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Screenwriting Software: Closeup Review #3 |
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The writer's ritual of putting that first sheet of paper into the typewriter and staring at its vast empty whiteness has been replaced by a blank stare at a computer screen. Yet, the challenge -- how to fill that empty space -- hasn't changed. To help meet that challenge, Script Perfection and Cinovation have introduced Windows(r) versions of their scriptwriting software programs. ScriptThing® and Scriptware®, their respective programs, are the best DOS offerings on the market. Both companies are continuing their friendly feature war with one goal -- to offer writers the best possible scriptwriting software.
Do writers really need a special scriptwriting program? Film and video scripts impose stringent formatting demands on writers. A properly formatted script should indicate, with accuracy, the program's running time and allow all of the production requirements -- talent, locations, props, and special effects -- to be identified quickly. The script is a blueprint. Each element -- scene headings, action, dialog, parentheticals, character names and transitions -- has as many formatting rules as there are in the building code. A scriptwriting program lets you forget about those details and concentrate on the story; Scriptware and ScriptThing also have other benefits that producers and directors will appreciate.
Scriptware for Windows ($299.95 retail) ($49.95 upgrade) is nearly identical to Cinovation's DOS version. These similarities are Scriptware's strength and its weakness. Cinovation's Scriptype® system makes it very easy to produce properly formatted scripts. You don't need to learn any special commands or function keys to start typing. Most formatting chores are handled by pressing the Tab or Enter keys.
The differences between the Windows and DOS versions are the addition of Windows Speed Bars; screen font type and size selection; script breakdown reports; the ability to have multiple scripts open on screen; and copy protection was eliminated. Windows speed bar buttons allow you to retrieve files, print, spell check, create a new script element or insert a character name with one click of the mouse. Some people find these buttons helpful because you don't need to remember any commands. Others prefer typing commands so your fingers can remain on the keyboard. You can pick the buttons that appear on speed bar and rearrange them to suit your preferences.
Scriptware lets you choose any Windows screen font, in any size, but it will only print in 12 point Courier. The new version improves Scriptware's handling of transitional elements. Now, you can create transitions whenever you end an action line with "to:" -- a ScriptThing for DOS feature. In Scriptware for DOS, you must add the new transition to the transition list before you can use it in the script.
The addition of breakdown reports is a major benefit for writers who also produce and direct, or for the person who will produce the show. Scriptware's report is designed for importing into Screenplay Systems' Movie Magic budgeting or scheduling program for feature film production. The scene heading, scene number, starting page number and the length of the scene, measured in eighths of a page, are included in this report. This information can also be printed.
Cinovation eliminated copy protection and replaced it with a registration process. When you install the program for the first time, you have to call Cinovation and get a code to activate the Scriptware installation disks. This eliminates any worries that a hard drive crash or a disk optimizing program will prevent you from using your software. When ever you use Scriptware, the first thing you'll see on screen is the name and serial number of the registered owner along with a reminder that if you someone else's name appears you should buy a legal copy.
Cinovation includes formats for feature films -- submission and shooting; television shows; sitcoms; two-column A-V scripts; and theatrical plays. Television programs and sitcoms use loose standards that are often modified to suit the needs of a particular show. The other formats have more rigid standards. Scriptware allows you to modify any of these formats.
The program follows most of the accepted standards, though I'm not sure of the latest trend in script formats for network television. I did need to change the way Scriptware's two-column format handles character names and dialogue in the right column. It centers the name, and starts the dialogue on the following line. The more typical placement for a character name is justified left, followed by a colon and a space. The narration or dialogue usually starts on the same line as the character name. However, it's a simple task to modify the format to suit your needs.
Scriptware for Windows, like its DOS predecessor, is an excellent program that makes it easy to write scripts in the widest number of formats. Yet, Cinovation's first Windows version (labeled v2.05) does not implement all the features you'd expect to find in a Windows program. You can't cut and paste from the Windows clipboard into Scriptware. Under Windows 95, you can't tile or cascade the program using the cascade button on the program window; to switch from one program to another you must minimize Scriptware. Scriptware is not OLE compliant -- you can't drop and drag text or move it from one program to another. The program doesn't support long file names. Yet, none of these issues seriously hamper your ability to write scripts in the proper format.
