Final Draft Version 8
by Final Draft
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Software Summary
Manufacturer: Final DraftBrand: Final Draft, Inc.
Audio: English (Original Language)
Format: CD-ROM
Release Date: 2009-05-04
Platform: Mac OS X, Windows Vista, Windows XP
Model: FD8-CASE
Product features:
- Final Draft 8 combines powerful word processing with professional script formatting in one self-contained, easy-to-use package specifically designed for writing movie scripts, television episodics and stage plays
- No need to learn about script formatting rules--Final Draft automatically paginates and formats your script to industry standards as you write
- Television show, screenplay, stage play and graphic novel templates are included to help get you started
- Have your script read back to you by assigning different male and female voices to each of your characters with text-to-speech
- New XML file format for compatibility with a wide variety of other products
Software Reviews of Final Draft Version 8
Customer Review: Vertical learning curve
Summary: 5 Stars
Just add words
You may just add words but for me it is a convoluted mess. I am hoping that it is because this is my first encounter with any screen writing software. When you add features, you add complexity.
I have several started items in Microsoft word and find it easy to enter move and proofread. I have not been able to find a way to drag and drop it into the Final draft product. It looks like I will have to learn the tool and add from scratch. Even though it can get intricate, I am now trying to find a way to merge scene, narration, and dialog in a coherent, time line instead of on separate cards.
So fare I have found nothing mechanically wrong with the product. It installed with the minimum of effort (Vista 64). The product comes with a decent installation manual.
I am now reading the manual to hope to get a handle on where to start and how to combine the elements. Luckily or by design, the menus and option follow the Microsoft layout so I can pretty well guess how to get to the option I want.
Once I get past all the original setup details it looks like this will be a useful tool. The trick is not to pick up any bad habits like designing the script on Microsoft word first.
Description of Final Draft Version 8
Everyone has a story. The problem is giving that story life. Final Draft is a unique word processing application that helps take your story ideas and make them ready for stage and screen.Do you have the dream of writing and selling million-dollar scripts to Hollywood and Broadway, and achieving fame and fortune? The first step in realizing this dream is Final Draft, the same software used on nearly every television show, feature film, and theatre production. Using Final Draft is like knowing the insider handshake. It enables a new, aspiring writer to create a professional-looking script like those passed around in studio writers' rooms. Scripts for sale are first judged by how they are formatted and how they appear. Final Draft has made it impossible for Industry agents to know the difference between a professional writer and an aspiring one. Dynamically compares two scripts and highlights any changes, allowing you to easily see the differences from one file to the next Over 50 television show, movie and stage play templates are included, complete with characters and locations Checks your script for common formatting errors, such as missing dialogue, extra spaces, carriage returns and blank elements Pop-up windows that can hold ideas, notes, suggestions or scene fragments without taking up space onscreen Write, edit and discuss a script with other Final Draft users in real time, over the Internet, anywhere in the world Have your script read back to you by assigning different voices to your characters. It's like having a live script reading in your computer An interactive problem-solver with legendary screenwriting teacher Syd Field, television writer Larry Brody, playwright Jon Dorf and WGAW's The Creative Rights Handbook System Requirements (Windows) - Microsoft Windows Vista or Windows XP Intel Pentium III processor or later Minimum 512 MB
Use your creative energy to focus on the content; let Final Draft take care of the style. Final Draft is the number-one selling application specifically designed for writing movie scripts, television episodics and stage plays.
It combines powerful word processing with professional script formatting in one self-contained, easy-to-use package. There is no need to learn about script formatting rules--Final Draft automatically paginates and formats your script to industry standards as you write.
Its ease-of-use and time-saving features have attracted writers for almost two decades positioning Final Draft as the Professional Screenwriters Choice. Final Draft power users include Academy, Emmy and BAFTA award winning writers like Oliver Stone, Tom Hanks, Alan Ball, J.J. Abrams, James Cameron and more.
 Scene View lets you outline your script ideas and re-order scenes. Click to enlarge. |
 Manage and view the important details of your scene in the Scene Navigator. Click to enlarge. |
 Add scene titles and colors to track your story lines, characters, etc. Click to enlarge. |
 Easily outline your story and restructure your script by dragging and dropping multiple scenes at a time. Click to enlarge. |
New in Final Draft Version 8
- Scene Navigator
Manage and view all the important details of your scene in this sortable floating palette
- Page Count Management
Now you have even more control about what fits on a page
- File Format (now XML)
Outline your script ideas in story development software and seamlessly read them into version 8
- Scene Properties Inspector (SPI)
Add scene titles and colors to track your story lines, characters, etc.
