If you are one of this talented few, script formatting applications like Celtx, Movie Magic and Final Draft are great productivity tools. These take the hassle out of capitalising, indenting and laying out a script in the format demanded by the Hollywood movie moguls.

They also remember the names of your characters and scene locations. They’ll check your spelling, allow you to classify and rearrange scenes, and produce shooting scripts and script reports for your production team.

Final Draft has fought its way to the top in the screenplay formatting wars. If you believe the hype, it is “used by 95% of film and television productions.”

But for most of us, writing a screenplay begins long before we sit down at the keyboard with that real or virtual clean sheet in front of us. If you follow The Story Department’s advice, and have visited Logline It, you know the drill. You will have refined your logline, described the inciting incident, and developed a 3-act structure. You will have laid out the main beats and arcs and possibly covered your wall with scrawled library cards before you type EXT.

There are a few computer applications that can help you with this early stage. Pre-scripting is by definition a messy job with lots of redundancy.

Final Draft 10 aims to pull the whole process together into a single software package. (Declaration of interest: I’ve been a voluntary beta tester on Final Draft 10 for the past 18 months, but I have no financial interest in the software.)

In this review I’ll assume that the script formatting aspect of Final Draft needs no explanation or comment. I’ll confine myself to the meta-script aspects and the new and improved pre-scripting tools.

NAVIGATOR

This tabbed panel is not new — it’s been part of Final Draft for the past 3-4 versions at least, but its utility has been improved.

If you’re already using Final Draft you’ll be familiar with how use it to jump to, drag, rearrange and colour-code scenes. You know how to keep track of characters and define their arcs; and add script notes.

Now the Navigator is linked to The Story Map, which multiplies its usefulness.

STORY MAP

While the Navigator provides a running overview of your screenplay as you are writing it, the Story Map is an omnipresent, interactive view of your story.

It is a horizontal bar at the top of the window, providing an overview of your script at a glance.

Before you begin, you set a target length in pages, define Structure Points (eg. acts, mid-point) and add Beats. These become page targets in the Story Map. You can, of course, drag these targets around, add new points or erase them at will.

As you write new scenes, they appear in the Story Map along with any colours you added in the Navigator. Double clicking on a scene in the Map takes you to that scene in the script. You can zoom in to examine your scene sequence, or zoom out for a birds-eye view of your screenplay.

BEAT BOARD

The Beat Board is the most obvious new feature in Final Draft 10. It’s your pin board, where you scribble on virtual library cards and drag them around until they make sense.

The Board is totally free format, equally useful for brainstorming, structuring and making notes. Double click anywhere on the board to create a card, then change its size and colour and location and drag it into position.

What you put on these virtual cards is up to you: ideas, notes, character sketches, scene descriptions, “beats,” reminders, phone numbers, shopping lists…

I’ve never been an enthusiastic user of library cards and preferred Scrivener to structure my story. However, I’ve become a fan of the Beat Board for this visual process of brainstorming, rearranging, refining and editing.

It is instinctive and almost infinitely flexible. I’d appreciate more colours and a “snap to grid” option, though. Maybe that is my OCD speaking. And I’d like to be able to add hyperlinks and images, but maybe these will come in later versions.

(NB. The Beat Board is not related to the Index Cards view, which has been an option under the VIEW menu since Version 1.)

SPLIT

In Final Draft 9, you had the ability to split the screen vertically or horizontally, but now you can drag your Beats directly into your screenplay from the Split view.

ALT DIALOGUE

Now here’s a handy feature: say you can’t decide whether a character is a Yank or an Aussie; whether he says “Wassup dude?” or “G’day mate?”

This handy refinement enables you to include any number of alternatives.

Just click on the small “+” beside the line and type in the Yank/Aussie lines.

Both alternatives remain in the screenplay until you decide which market you are selling to.

COLLABORATION

I’ve been collaborating on a script with a writer in the USA. We used to email copies back and forth and mark our contributions and changes using Script Notes and colours.

With FD10 and Skype it’s as though we are sitting side-by-side. It’s as simple as clicking “Collaborate”, obtaining a Session ID Number and Skyping (or emailing) the number to him. He clicks Collaborate and enters the ID Number and my script appears on his computer.

