallery-163575%
Final Draft Reader for iPad hopes to replace paper scripts
For over 15 years, the film industry has been undergoing a steady transition to digital. First it was editing that was primarily affected, as programs like Avid Media Composer and Final Cut Pro offered better alternatives than reel-to-reel cutting. Next came shooting on digital video, instead of physical film. But perhaps the last film production holdout to make the leap from physical to digital is the paper script. Sure, since the 1990s there has been screenwriting software, but even those scripts needed to be printed out so cast members could do table reads and production staffers could carry the scripts around with them on sets. All that's set to change, though, thanks to Final Draft Reader for iPad. Final Draft Reader is just that, an iPad reader for your Final Draft scripts. However, in the way the app handles your scripts on the iPad, they behave just like printed drafts. Final Draft Reader displays scripts on your iPad exactly as you would see them in printed form. They are paginated perfectly to industry standards. When you open the app you can select from all the scripts you've imported. Tapping on one opens the script and you can then proceed to swipe from one page to the next (alá how you turn pages in iBooks -- cool page flip animations and all). In addition to simply reading the script, you can also highlight one or more characters' lines (helpful for table-reads), and add notes with the tap of your finger. A lot of thought went into making this app for its target audience: cast and production crew (in the image above, cast members of From The Grave do their first paperless table read). You can see a complete list of Final Draft Reader's features here. Final Draft has even added some nice eye candy, like the realistic pulpy-looking background of the pages. Share options include email, printing, and Dropbox sharing all from within the app. The only negative I see with the app is its lack of iCloud's Documents in the Cloud support, but hopefully Final Draft will add that soon. Final Draft Reader is a great tool that will help eliminate the need to print out paper scripts (and reprint them every time there is a little change). I highly recommend it for anyone who is in the film industry. And fear not, though Final Draft Reader is just that -- a reader for scripts written in Final Draft for OS X or Windows -- the company is planning on releasing a full iPad editing tool, Final Draft Writer for iPad, later this year. Final Draft Reader is available in the App Store for $19.99. %Gallery-161306%
Daily Mac App: Final Draft
Final Draft 8, the industry-standard scriptwriting software, has finally come to the Mac App Store. Even for those of you who have never written a movie script, you've seen the fruits of labor of the app used by those writers. Before Christian Bale utters a menacing threat to a criminal in a Batman movie or Ashton Kutcher cracks a joke on Two and a Half Men, their words were written on Final Draft. AMong its features, Final Draft 8 includes Scene View, which allows writers to drag and drop scenes in the order they want them to appear in the script, split-screen writing so you can be at two places in your script at once and Format Assistant, which checks to make sure your layout and more applies to industry-standard rules. Now while I love Final Draft, it's important to note that the version released on the Mac App Store is the same one that's been available for a while now. There are no big new features that should warrant owners of the current version to switch. However, if you are thinking of buying Final Draft 8, do it through the Mac App Store and not through the website. Until Final Draft 8 became available on the Mac App Store, the software had one of the most burdensome registration processes ever. Instead of relying on a serial number for registration, users had to enter challenge and authorization codes online or over the phone, and if you lost one of those codes (as I have in the past) it was easier to buy a new copy of the software than trying to get the people at Final Draft to reactivate your copy. Users who buy Final Draft through the Mac App Store never have to worry about this again. While I do recommend that anyone who writes scripts for a living use Final Draft, that's not to say the software is without its drawbacks. First off, the UI is beginning to show its age. Also, there is cheaper software, such as Scrivener, that gives Final Draft a serious run for its money. But the main problem I have with Final Draft is they are usually slow to adopt new technology. This is no more apparent than using the software in OS X 10.7 Lion. As it stands now, Final Draft doesn't take advantage of Lion's new features such as Versions, iCloud document syncing, full-screen support and Auto Save. It also doesn't take advantage of Lion's Dictionary panel or scroll bars. The people at Final Draft told me that full-screen support and Auto Save are coming in a future version of the software, but Versions and iCloud document syncing will not be. The reason for this is that Final Draft is developing their own proprietary solution called Final Draft Connect, which will act as an online project-management solution. This makes sense because Final Draft isn't just a Mac app. Its got a massive Windows userbase as well. However, it would be nice if Final Draft would also implement Versions and iCloud document syncing in addition to its proprietary solution. Final Draft 8 is available on the Mac App Store for US$199.99. That's 20% off its normal $249.99 price. The sale runs until the end of October. %Gallery-135614%
Final Draft coming for iPhone and iPad in Spring 2011
Popular screenwriting tool Final Draft is finally making its way to the iPhone and iPad. The company confirmed last year that it was working on a companion iPad and iPhone application, and that app is now close to being finished. While the company has not announced an exact date for launch, a recent email sent to subscribers points to a Spring 2011 debut for its iPad and presumably iPhone version. According to Final Draft's Facebook page, the iOS app will be compatible with version 8 FDX files and will support two-way transfer so that you can easily move your script from your iOS to your desktop and back. While traveling, the tool will let you edit script files and add notes using your iOS device. It will be perfect for those on-the-go moments of inspiration. Budding screenwriters should head over to Final Draft's website and sign up for its iPad alerts so that you can be the first to snag this version when it debuts. [Via Will Robertson]
DV Guru reviews Montage - Mac screenwriting software
Our pal Ajit Anhony at our sister blog DV Guru has reviewed Montage, a new screenwriting app from Mariner Software, makers of the popular MacJournal. Overall Ajit is satisfied with Montage and sees a bright future for this app in a (finally) growing industry of Final Draft competitors. However, Ajit can't help but compare Montage to his personal favorite, Celtx, especially since Celtx's price of $0 and innovative feature set make it hard to beat.Check out Ajit's review for in-depth details on what this new screenwriting app can offer.