- Scene View
Outline your script ideas and re-order scenes in this high-level overview
- Remember Workspace
No more searching for the correct draft you were just working on
Story Development Features
Scene View
With the Scene View you can look at your script from a 5,000 foot view and select, drag and drop one or more scenes to reorganize your ideas as you outline. Insert new scenes easily, and hide or show information important to you such as the scene's action, title and summary. Scene View also displays a scene's color so you can quickly identify one scene from another. Print your Scene View or just view it alongside the script. With a double-click you can sync the script to instantly go to any scene you've selected in Scene View.
Scene Navigator
Manage the pace and flow of your story and keep track of up to 9 categories of information related to your scenes. The Scene Navigator is a sortable, customizable floating palette that displays details about your script such as a scene's title, color, page number, length and location, and best of all it syncs with the script with a single-click. As your script progresses you can pick and choose the columns of information that are relevant for that phase of writing.
Scene Properties Inspector (SPI)
Track data specific to each scene in this new floating palette such as the scene's story beats that will eventually make up the Action, Characters and Dialog of the scene. Add and edit your scene's title such as 'Villain introduced', and add color to the scene to help you track things like storylines, character arcs, and material you need to get back to later. Like the Navigator, the SPI will display the details of whatever scene you're working on in your script so that you have your summary notes handy as you need them.
Index Cards
This improved feature has double-sided cards that display the script's scene on one side and the summary on the other. The Summary View allows you to enter ideas directly into the index card such as your basic outline, notes, sequence or act markers, comments, locations, blocking... anything you need to build and organize your story. You can also color your Index Cards to help organize themes, character arcs, A and B stories, etc. Select and rearrange multiple cards at once if you need to re-order your scenes or print your Index Cards directly on 3x5 or 4x6 cards for use in the 'traditional' way if you want to visualize and organize scenes outside of the application. Double-clicking on a card in Split Panel View will automatically sync the scene selected with your script.
File Format (now XML)
Final Draft version 8, has a new file format that we have shared with a number of technology partners to make the writer's overall experience better. Now you can save to the new Final Draf't file format in a variety of products. Your information can then be opened directly in Final Draft with perfect format and structure. No more reformatting in Final Draft and no more re-typing or lost information!
 Final Draft Testimonials "My entire writing staff uses Final Draft. Even if you don't own a computer, I recommend buying Final Draft." What do other Hollywood professionals have to say about Final Draft? View testimonials (PDF format). |
Writing/Rewriting Features
The Panels System
Like most writers, you probably need to keep a lot of ideas at the front of your mind while you're writing. With the Panels System, you can split your screen into separate panels and view your script pages in one panel while you view another section of the script, your Index Cards or Scene View in the other panel. With the Panels System you can compare two scenes' dialog and pacing side by side even though they may be separated by a vast number of pages. If you want an overview of each scene, use the Index Cards or Scene View on one side and the script in the other. A double-click in any scene will keep the panels in sync.
Templates
Television show, screenplay, stage play and graphic novel templates are included to help get you started. Looking for an old series no longer on the air? The Final Draft Online Template Library is updated regularly and allows registered users to download additional templates directly from finaldraft.com.
Page Count Management
Our new Leading Style in version 8 allows you to adjust the spacing of the entire script or you can select individual sections of text and adjust their spacing to help manage your page count
 Keep your script in sync with the Panels system. Click to enlarge. |
 Jumpstart your writing by using built-in templates. Click to enlarge. |
 Adjust spacing to help manage your page count. Click to enlarge. |
Built-in Spell-Checking and Thesaurus
The vastly improved spell-checking engine comes with English (US) and a built-in thesaurus plus the option to install one of 15 additional language spell-checkers and thesauri. The application provides real time auto-spell check, catches capitalization errors and will assist you in finding synonyms. With definitions for 80,000 plus words from Merriam-Webster and a full thesaurus, you have all the tools at your fingertips. In addition, all the words you added to your user dictionary from version 7 will automatically populate your user dictionary when you install version 8.
Remember Workspace
It's important if you are working among multiple drafts to make sure that you are editing the correct one. With the new Workspace preference, you can have Final Draft open all the files you had open, in the order you were working on them, the last time you worked in Final Draft.
Final Draft Courier Font
Having a consistent page count that production companies and studios can depend on to help them estimate their budgets is crucial when working on a script. That's why Final Draft offers its own font that will ensure proper pagination on both Windows and Macintosh. With version 8 we have made the font easier on the eye so you can better endure when you're writing for long periods of time.
