Final Draft 8

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Specifically designed for writing movie scripts, television episodes and stage plays, Final Draft combines powerful word processing with professional script formatting in one self-contained package. There’s no need to learn about script formatting rules; this innovative program automatically paginates and formats your script to Industry standard as you write.

Its ease-of-use and time-saving features have attracted professional writers for almost two decades, including Academy®, Emmy® and BAFTA® award-winning writers like Oliver Stone, Tom Hanks, Alan Ball, J.J. Abrams, James Cameron and more.To say that version 8 is new and improved just scratches the surface of the enhancements made by the team behind this essential screenwriting tool.

Watch this demo to see how easy it is to begin your screenplay

See How You Can Adapt a Feature Screenplay into a Graphic Novel

Write more efficiently with features that include:

Scene View

Outline your script ideas and re-order scenes in this high level overview
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 and view important scene details in this sortable floating palette
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)

Add scene titles and colors to track your story lines, characters, and more
Track data specific to each scene in this new floating palette, such as the story beats that will eventually make up the Action, Characters and Dialogue 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

Outline your story and restructure your script by dragging and dropping multiple scenes 
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, and more. 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.

Send to Script

Send copy from the Index Card Summary directly to your script
This new feature allows you to select one or more individual Index Card Summaries and copy the content directly into the script. If there is only a Scene Heading, the content will appear directly below the Scene Heading as an Action element. Otherwise, the text will appear at the end of any previously existing content in the scene. You will be able to access this feature by toolbar button, menu option, keyboard shortcut, and contextual menu.

Text Highlighting

Select and highlight text quickly and easily with this new toolbar button
A new toolbar button has been added that will allow you to select and highlight text using one of five bright highlight colors provided, one of the seven colors used in the Navigator/Index Cards/Scene View, or a custom color if you require additional options

File Format (now XML)

Other software now works seamlessly with the new .fdx file format
Version 8 has a new file format that's been shared with a number of technology partners to make the writer's overall experience better. Now you can save to the new .fdx 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 and no more re-typing or lost information!

The Panels System

Keeps your script in sync with Index Cards and Scene View
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. You can also compare two scenes' dialogue 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

Jumpstart your writing by using a built-in template
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 Online Template Library is updated regularly and allows registered users to download additional templates directly from finaldraft.com.

Page Count Management

Now you have even more control over what fits on a page
The new Leading Style 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.

Built-in Spell-Checking and Thesaurus

Now you have the ability to select an additional language
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

No more searching for the correct draft you were just working on
It's important if you're working among multiple drafts to make sure that you're 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 the program.

Final Draft Courier 

Now you have the ability to select an additional 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®. The font is also easier on the eye, so you can better endure when you're writing for long periods of time.

Printing and PDF Options

Greater flexibility, more options, and improved printing interface 
Not only can you print your script in its entirety, you can now choose which sets of revisions you want to print along with other views such as the Scene View and Index Cards. The ability to print directly on 3x5 or 4x6 index cards or directly to PDF has also been added, so you can decide whether to send a full script or a subset of pages via PDF. The Title Page is also conveniently available as an option to include in your PDF or printed output.

• The Save as PDF option in the File menu has been reintroduced with an added benefit of allowing you to choose whether to include the Title Page or not in the Save as PDF dialog box when you save the file. The Save as PDF option has also been added to all text files (Title Pages, Reports, and Text templates).
• A few new options available on the print dialog will enable you to print by Scene Number or to print a range of scenes. Script options will also include the ability to print all scenarios once you enter Revision Mode (all revised pages, the active revision, any unrevised pages, or a specific revision set). You will also be able to print a collated script with the latest set of revisions for any given page.

Writing Management

Track your daily writing goals
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 Dialogue and whether there may be some unnecessary profanity in your script if you're attempting to 'clean it up.'

ScriptNotes

Organize ideas and feedback about sections of your script
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

Simple keystrokes for easy learning
You can install and start using the program 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 with more granularity
Final Draft has improved the way you can compare two drafts of the same script, providing more granularity of the changes you’ve made – specifically individual words and punctuation.

Text to Speech

Have a 'table reading' any time you want
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-dialogue 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.

CollaboWriter

Write with other users anywhere with an Internet connection
Write, edit and discuss a script with other 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

Scan your script for any errors--it's like having a copy editor at your side
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.

Pagination

Now you will be alerted about your printable area before you print
Be informed if you have set the Header/Footer margins off the printable area of the page, or if you attempt to print to a new printer that has margins larger than those you’ve set in the page layout. In either case, you'll be given the option to ignore the settings or adjust the margins on the script prior to printing.

Spotlight Search

Use the Spotlight feature on Mac and find files containing your searched words
On a Mac, you can search using the Spotlight feature and find any version 8 files (.fdx/.fdxt) containing your searched words. The search will look in the script text, title page, script notes, scene summaries, and scene titles, and will open to the first instance of the word if it appears in script or title-page text.

100% Cross-Platform

Share your script files with Mac or Windows users
Scripts are identical on both Windows® and Macintosh® platforms and can easily be exchanged between both.

Script Registry

Direct access for registering your work
Final Draft is a preferred file format and the only scriptwriting software with an authorized agreement with the WGAw online registry service.

Final Draft Tagger 2

Break down your script and prep it for scheduling applications
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

Easy-to-use tools for handling script changes once you go into production
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. There are also standard revision colors in each film and television template.

Title Page, Cast Pages and Locations Pages

Cover pages come pre-formatted for industry standards
All of the Television Templates come pre-set with easy-to-use information for each series such as the specific cast list and typical sets/locations. The 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

Get immediate stats to help you develop your script and keep it on budget

Enjoy 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.

Insider Tip: Use the Statistics Report to keep track of your writing goals.

Minimum System Requirements:
Windows: Microsoft Windows 8, Windows 7, Windows Vista or Windows XP; Intel Pentium III processor or later; Minimum 512 MB of RAM; 50 MB available hard drive space.

Macintosh: Mac OS X 10.4.11 or later; Minimum 512 MB of RAM; 50 MB available hard drive space.