“Big budget movies can have big budget perks, and small budget movies have no perks, but what the driving force is, of course, is the script” – Morgan Freeman
Software to Jumpstart Your Screenwriting Process
Written by: AJ Bajo
January 06, 2020
Using a screenplay software is helpful for screenwriters of any level. Aside from allowing you to efficiently organize your creative writing process, they can also help you stick to the industry’s formatting guidelines.
Luckily, there is a lot of software or platform options, whether paid or free, to suit your writing needs and requirements. Let’s dive into some of the major software to help you figure out which one’s for you!
KIT Scenarist
KIT Scenarist is a free and open-source platform that offers a full writing experience, making it one of the top screenwriting options in the market.
It has versions for Windows, Mac OS X, Linx, iOS, and Android. The program is regularly updated and you can also access cloud service but will have to pay to extend use after a 30-day period. Subscription costs between $4.99 for one month to $52.9 for 12 months.
Final Draft 11
If you have big plans for your story, Final Draft is a great way to go. On their website, Final Draft notes that 95% of the entertainment industry uses the software.
It also has a suite of features such as story maps, beat board and over 300 different templates to choose from. Final Draft 11 is available for a 30-day trial and is currently on sale for $199.99.
Celtx
Celtx is a cloud-based platform where you can plan, create and organize your story from the pre-production to the post-production process.
Among others, it has a storyboard, project catalog, shot lists and scheduling features so you and your team can better give structure to your whole filmmaking process. Currently on sale, Celtx costs between $7.50 to $13 depending on the plan you choose.
Prewrite
Prewrite is a browser-based script outlining platform and is rising as a top-reviewed platform for screenwriters out there. Prewrite enables you to efficiently come up with the foundations of your screenplay, including the characters, timeline and even the important details for every scene.
Prewrite is free for one story while a premium membership for unlimited stories costs $9.99 a month.
Movie Magic Screenwriter
Another award-winning software, it offers automatic script formatting and built-in collaboration tools on top of other features. Movie Magic is suitable for writing screenplays, novels and comic books, among others.
The cost for Movie Magic Screenwriter 6 starts at $169 while the Movie Magic Screenwriter 6 Academic starts at $99.95.
Now that you have the tools, it’s time to start writing!
Got hit by writer’s block? Try out these 5 writing exercises to keep your creative juices flowing!