ScriptThing for Windows ($285 retail) ($86 upgrade) retains nearly every feature of ScriptPerfection's production version of ScriptThing for DOS. The new version includes some improvements, new features and solid support for Windows and Windows 95.
ScriptThing is very easy to use. Open a new script and press enter. A pop-up box appears and asks if you want to add "FADE IN:". Type "Y" or click on yes to put it into the script. Press enter and a list of scene headings appears. If you type a new Scene Heading, ScriptThing automatically adds it to the list. The same is true for all the other element lists. Press Tab to move to character name. Type a name (the program builds lists as you go). Then press enter to begin typing dialogue. Press enter again and you drop down to an action line.
ScriptThing allows you to access its features in many ways. There's a drop-down menu bar. Keyboard commands, which tend to emulate Word Perfect 5.1, are also available. A windows speed bar across the top allows you to use the mouse to open, save, print, cut, paste, copy, modify type attributes, change script elements, cheat margins, or switch to the index card view. There's also a vertical speed bar inside the right scroll bar, with a button for each script element. You can't edit ScriptThing's speed bars, but you can turn off the vertical bar. When you use the buttons or menus, a hint tells you about a shortcut on the status line. You can turn off these hints and reconfigure the keys used to delete text, move around the script or cut and paste text.
The Configuration Wizard is a new feature that makes it very easy to set up the program's options. When you first install ScriptThing, the Wizard (a cartoon character) helps explain the available options for editing, your desktop, spell checking, handling revisions, printing, and drop and drag editing. Any option can be changed from within the program. The Wizard is just one example of the gentle sense of humor that permeates ScriptThing and gives it a special character.
ScriptThing for Windows uses the mouse effectively. Place the cursor on any letter in a word. Double click to select the word. Double-click again and that sentence is selected. Double click again to select that element. You can drag and drop the selected text to a new location or paste it into another Windows program. Bold, italics, underlines and the script format are maintained when you paste it.
The right mouse button brings up ScriptThing's PowerPanel(tm), a nine button rectangle, designed to speed editing chores. The button layout makes it easier to move through the nested menus with fewer clicks. I prefer keyboard commands over the mouse, but this approach was very effective.
The most amazing feature in ScriptThing for Windows is its ability to cut and paste from other Windows programs. A script in WordPerfect can pasted directly into ScriptThing. The script will have the correct format and any bold, italic or underlined text will be maintained. It's the simplest way to convert a file. ScriptThing will read RTF, ASCII, Scriptware tagged files, or Movie Master files, and can save files in those formats, or in Word Perfect 5.1 or greater.
ScriptPerfection also made improvements to ScriptThing's search and replace, and revision marking features. The Windows version offers more printing options, including support for European paper sizes and Truetype fonts. You also have the option of printing a character list, a unique location list, selected text, actor's sides, and production breakdowns.
The production breakdowns are unusually extensive for a scriptwriting program. Not only can you do a primary sort -- by character, location, interiors vs. exteriors, time of day or script order. This program also does a secondary sort -- by location, time of day, interiors vs. exteriors or script order. ScriptThing even normalizes the time of day for Scene Headings that contain "LATER", "CONTINUOUS" or "SAME TIME" by matching those headings with the previous scene's time of day. Scene Headings such as "THAT NIGHT" are automatically placed in the "NIGHT" category and "AFTERNOONS" in the "DAY" category. You can produce a report for import into Movie Magic scheduling or budgeting.
A new text alias feature lets you assign shortcuts to letters that ScriptThing then expands into full words. If you type "vm," and you have told ScriptThing to expand those letters to "Videography Magazine," the program will put those words into the script. This is helpful when you're writing technical scripts, or for an organization with a long name. Type deoxyethylene methaboracylic acid a few dozen times and you'll understand the benefits. ScriptThing also lets you assign aliases to Character Names. It's a nice shortcut if several characters have names that begin with the same letter or if you want to avoid typing their names in scene headings or action descriptions.