We pass Control back and forward and any changes one of us makes, the other sees in real time. You can communicate interactively using text or speech, though we prefer to run a Skype session beside it. It’s as painless as your bandwidth allows.

Unfortunately, the Beat Board, Splits and several other new features are greyed out in Collaboration mode. I hope they are going to be included in versions 10+.

OTHER IMPROVEMENTS

There are a lot of smaller improvements in Version 10, too. You’ll find more scene numbering options, header and footer improvements, revision versions. A long-overdue improvement is in the Dictionaries: Australian English works at last and I’ve tried it with French and German. And here’s a neat trick: when I’m collaborating with my American colleague, his spell-checker reads US English and mine is Australian English.

WORTH THE PRICE?

If you’re a serious scriptwriter, Final Draft 8 or 9 were always worth the investment. MacOS and Windows Final Draft documents are interchangeable and it delivers a script that won’t be rejected on formatting grounds by those picky Hollywood producers’ assistants. There are now Final Draft apps for iPhone and iPad, for both reading (free) and writing (US$10). So you can take it anywhere.

Let’s face it, Final Draft 10 is an investment, whether you are buying it or upgrading. If you’re not being paid for scriptwriting, perhaps stick with Celtx (free) and library cards for a while. When you’re ready to step into the bear pit, download the Free Trial from finaldraft.com, and explore the introduction screens and videos.

If you think it’s for you, check this site for the best price!

FINAL DRAFT 10: FINAL THOUGHTS

Final Draft 10 is a new ball game, with useful, powerful and stable pre-scripting tools and the best collaboration feature on the market.

There are a few options that I hope appear in 10.1: more colours and a snap-to-grid in the Beat Board. Equally useful would be hyperlinks, and the ability to past graphics. Extending the collaboration capability to the Beat Board will double its usefulness.

-Ian Hart

Ian Hart

Ian Hart is a freelance writer and director.

peacemountain.com.au

by Dave Trendall

Does sexy equal practical?

The number of word processors out there is countless. With most doing similar things, why should we even consider getting something different; or even crazier… pay for it?

One piece of software that has mountains of users who often describe it as ‘sexy’, is Scrivener. I was interested to see why, and if, it was good for writing. Sexy is one thing but does it actually stand up to a long term relationship… and is it really worth paying for?

Pros of the Processor

Getting inside a writer’s mind can be a treacherous minefield, a forest of ideas where trees are mangled and roads lead nowhere. When starting out on a project there are avenues to explore, ideas to grapple with. Where to start?

Scrivener really understands the writers mind as it is logically laid out but doesn’t tie you down to any format like most other software does – what it does do is encourage flexibility.

Scrivener really understands the writers mind

Research and organisation are key in writing your magnus opus and to have access to the mind maps and scribblings in a click can make this process easier. Most processors or text editors will have you open 3… 4… 5… different windows as you begin minimising, maximising, moving and closing windows, trying to access those hard-to-find character bios and scene ideas.

All the ideas you put on your scratch pad and other documents can be a daunting and complicated excercise in organisational dilligence but on Scrivener you have everything you need on show with easy access.

Organisation

On the right of the interface you have the inspector, on the left you have the binder which has all your files and character notes displayed just one click away. On the right, the inspector which shows the synopsis, step outline, ideas or comments. In the centre is a clear writing part.

You can also build collections for each project which is a great help. Despite the neatness of it all and the ability to minimize these collections, there’s a lot of info on display and it can look a little busy, so what if you just want to write?

The full screen function allows you to have the page, a photo of that lovely deserted island in the background and nothing else, which helps you focus on the task in hand and not on toolbars, configurations and statistics. It’s a nice touch and the simplicity is refreshing.

What if you just want to write?

The program comes with a plethora of options so you can adapt it to your liking. F or example you may want the blank page to fade down, change the paper width or change the paper position. It’s all about adapting to your needs.

The final stage!

Something that Scrivener has, is the ability to export your script/novel onto an ebook for kindle, epub, Word or even Final Draft among others. This motivational and inspirational tool brings you one step closer to self-publishing or selling and getting it out there. It is mostly geared toward novel or non-fiction/research writers however the impetus and injection of ‘reality’ and coming face to face with a realistic ‘published’ finish piece is quite the motivation!

