Final Draft, Inc. Screenwriting Blog

FINAL DRAFT® version 8 has Arrived

New FDX File Format Works Seamlessly with Third-Party Applications to Better Streamline the Entire Filmmaking Process

Marc Madnick, President and CEO of Final Draft, Inc. announced today the release of FINAL DRAFT version 8. FINAL DRAFT is recognized as the entertainment industry standard and the worldwide market leader for professional scriptwriting software. The new version 8 delivers even more tools and a new XML file format that works seamlessly with third-party applications filmmakers need to take their script to screen. Fully compatible with Windows® and Macintosh® platforms, FINAL DRAFT version 8 is available at www.finaldraft.com and at selected retailers worldwide.

Los Angeles, CA (PRWEB) April 29, 2009 -- FINAL DRAFT version 8 maintains its easy-to-use, simple keystroke formatting functionality and provides a superior writing experience with new and improved features inspired and tested by professional writers like Roger Avary, J.J Abrams, Guillermo del Toro, and more. Professional writers, like those previously mentioned, comprise the FINAL DRAFT Product Team that has provided feedback on features and has helped to guide the direction of version 8. Establishing the Product Team was just one way Final Draft, Inc. has advanced their software development process. "Working with the Product and Beta Teams, plus being a part of the new development process we've implemented, has been a truly rewarding experience,'' states Kirsten Thayer, FINAL DRAFT Product Manager. ''Both the professional and aspiring writers who make up the teams made valuable contributions to the improvements in version 8. We really feel like we've put out the best product and in the best way possible."

Some of the Product Team's most highly regarded new features are the Scene Navigator, Scene Properties Inspector, and Scene View, all of which incorporate the use of color and work to provide writers of all levels greater flexibility and control during the story development phase and the overall filmmaking process. The Scene Navigator feature, for example, allows the user to manage and view all of the important details of a scene in a sortable, floating palette while Scene View provides a high-level view where script ideas can be outlined and scenes reordered. With the Scene Properties Inspector, you can easily add scene titles on-the-fly, as well as track story lines, character arcs, and any material you may need to reference later.

Todd Field, a member of the FINAL DRAFT Product Team and three-time Academy Award®-nominated writer/director whose credits include In the Bedroom and Little Children, endorses the new Scene View feature and states, "One of the first things you notice in version 8, besides the elegant interface, is the kind of control now possible with the reintroduction of Scene View."

Users will find improvements in FINAL DRAFT version 8 within the Index Card feature, printing and PDF output options, Revisions and Page Locking features, as well as several enhancements made to the Templates. In both the Templates and Index Cards, users will find color preferences again, and in addition to television, stageplay, and film templates found in previous versions of FINAL DRAFT, version 8 now offers a Dramatists Guild-approved template as well as templates for graphic novels.

Writer Guillermo del Toro (Hellboy II: The Golden Army, Hellboy: The Science of Evil, Pan's Labyrinth) has been using FINAL DRAFT version 8 and its enhanced features and claims, "If one could marry a program -- or even elope with one -- I would choose FINAL DRAFT. After all, it has been a wise, patient and loyal writing partner that has been by my side for almost fifteen years."

A full demo and product description are available online at www.finaldraft.com. FINAL DRAFT version 8 can also be purchased as a download. Registered users of any previous version of FINAL DRAFT can purchase the upgrade for $79 through June 30th. at www.finaldraft.com and through selected retailers worldwide.

About Final Draft, Inc:
Final Draft, Inc. was founded in 1991 to develop a scriptwriting program that allows the writer to concentrate on the creative process and not on Hollywood's stringent formatting rules. Since then, Final Draft software has become the entertainment professional's choice and the world's number-one selling scriptwriting program for film, television, theatre, and new media. Final Draft, Inc. also publishes Script magazine, a bi-monthly publication focused on the craft and business of writing for film, television, and new media and FINAL DRAFT AV, the only scriptwriting application tailored to the needs of writers using the two-column format.

Apr 29, 2009 12:36 PM | Link | Comments (0) | Add Comment | Report Content

Don't miss the Big Break $40 Early Bird Deadline March 2, 2009!

Big Break 2009 10th Anniversary
The contest that launches careers is now open for 2009. Join the many screenwriters who have gotten their big break over the past decade from this Final Draft, Inc. competition.

The Big Break Contest only accepts online entries. No printed scripts will be accepted. You may enter online at www.finaldraft.com/bigbreak. Our easy-to-use online entry system will work you through the process.