ScriptThing's index card view displays just scene headings and action. The Windows version allows you to write and edit an outline in this view. But once you add dialogue to a script, you will only be able to shuffle cards in the Index Card view. Shuffling rearranges the corresponding scenes in your script. These index cards can be printed in three preset layouts, or you can define your own layout.
ScriptThing has formats for feature films, taped sitcoms, filmed sitcoms, and theatrical plays. You can modify these formats, but this version of ScriptThing will not do an A/V script. If you want to write in two-column format, look elsewhere.
This program gives you a lot of alternative ways to do things. However, every option is given equal emphasis in the manual. It has the unintended effect of making the manual, and hence the program, appear more complicated and confusing. A better design would enable you to glance at the manual and figure out how to accomplish your task faster. The alternative methods are important to include, but they should be in the background. The on-screen help is better than the manual. ScriptThing for Windows is a Windows 3.1 program with support for Windows 95. A true 32-bit Windows 95 version is scheduled for release at the end of summer.
Each program has its advantages. Scriptware handles more script formats, loads faster than ScriptThing, has editable speed bars, and a better manual. ScriptThing has more Windows features including: drop and drag editing; cut and paste import; and better mouse support. ScriptThing's breakdown reporting and index card view are far superior. Scripts saved in Scriptware produce much larger files than those saved in ScriptThing. ScriptThing is copy protected, though you can optimize your hard disk safely. The goal of Cinovation's Scriptype® and Script Perfection's QuickType and SmartTab systems is identical -- to make it easy for writers to type in the proper format. In this regard, both programs succeed admirably. The choice comes down to other factors because either one can make it easy for you to write scripts.
Microsoft Word for Windows is now the most popular word processing program for Windows. It has two special features that enable developers to write add-on programs that can turn Word into a specialized word processor.
Stefani Warren's Script Wizard (V7.0 $175) (V7.0 Production Pak $249) is the most comprehensive scriptwriting add-on available for Word. It uses the power of Word's style sheet and macro language to create a scriptwriter's version of Word. Script Wizard includes twelve different script formats, including features, sitcoms, soaps, plays, radio, A/V, and storyboards. Because of the way Script Wizard works with Word, you select a format before you start. If you decide to change it later, you'll have to copy and paste the text from the old format or import your file into the new format. The program uses Control-key combinations to handle the formatting. All the features of Microsoft Word are readily available. The Production Pak Version adds a variety of production breakdown reports that can be exported to Microsoft Access or Excel.
The disadvantage is that all of Script Wizard's features rely on keystroke macros or mouse buttons. Experienced Word users probably won't mind too much. I thought there were too many unfamiliar keystroke combinations and commands that slowed typing. The advantages of Script Wizard rely on the power of Word. If your company has standardized on Word, Script Wizard could be the best choice. Your files are saved in Microsoft Word. To edit the script, you don't need a copy of Script Wizard.
Script Wizard is an option only if you already own Microsoft Word and prefer to use one program to meet all your needs. The combined cost is higher, and Script Wizard can't match the speed and ease of use of either Scriptware or ScriptThing.
Script Wizard Production Pak 7.0
Stefani Warren &
Associates
1517 Hillside Drive, The Woodlands
Glendale, CA 91208
Tel: 818-500-7081 Fax: 818-500-7283
e-mail: 71531.1300@compuserve.com
ScriptThing for Windows V1.0m
Script Perfection Enterprises
3061 Massasoit Avenue
San Diego, CA 92117-2522
Tel: 800-450-9450
Fax: 619-270-2523
e-mail: KenSchafer@aol.com
Scriptware for Windows V2.05
Cinovation, Inc.
1750 30th
Street, Ste. 360
Boulder, CO 80301-1005
Tel: 800-788-7090 Fax:
303-786-9292
e-mail: sashen@cinovation.com
Robert M. Goodman is a professional writer and director with extensive production credits in film, television, and non-broadcast video. He is the owner and principal of Goodman Associates, Inc., a full-service production firm in Philadelphia.