It is also possible to sync the scribblings from write room, index card and simpletext for iphone/itouch or Ipad. This is for the Mac only, however the windows beta version is soon to catch up in this respect.

This motivational and inspirational tool brings you
one step closer to self-publishing or selling

Index card features

An excellent interface that really is second to none in terms of pure chic: the corkboard interface has clear index card features for you to design your plots and characters in a great, organised and colourful fashion.

It’s not just the je-ne-sais-quoi, but the ease of use and detail you can put into it is a great attribute. It allows you to brainstorm in order for you to really nut out the structure and outline before going to work on the screenplay.

An excellent interface that really is second to none

You can also use the cards as scene ideas, change the font and change the colour to indicate theme or concept. It is gorgeous and makes the writing thoroughly enjoyable – it’s nice to have a different view with the corkboard that really makes you feel you’re in the planning room.

I am a lover of index cards – this is so close to the real thing that you can almost smell the paper and feel the cork. The other processors look and feel like a computer – this doesn’t.

This is so close to the real thing
that you can almost smell the paper
and feel the cork.

Feedback/forums/support

It’s options are a burden and a blessing. Really, it’s like a brain… complicated yet fascinating, or a complicated enigmatic character: hard to decipher. There are numerous options and drop down menus to explore and you sometimes feel like you just don’t get it, but then, suddenly, it all makes perfect sense and you feel quite enamoured with yourself for doing so darn well.

What is important in such software is the technical support, and it is excellent. I’ve never really had the support in terms of software like this before. On the website there are video tutorials, that are simple and easy to understand, as well as a fully detailed manual that could provide a few nights of scintillating bedtime reading… If that’s your thing. The forum is also full of hints, tips and tricks.

I’ve never really had the support
in terms of software like this before.

So many options, but are they all useful? There are numerous configurations to behold and wonder at and it’s well worth trying to get to know them all to make it exactly to your liking.

Cons

What I found problematic however, was in transferring documents onto scrivener, particularly screenplays. When I tried to import scripts from two different screenwriting programmes the alignment, fonts and formatting were all over the place and it took time to get it back to normal.

Although you may find ways around this problem – a ‘how to’ video tutorial and extensive information on exporting and importing will help – it was a time-consuming process and an extensive lesson in jargon. Other users have noted it is difficult to use with blogs and can be a lavishly laborious process to export certain documents onto, or out of, Scrivener.

it is difficult to use with blogs and can be
a lavishly laborious process
to export certain documents

The corkboard is lovely, sexy even, though it’s not the most important thing for writing. There are feasts of different views and colours to change this to that and put that in a drop down menu while you tweak this and paste this into that folder… I confused myself when operating it and getting to know it.

It’s nice to have a software that is as complex as it is interesting. And that’s interesting in a good way but is it too much for what is essentially a virtual binder, paper with pen?

Added to this, index cards themselves are available on other programme, such as Celtx, for a smidgeon of the price.

A fast car is good driving

You will get what you paid for with Scrivener and understanding just what it can do will take an enjoyable or frustrating amount of time, depending on whether you like getting to know the options or just want to get writing.

No doubt this is a great piece of software. It’s a neat looking, intuitive programme which has everything you need right in front of you, for you to use at your disposal. It’s perfect for writing and particularly organising thoughts ideas and structuring them into a coherent order.

Then, after having sussed out this little gem, you can start the marriage with a day of getting to know each other, to start afresh and forget what had gone before. Word? Who was that flash in the pan?

Some may argue If you need to go from A to B do you really need a Dodge viper with extra torque, whatever you decide, it certainly looks nice in your garage and feels great when you’re in the driving seat.

-Dave Trendall

My name is David Trendall and I am from the land of Braveheart. I studied Film and Television in Wales and it was there I found a love and passion for writing scripts. Since then I have written four screenplays and many short films. I hope to reach 10 within the next 5 years and am continuing to write and hone my skills in screenwriting and story structure. And yes I do like Braveheart.

by Dave Trendall

There are many on the market with equal prices so it’s good to trial them before unzipping your wallet and dipping in. Script it! does have limitations but on the flip-side, its extreme ease of use will have you bashing on the keys within 10 minutes.