Enter Today!

www.finaldraft.com/bigbreak

Feb 24, 2009 10:56 AM | Link | Comments (0) | Add Comment | Report Content

Get an upgrade to Final Draft version 8, FREE

Buy Final Draft version 7 after February 1, 2009 and receive an upgrade to Final Draft version 8 for FREE.

For more details at:

http://finaldraft.com/purchase/free-upgrade/claim-form.php

Feb 3, 2009 3:59 PM | Link | Comments (0) | Add Comment | Report Content

Final Draft Press Mention...

http://www.ehow.com/how_2034759_write-a-screenplay.html

Dec 11, 2008 10:04 AM | Link | Comments (0) | Add Comment | Report Content

Final Draft, Inc. and Script magazine Screening of "Elegy"

Join Final Draft, Inc. and Script magazine for an exclusive screening of Elegy and Q&A with Nicholas Meyer (writer), hosted by Script magazine's David S. Cohen.

WHEN:
Friday, December 5, 2008, at 7:30 pm

WHERE:
Beverly Center Theatre
8522 Beverly Boulevard
Los Angeles, CA 90048
Google Map

RSVP:
www.finaldraft.com/elegy

Elegy
(www.Elegythemovie.com)
Charismatic professor DAVID KEPESH (Ben Kingsley) glories in the pursuit of adventurous female students, but never lets any woman get too close. When gorgeous CONSUELA CASTILLO (Penélope Cruz) enters his classroom, however, his protective veneer dissolves. Her raven-haired beauty both captivates and unsettles him.

Even if Kepesh declares her body a perfect work of art, Consuela is more than an object of desire. She has a strong sense of herself and an emotional intensity that challenges his preconceptions. Kepesh's need for Consuela becomes an obsession, but ultimately his jealous fantasies of betrayal drive her away.

Shattered, Kepesh faces up to the ravages of time, immersing himself in work and confronting the loss of old friends. Then, two years later, Consuela comes back into his life--with an urgent, desperate request that will change everything.

Dec 2, 2008 2:04 PM | Link | Comments (0) | Add Comment | Report Content

12th Annual Los Angeles Latino International Film Festival, Sept. 2008

Mann Grauman's Chinese Theater, Hollywood, CA

Final Draft, Inc. proudly sponsored the 12th Annual Los Angeles Latino International Film Festival (LALIFF) on Sept. 19, 2008 at the Egyptian Theater in Hollywood, CA. The red carpet star-studded event included appearances by Lifetime Achievement Award 2008 recipient, Gustavo Santaolalla, Antonio Banderas, Francesco Quinn and other celebrity guests, along with community leaders and entertainment industry experts.

In addition to special screenings of feature films, the festival announced and celebrated the numerous winners of the competition, including A Day's Work by Rajeev Dassani for Best Short, The Promise of Music by Enrique Sanchez Lansch for Best Documentary, Desierto Sur by Shawn Garry for Best Opera Prima, and Paraiso Travel by Simon Brand for Best Feature.

Nov 25, 2008 11:30 AM | Link | Comments (0) | Add Comment | Report Content

Final Draft, Inc. Favorite Short Film Pick

John Arlotto's Deface has played in over 30 film festivals and has won several awards including Best Narrative Short at the Austin Film Festival which qualifies Deface for Oscar consideration for Best Live Action Short Film of 2008. Recently the South Korean National Assembly requested Deface screen before a committee on North Korean human rights issues.

Click Here to View Deface

To learn more about this film, visit:
www.defacemovie.com

See more films we would suggest at our YouTube page:
www.youtube.com/user/finaldraftsoftware

Deface
Running Time - 19:50 Min
Directed by John Arlotto
Written by John Arlotto
Executive Producer - John Arlotto
Producer - Roman Wyden
Director of Photography - James Mann
Editor - John Arlotto
Music Composer - Michael Mouracade
Starring - Joseph Steven Yang, Greg Joung Paik, Alexis Rhee, James Kyson Lee and Aira H. Kim
Crew:
Production Designer - Christian Chi Lee
Costume Designer- Francine LeCoultre

Summary:
After a North Korean man (Joseph Steven Yang) loses his daughter to starvation, he rebels against the oppressive government by vandalizing their propaganda billboards, an act punishable by death.

Nov 21, 2008 1:32 PM | Link | Comments (1) | Add Comment | Report Content