Screenwriting Software Review

As more and more people go to the movies, or buy or rent movies at home, the demand has risen for quality movies with great screenplays, no matter the genre or budget. Every screenplay begins with a great idea, which writers develop into a feature-length script. Screenwriting software helps with the strict formatting of Hollywood standards, giving writers the advantage of possibly getting their script read – and maybe bought.

Now, there’s no guarantee that you will have that screenplay bought by a major producer or studio, but that shouldn’t deter you from writing a script that’s better than what’s playing on your Blu-ray player or at the local movie theater. But we’re not kidding when we tell you that if you don’t format the script properly, it likely won’t get read.

Learning how to format a script isn’t tough, but you could spend more time setting up your word processing program to indent properly when you’re typing in character names, dialogue and transitions than actually focusing on the story.

That’s where screenwriting software comes in; it takes the guessing out of the formatting, allowing you to use a series of keyboard commands to move seamlessly from one aspect of the script to the next. While the screenwriting software focuses on the placement of character names and dialogue, you’re focusing on writing the best story.

Screenwriting Software: What to Look For

There are some key features that you need to look for when you compare best screenwriting software. Our top three products, Final Draft, Movie Magic Screenwriter and Movie Outline, have every feature you’ll need to write or rewrite your screenplay. In some cases, the screenplay writing programs even have story and character development tools, helping you build your story.

Ease of Use
It is very important that your screenwriting software is easy to use. The art of screenwriting, which involves a three-act structure and working through your characters and story, is demanding enough. The software needs to take care of the formatting, so you can focus on your story.

Writing & Rewriting Features
As we mentioned above, the screenwriting software should have an excellent set of tools to help format the screenplay. There should also be outline views that allow the easy tracking of scenes, characters and more. Some software will feature story and character development tools as well. The software should also be able to open different types of documents, such as Word and plain text. All the screenwriting software we reviewed contains rewriting and revision tools, making it easy to edit your script. However, only a handful of the apps contain specific revision tools for on-set rewriting when the screenplay is in production, tools that let you lock pages, color-code new versions of the script and make other important alterations on the fly.

Multiple Format Export
The screenwriting software should be able to export to a number of different document formats, including plain text, rich plain text, PDF, the screenplay exchange format (compatible with movie scheduling software) and others. A few of the software apps we reviewed are able to export versions that are Final Draft compatible, since Final Draft is a major industry standard.

Templates
Templates are easy ways to get started with the different formatting needs of a variety of screenplays, television scripts (from TV dramas to sitcoms, even specific styles for major shows like “The Simpsons”), stage plays and even comic books and graphic novels. There should also be script examples, too.

Help & Support
As with any software, there should be plenty of help and support options, including a user manual, user forums to connect with others and a FAQs page, all designed to help users get started with the screenwriting software. If you need support, there should be a way to contact the company via phone and email.

Once you decide upon the screenwriting software that best suits your needs, be sure to check out our learning center. There we feature articles on screenwriting software to help you develop your idea, story and characters into a comprehensive, structured screenplay.

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