Its extreme ease of use will have you
bashing on the keys within 10 minutes.

It’s a good enough piece of software for those setting out on the adventure of writing a screenplay for the first time, great for organizing your story into a clear and coherent ball of motivations and goals and focusing on the bare minimum, the step outline.

The package is complimented with some nice touches and if you want a simple and easy to use word processor to organize your thoughts and ramblings into a structured story, with numbered steps and notes, this is a worthy shot. With it’s decent price tag it’s more affordable than a more complex competitor or its sister, Movie Outline .

Why use outlining software?

I often find it difficult to structure a decent step outline on Celtx or Word and am continually scrolling up and down the 25 page document trying to find a particular scene. This software makes viewing and organizing the outline steps exceptionally easy. Also, the many notes, ideas and flashes of genius you have are stored away in easy to access folders. It’s also thoroughly easy to convert into a pdf file and there is an added option of submitting and registering your script.

This software makes viewing
and organizing the outline steps
exceptionally easy.

For those of you who barely have a grasp of what an outline is, Script it! gives a glossary of words and useful terms. There are also 3 feature film examples of how you can use the program which is handy to see the capabilities of the software.

Tip of the day

Tip of the day is another nice touch and you can choose to turn on a ‘show on add step’ function. After having finished writing a step, a tip pops up which you can use in your writing as you keep the ball rolling. Some of them are a little obvious but for some writers, more so beginners, this is easier and more interactive and indeed more useful than reading a book with lots of hints to store somewhere in the cobwebs of your brain; you can really use what it tells you in the next step of your writing.

Character names

The character names wizard works well, detailing the meanings of (innumerable) first names which are interesting to read, however it doesn’t go too far in helping you with surnames. It’s fun to just peruse.

A nice facet is the ability to write the script as per each step. With the complete overview shown in the sidebar, you are only a click away to the script formatting page that relates directly to the step. A simple idea but one which keeps you on track, preventing you from ambling around aimlessly. It’s great to be able to see the outline list on the sidebar, clearly visible and easy to interpret it displays the contents and it’s easy to navigate.

It’s great to be able to see the outline list on the sidebar.

Its limitations are abundant, but it’s not the aim to bowl you over and you won’t be crying a merciful ‘please! I can’t handle all these graphs, graphics and options you’re throwing at me!’. The function is outline and structure… that said however, everything it does do, it does with simplicity, speed and organization. It’s almost too easy to work all the options out – it’ll save you time fiddling around with settings and playing with menu options and tabbing on that old-hat word processor.

This really is what Script it! does well. It’s great for beginning writers who want the structure and organization that most other packages don’t have. Ok, great for beginners, sure, excellent… but what about for so-called experts; have you tried 407 different types of screenwriting software? If so, this might not be for you. Script it! won’t fan-dazzle you into an altered state of options and drop-down menus but it will focus you on organising notes and structuring scenes in a logical way.

Script it! won’t fan-dazzle you into
an altered state of options and drop-down menus.

Character notes?

What is lacking is a full and detailed character biography template. I found myself going into other programmes and retrieving my notes which was mildly irritating but it didn’t make me throw my computer at the wall or ask to be refunded in time and money. There also doesn’t seem to be much in the way of forums to connect with other writers, there are links to excellent resources online (and always to the big sister, movie outline) which can help a lot if you’re just starting out or need some pointers to help you out of the hole you’ve dug.

No visual splendor

Pictorially there is little to talk about and I like to have the pictorial element. There are no index cards, nor are there icons, however generally speaking, there is little not to like about this little package. It is limited, but for the price it’s not low on detail. It doesn’t have charts or any stimulus to mill around when you’re bored of writing but it does have everything you need.

Pictorially there is little to talk about and
I like to have the pictorial element.

This is probably not the software I would use to write a screenplay on, though it is certainly possible to write your opus on it. It lacks detail and graphics and it’s clear its focus is on structuring but it’s a perfect tool for beginners with its wealth of tips and tricks and worthy of note for experts who don’t want to fork out the wholesome penny.