Printing and PDF Options
Now, not only can you print your script in its entirety, you can choose which sets of revisions you want to print and you can print other views such as the Scene View and Index Cards. We've added the ability for you to print directly on 3x4 or 4x6 index cards and print your script directly to PDF so you can decide whether to send a full script or subset of pages to someone via PDF. The Title Page is also conveniently available as an option to include in your PDF or printed output.
Writing Management
Use the Statistics Report to check how much content you've completed in a writing session to help you manage your writing goals. You can also track things such as your ratio of Action to Dialog and whether there may be some unnecessary profanity in your script if you're attempting to 'clean it up.'
ScriptNotes
These effective pop-up windows hold your ideas, suggestions or scene fragments that you've cut but don't want to toss without taking up space onscreen. Use ScriptNotes to provide feedback on a particular scene when reviewing your partner's script or print your ScriptNotes as a report for easy reference when reviewing your script.
Tab and Enter functions
You can install and start using Final Draft within minutes due to the easy-to-use Tab and Enter functionality that helps format all of the various types of script elements to Industry Standards.
ScriptCompare
Compare two drafts of the same script (.fdr or .fdx) and Final Draft will highlight any changes, allowing you to easily see the differences from one file to the next.
Text to Speech
Have your script read back to you by assigning different male and female voices to each of your characters. You can even assign a narrator for action and other non-dialog script elements. Powered by the text-to-speech engines built-in to Windows and Mac OS -- it's like having a live script reading in your computer.
 Keep track of ideas and feedback about sections of your script with ScriptNotes. Click to enlarge. |
 Have your script read back to you by assigning different male and female voices to each of your characters. Click to enlarge. |
 Scan your script for common formatting errors. Click to enlarge. |
CollaboWriter
Write, edit and discuss a script with other Final Draft users in real time, over the internet, anywhere in the world. You can transfer 'control' back and forth between individuals so that one person makes changes at a time, ensuring that information isn't lost during rewrites.
Format Assistant
This useful tool checks your script for common formatting errors, such as missing dialogue, extra spaces, carriage returns and blank elements. You can set it to run every time you print or only when you want it to.
100% Cross-Platform
Final Draft scripts are identical on both Windows and Macintosh platforms and can easily be exchanged between both.
Script Registry
Final Draft is a preferred file format and the only scriptwriting software with an authorized agreement with the WGAW online registry service.
Production Features
Final Draft Tagger 2
This updated stand-alone application reads any Final Draft script and enables you to "tag" elements within the script [cast, costumes, props, etc.] and export the results into most scheduling applications. Tagger allows you to select text from the script and add any element with a click of the mouse in any category for that scene--or for any or all scenes where that element appears. The element text is highlighted and color coded, and can be customized to suit the way you like to work. Created with the help of veteran Assistant Directors, Producers and Unit Production Managers, Tagger means no more going over a paper script again and again with highlighters.
Revisions/Page Locking
From the ability to omit scenes, lock pages and A-pages as well as set your revision colors, version 8 provides you all the tools you'll need to take your script through production. With version 8, we've created a new feature that will automatically track the page header's revision color so you can issue one set of revisions or all of them as needed. Merging pages that have been cut once a script is locked is also a snap. With new how-to tutorials, you have step-by-step instructions on how to merge pages without affecting your overall page count. Final Draft also includes standard revision colors in each film and television template.
Title Page, Cast Pages and Locations Pages
All of the Final Draft Television Templates come pre-set with easy-to-use information for each series such as the specific cast list and typical sets/locations. Our Standard One-Hour and Half-Hour Templates will also help you get started on pilots by providing what information should appear in the finished product. The added bonus is that the Title Page uses its own numbering for tracking the following pages so it won't add to your overall page count.
Customizable Reporting
Final Draft offers seven different reports to give you quick facts about your script. The Scene Report, for example, provides a snapshot of the scene's length, cast, starting page number and location. The Location Report will inform you how often a location is used and will group the scenes by INT/EXT. The Character Report includes an 'appearance summary' so you know how frequently one character speaks, versus the other characters, as well as the total word count for the character. Use the ScriptNotes Report to get a quick scan of all the notes in your script based on each scene and page. The Statistics Report will allow you to track daily writing goals by displaying how many words you've written along with details on the types of elements you used and what percentage of the script they make up. Need to cast your characters? You can instantly create then print or email Character Sides for any speaking parts in your script.
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