Conclusion

It’s a neatly structured piece of software anyone can use, easily. There is a wealth of information to learn from and also extra tips to find out and discover. It’s a good deal regarding the price and can focus you on fine-tuning the structure which is so easy to gloss over and misfire on before you hit the scripting stage. If what you need is structure with a no-frills approach, then this is a good piece of software to have in your armory.

-Dave Trendall

Rory’s Story Cubes

This addictive little app has kept me entertained all week. It’s a virtual version of the original product: nine six-sided dice, each with a different image on them.

Every time you shake, the dice fall into different combinations of pictures, guaranteed to get your imagination working and combat the dreaded writer’s block. There’s pictures of keys, planes, lightning, sheep, question marks, footsteps, clocks and speech bubbles to name a few.

Because of the symbolic nature of these pictures, there are millions of ways you can interpret them. You can use them at any stage of your writing project, whether you need a kick-start idea or you’re halfway through and feeling uninspired.

A depressed man finds a key to an abandoned house
that contains a mysterious book.

I challenged myself to come up with a logline based on one combination and came up with this: A depressed man finds a key to an abandoned house that contains a mysterious book.

You can take photos of your cube combinations for later reference too. Easy!

This one is definitely worth the $2.49 it costs.

Celtx

Finally! Celtx is available on iPhone!

This fantastic screenwriting program has everything you need for a beautifully polished, professional looking script. If you already use Celtx on your computer, it’s perfect for when you’re on the go and inspiration hits. You can sync it up to your computer so the script you’re working on updates.

Finally! Celtx is available on iPhone!

The only concern that one reviewer had with this app is that it doesn’t include index cards which are helpful in building the story as you go. This is true, however I think you could easily use a basic note-taking app for that (try Stick-it eNotes, a nifty little free app).

The app version of its free online counterpart is ironically $12.99 but I guess they have to make the moolah somehow, the cost is still nothing on Final Draft!

Methodology-Oblique Strategies

Another great writer’s block tool, this app uses the famous Oblique Strategies: a series of flashcards developed by Brian Eno and Peter Schmidt.

Each flashcard has a cryptic phrase or word that will force you to think laterally. They’re especially helpful when looking at the overall creative process, when you’re thinking about your project as a whole. For example, ‘merge two different ideas’ can relate to an element of your script itself or the overall story.

Each flashcard has a cryptic phrase or word
that will force you to think laterally.

These kind of writer’s block tools I’ve found are much more helpful in sparking your imagination then other kinds that randomize storylines and limit your scope.

For over 100 new flash cards, this one is only $2.49.

Leonard Maltin Movie Guide

What screenwriter isn’t an avid lover of film? Leonard Maltin brings his extensive film knowledge and criticisms to the bite sized world of the iPhone apps.

This is a fantastic app that rivals IMDB with Leonard Maltin’s extensive movie knowledge. On the opening page, he gives a list of his own current picks, movies both old and new.

He may be the nerdiest looking guy on the Internet
but he knows his movies!

You can watch the preview for the film straight away and read Leonard Maltin’s review. There’s also a function that enables you to keep track of your favourite movies and list the movies you want to see, a handy tool when someone’s raving about the latest blockbuster!

He may be the nerdiest looking guy on the Internet  (his mug is the app picture) but he knows his movies!

If you’re a fan of the man, it’s worth the $2.49.

Contour

This is another app based on a full sized product of the same name. Contour is a program developed by Jeffrey Alan Schechter, an L.A. based screenwriter.

Its aim is to help you flesh out your story and characters using tried and true development methods.

For example, it will take you through four questions that are at the core of every good story: Who is the main character? What are they trying to accomplish? Who is trying to stop them? What happens if they fail? The app gives about seventeen screenplays put through this process.

I found this a valuable part of the app, especially as the movies are recent and well known (Slumdog Millionaire, Star Trek and Up to name a few). It also provides a structure for breaking the screenplay into three acts as well as a structure report and beat sheet.

Contour offers a similar service as the Save The Cat app reviewed last time on The Story Department but at a much more writer-friendly price.

Contour will set you back $5.99

Cherie Lee

I studied acting for three years and hold a graduate diploma in writing from Sydney’s UTS. My interest in film and writing was solidified through interning at The Story Department and gave me the opportunity to fine tune my skills. I’ve been involved with several film projects, the most recent of which was shortlisted for Tropfest.

With the knowledge gained from university and my experience at The Story Department, I’m now specialising in professional feedback on short films and documentaries.

Cherie Lee once again puts her social life in jeopardy to spend some time with her iPhone.

Let’s look over her shoulder at the newest and coolest apps for you, fresh from the App Store. (If you have experience with any, please leave your comments below)

Save The Cat

Based on the story structure made famous by his books, Snyder Enterprises continues the features found in the desktop version of the software and provides them in the compact format of the iPod/iPhone.

Starting a new screenplay in the app prompts the user for Title, Logline and Number of Pages. These are entered by yourself with no guidance along the way.

On the Blake Snyder Beat Sheet  screen, you fill in the classic Snyder 15 beats of your story. When entering each field of beats, you receive advice on what that particular entry will define in your story, thankfully providing examples as well.

The numbers in parentheses beside each beat indicate the approximate page number of your script.

Tapping the pin on the bottom left of the screen allows you to view the “The Board”, a snapshot view of the beats in your script and colour coded scene cards.

Tapping on any of your beats will give you a screen with notes you’ve written in the previous step, including the Beat name – Heading – Description – Emotional Change – Conflict – Notes. The right and left arrows at the bottom are a great navigation tool to send you to the next or previous Scene Cards (Beats).

One great feature that is becoming common place amongst these apps is being able to partner with a desktop version. The STC app will ask for your serial number to synchronise with your laptop or desktop, allowing you more control over changes on the run and at home when convenient.

Scratch pad is still there for those wanting to make notes as well.

Although the price is high compared to other apps, as a saving grace to newcomers, you are given a $20 discount off the desktop version.

See the iTunes store for more details.

Screenwriting apps aren’t necessarily easy to work with when you have to type like a pecking chicken. However, if you want to make quick notes or have time on your hands sitting on the train or waiting for your doctor in the clinic, then these types of apps will satisfy the urge to keep working on the next greatest script.

If making notes and gathering ideas is what you look to do and in sync with your laptop, this app is great.

Writer’s Block Assassin

This unique writer’s block application is tailored specifically for help in story advancement rather than just inspiration or idea generation, over 300 questions relating to character, plot development and setting.

Have you considered your character’s motivation? Understanding why your characters do what they do will help you to predict how they interact and how they adopt to events in the story’.

Not just limited to story, there are questions relating to journalism, blogging, literary techniques as well as a punctuation guide and writing definitions.

In terms of screenwriting, the character and plot development questions are definitely the most helpful. Other character questions relate to their beliefs, dilemmas, finances, health, family matters, career, secrets and addictions.

Plot development questions cover various  dramatic possibilities, including killing off a character, adding a new character, changing the setting, natural disasters, an unexpected pregnancy as well as general questions relating to theme, genre and general storyline. There’s room after each ‘question’ for you to answer it in relation to your own story.

As well as the questions, there is a section called ‘scenarios’ which, using your inputted characters/places/things randomly creates new scenarios. Or it can create the characters/places/things itself. For example,’Clarence Hodge divorces Gaven Aitkins’, ‘Gaven Aitkins discovered the car’, ‘Clarence Hodge travels to New York’.

At $4.99 it’s a little pricier than your average writer’s block application but because it’s more complex and can help you in specific areas of your story, it’s well worth it.

Movie Slate (Clapperboard and Shot Log)

When you want to make your script into a movie and feel like a serious director, this app is for you!

You enter the production details onto the clapperboard as well as roll/scene/take numbers. You can make voice/photo notes as you go and email the shot log history to your computer in HTML, CSV and tab delimited formats. You can also rate various shots as you go and order the history in terms of best shots.

For those who value aesthetics you can change the clapperboard colour, background and fonts as well as lock in either portrait or landscape mode.

At $12.99 it’s cheaper than an actual clapperboard but there is a cheaper version of this application by the same company called ‘ToySlate’.

ToySlate has all of the same features except for an integrated shot log history and note taking capacities.

I had fun with this one using the prerecorded phrases such as ‘Don’t look at the camera!’ and ‘Where’s my latte?’

‘ToySlate’ is definitely the better buy at $1.19.

Reel Director

Finally, a video editing app for all those with an iPhone 3GS! This application comes with all the basic features of any professional editing program: transitions, trimming and splitting clips, titles/credits, recording/mixing sound and previewing your film as you go.

The transitions are all very basic, cross disolves, fades, blurs and wipes but it will give you a good idea of what your film might look like. You can also edit your home movies on it, on the go.

This is fairly well-priced at only $5.99 although you need to get in quick because it’s only a holiday special and will go up to $9.99 soon!

Cherie Lee

I studied acting for three years and hold a graduate diploma in writing from Sydney’s UTS. My interest in film and writing was solidified through interning at The Story Department and gave me the opportunity to fine tune my skills. I’ve been involved with several film projects, the most recent of which was shortlisted for Tropfest.

With the knowledge gained from university and my experience at The Story Department, I’m now specialising in professional feedback on short films and documentaries.

Cherie Lee road tested some, built our own Top 5 and reviews them for your technological enjoyment.

With this proliferation of applications for the iPhone, writers of any kind have quickly embraced the wide variety of general note-taking and mindmapping apps. It was to be expected that specialised applications would appear to help with specific tasks for filmmakers and screenwriters.

Let’s have a look at five that could take your story from concept to pre-production.

Screenplay

The only one of its kind, this is a scriptwriting application that could not be easier to use.

Name the screenplay, program in the scene numbers and locations and then write in the same format as the script will appear.

It looks like a mini-Final Draft, with options for action, character, dialogue, transition, parentheses and scene headings. Now you can write a script page on the train – in proper format!

First time here? Why not Subscribe! It’s free.

One feature allows you to re-order whole scenes if you need to and you can type the script in landscape or portrait mode.

You can export your script into most scriptwriting programs for the computer or email the draft to yourself (or your editor).

This could become a very popular app for screenwriters, particularly for those who get their scene ideas on the go!

It’s not too expensive at $3.99 either.

Movie Idea Generator

This is a fun little app that could actually be quite useful.

It simply puts three phrases together and there you have it, your next movie. Well, kinda…

It appears that the developers have taken a collection of existing loglines and the Generator shuffles the parts.

The three phrases are: the Hero’s quality/flaw (dimwitted/enchanting/jealous etc.), the Hero’s function (photographer/college student/exotic dancer etc.) and an Inciting Incident an Objective or an Inner Journey (gets run over by a bus/seeks revenge/learns true meaning of Christmas).

Some results may spark an instant cult classic, such as: ‘Agoraphobic farmer craves human brains’; others are broad enough to get you thinking. What about ‘Vengeful mobster gets taste of his own medicine’ ? Could be Tarantino’s next!

This is the kind of application that you could play with for a laugh or use seriously to get past writer’s block.

Anyway, at $1.19 it’s a safe bet.

Storyteller-Story and Character Generator

If a movie starts with the doors of all the houses opening simultaneously, rest assured the screenwriter used this app.

Slightly more elaborate application than the movie generator, this isn’t limited to one plot – and it’s not limited to movies. The Storyteller helps inspire ideas in all areas of the story in terms of setting, theme, character, events, twists etc. There are even visual aids, for example pictures of locations.

Some examples really don’t work on the screen – e.g. the opening line “The weeping stopped.” – and it may not be directly practical to screenwriters but Storyteller gives you a few ways of getting the creative juices flowing again.

We had fun reading the examples on the site, which contain a twist on ‘Hansel and Gretel’ with the main suspect being a flustered monk. It is set in icy mountains with a bomb exploding that starts it all off. The theme of the story is that ‘a leopard cannot change its spots’.

Feeling inspired? It’ll only cost you $2.49.

Super Index Cards

For those times of brainstorming and story planning, this application is nifty! It is essentially an organisational application for arranging ideas however you choose. You write stuff on the cards and then you can change the colour of them, rearrange them and look at them in either portrait or landscape mode. There is also a publishing option that sends the cards straight to your email in Word format.

This one costs $5.99 but there’s a version called ‘Super Index Cards Local’ which for $2.49 is probably the better option. The only difference is that it does not sync up to a server or perform back up and your work will not be accessible on multiple devices. You can still email it to yourself though so it’s not a problem!

Hitchcock

This one is exceptionally useful for all kinds of filmmakers: it’s a storyboarding composer for your mobile.

Import pictures from your phone onto the board or take photos straight from within the program, then insert the camera movements; tracking shots, zooms, dolly movement and pans.

You have the option to place stand-ins if you can’t get the actors in the photos and need to see how and where they’ll fit into the shot. You can even record audio over the shots, either dialogue from the scene or notes on what’s happening technically. Play it back in the storyboard in real-time and you’ll get a good sense of what it will look like.

Another great feature is the PDF export of your storyboards so that you can share it.

The application may help you brainstorming your film’s structure, or instantly video-test a possible filming location you happen to stumble upon. Take a couple of photos, load them into Hitchcock and there you have it: a basis to start visualising your film.

At $23.99, Hitchcock may seem on the pricey side but it incorporates a lot more powerful functionality than the other apps in this review.

Movie Genie

For film lovers rather than filmmakers – and therefore out of competition – but all the more fun is the nerd-ready Movie Genie. Are you like me, who can’t watch a movie without pulling out IMDB? Who is that actor again? What else they’ve been in? And what other movies has the director done?

Movie Genie accesses IMDB with a simple, clean interface – rather than going through Safari and miss half the movie.

Upcoming functions include movie reviews from ‘Rotten Tomatoes’ as well as trailers for movies. There are well worth sticking around for.

Movie genie is $2.49.

Are you using an application that isn’t listed? Let us know in the comments!

Courtesy of Cinemek, for our US readers we have 5 free copies of HITCHCOCK for iPhone. To go in the draw, send an email to contest@thestorydepartment.com and give us the title of the Hitchcock movie set in a lifeboat.

Cherie Lee

I studied acting for three years and hold a graduate diploma in writing from Sydney’s UTS. My interest in film and writing was solidified through interning at The Story Department and gave me the opportunity to fine tune my skills. I’ve been involved with several film projects, the most recent of which was shortlisted for Tropfest.

With the knowledge gained from university and my experience at The Story Department, I’m now specialising in professional feedback on short films and documentaries.

I have installed version 8.0.0.,  the latest available version at the time of writing.

Because I work with clients who use a variety of software, I often find myself converting and exporting between platforms. In this area, FD hasn’t improved much since FD6 (from which I upgraded). That said, a typical screenwriter may not need to convert that often.

PRO:

– The overall feature set has improved.
– The layout is slightly more pleasing to the eye than before.
– Scene Navigator is a cool feature.
– Not too many bugs (See below: Cons).
– The top toolbars can be customised to contain a range of commands.
– The page count manager. (don’t think you’re allowed to use it, though!)
– FD can be active on two computers; installed on as many as you like.
– An ever improving knowledge base on the FD web site.
– Upgrade is only $99.

CON:

– FD8 saves as .fdx by default, even for imported FD7 scripts.
– Copy and paste between documents has resulted in crashing.
– No good solution for tracking changes.
– Cost: $249 (To compare: MS Word is $229).
– The interactive troubleshooter on the web took forever to launch.
– Key Shortcuts: if you select text and change the style, the text is deleted.
– Chat support times: for OZ writers this support closes at morning tea.
– Phone support is free only for 3 months and for 20mins only.
– The format assistant could have been improved.
– Importing from .rtf resulted in blank pages with “(CONT.)” here and there.
– No competitive upgrade offer to be found on the web site.

If you’re earning money writing for the screen, you should have Final Draft. If you’re not, I believe you can find better value alternatives.

Karel FG Segers

Karel Segers wrote his first produced screenplay at age 17. Today he is a story analyst with experience in acquisition, development and production. He has trained students worldwide, and worked with half a dozen Academy Award nominees. Karel speaks more European languages than he has fingers on his left hand, which he is still trying to find a use for in his hometown of Sydney, Australia. The languages, not the fingers.

Subscribe to our YouTube Channel!