| | |  | Word Processing | Home » » » » Final Draft Version 8 Prof Scriptwriting Software | | | | | | | Description: | | Final Draft version 8 Prof scriptwriting software | | | Features: | |
• Final Draft 8 combines powerful word processing with professional script formatting in one self-contained,
• Easy-to-use package specifically designed for writing movie scripts, television episodics and stage plays
• Television show, screenplay, stage play and graphic novel templates are included to help get you started
• Have your script read back to you by assigning different male and female voices to each of your characters with text-to-speech
• New XML file format for compatibility with a wide variety of other products
• No need to learn about script formatting rules. Final Draft automatically paginates and formats your script to industry standards as you write
| | | Product Details: | | | Product Length:
| 7.5 inches | | Product Width:
| 5.5 inches | | Product Height:
| 1.25 inches | | Product Weight:
| 0.12 pounds | | Package Length:
| 7.5 inches | | Package Width:
| 5.9 inches | | Package Height:
| 1.2 inches | | Package Weight:
| 0.4 pounds | | Average Customer Rating:
|  based on 61 reviews |
| | | System Requirements: | | | Platform:
| Windows Vista / Windows XP / Windows 7 / Mac OS X | | Media:
| CD-ROM | | Item Quantity:
| 1 |
| | | | Customer Reviews: | |
Average Customer Review:
 ( 61 customer reviews )
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
47 of 49 found the following review helpful:
Pleasantly surprisedJun 11, 2009
By ND fan
I got my copy as a gift so I may be biased here but I have to admit I was pleasantly surprised about how much more I liked version 8 than I thought I would. Beyond the hokey packaging, the application is solid and a lot more stable than version 7. I primarily use version 6 but have decided to upgrade as I really like the color features and the new navigator (not to mention the improved zoom options that I've been waiting for a long time for). It's by no means a perfect piece of software but for me, I find this latest version has been far more stable than anything I've seen from Final Draft in years. Be aware though that the new version automatically saves as an xml file and not the standard .fdr format so you have to do the extra step of saving as if you want to send to others.
31 of 31 found the following review helpful:
Exactly what I was looking forAug 26, 2010
By Hulegaard Books
Before reading my review, you should know that I am a beginner screenwriter and don't have any experience with competitive products on the market. With that said, the reason I had always put off becoming a screenwriter was because I was intimidated by the process. I had no idea how to make a screenplay look like the ones I had read. So many rules, so many formats, I didn't think I'd ever be able to learn, so I gave up on my dream without even trying. Then on a whim, I did some research and I bought Final Draft 8. I have only had the product for about two months, but so far, there is nothing bad I can say about it. It's been EXACTLY what I was looking for! When it says "just type," it's not kidding. As long as you are patient enough to read at least the first chapter of the instruction manual, you'll be screenwriting within minutes.
I have read other reviews of this product and people have had some bad experiences that I have not encountered. Some of it could be chalked up to human error though. Unlike Microsoft Word, FD8 does require a little bit of getting used to in order to completely maximize its potential. The learning curve isn't as deep as others have made it sound. It is capable of doing a great deal, but if you're just starting out like me, learning the very basics could not be any easier.
I give this review 4 stars because I haven't had the program long enough to determine whether or not I'm going to experience bugs pointed out by other users, so my love affair with it could end later, but for now, I can't recommend it highly enough. Combine this purchase with a copy of "Screenwriting for Dummies" and you'll be on your way!
29 of 31 found the following review helpful:
 A necessary semi-evilFeb 11, 2012
By FaveDave
I see that reviews for this program fall into two categories: (1) Wow, so this is how screenplays are supposed to look! This program automatically formats them. Awesome! I can write screenplays now and make movies! (2) I have to use this program for a living and this program is no more glamorous to me than a plow is to a farmer.
I fall into the latter category.
(Although I envy beginners their enthusiasm for formatting and begrudge them none of their excitement at entering the world of screenwriting -- that phase doesn't last more than a few months. Their reviews, however, are forever.))
If you're a professional screenwriter, especially for TV, then you pretty much have to use this program until someone comes out with something better that fulfills all the professional requirements needed by TV and film production companies. Sad, but true. Sad because, since this is a business of art, it would be nice to have a really elegant program upon which to ply said art. But FD gets the job done.
Final Draft support has been spotty over the last fifteen years I've been using it. Sometimes good, frequently not. They are quite a small company, and management has not always been... "people-oriented," shall we say? Many a show (I work mostly in TV) has suffered through innumerable glitches and crashes over the years, and there are still -- even at version 8 -- some oddly persistent problems:
-- no zoom button on the toolbar, you must select via drop down menu.
-- nonstandard Mac interface (for example, pressing the Command and the , keys simultaneously should select Preferences like every other Mac program. It does not.)
-- still has many pagination bugs.
-- still has display issues that corrupt the display of the script occasionally.
-- nonintuitive interface that feels rather Windows 95 instead of Mac OS X.
-- bugs in the Revision Mode presets.
-- inability to set certain defaults in a new script, such as making Character Name follow Dialogue automatically. Instead, you must reset this every time you make a new script. For some reason, the programmers think an action line follows every piece of dialogue in every script.
-- company resources spent making useless features like speaking your script out loud and using index cards instead of fixing bugs.
-- thesaurus is barebones.
-- the "feature" called CollaboWriter that supposedly lets you collaborate online with a distant partner is nonfunctional. It has never worked in the real world. BTW, it doesn't work on Movie Magic Screenwriter, either. Do a google search and you will find that not one single reviewer or user has ever managed to get this "feature" to work. So, how they can advertise that their program has this function is beyond me. (I would LOVE to be proven wrong on this, as it would be extremely useful.)
EDIT: A colleague just showed me how to collaborate over the internet: use Skype! Do a video call, and then check the little box that says "share screen," and your partner can see your entire screen as you type! This is awesome and works very well.
-- since many writers are still using version 6 (or if they're unlucky, 7, which you should avoid at all costs) it would be nice to make a default "save" so that you could automatically save as an .fdr file instead of .fdx. It would also be nice to have a default zoom level and window positioning on the screen.
They are a small company, and they don't sell millions of copies of this software, so I think they make the bulk of their money by selling upgrades to new versions. They're not making enough to have a big customer service department, and the quality of that service has gone up and down over the years.
I pointed out a few bugs in the latest version (8x), and the head of the company told me, and I quote: "Yeah, we're not fixing those." He didn't even have the decency to lie to me and say he'd address in in a future incremental upgrade! You know, in Hollywood, when you don't care enough to lie -- that's bad news. He also made on odd confession to me. He said "You know, we don't sell nearly as many copies of this as people think we do." Hmmm...that explains a lot.
Anyway, version 8 for Mac works pretty well these days and I've had none of the fatal crashes and bugs of yesteryear.
I wish they would fix the online collaboration feature, but I don't know if they can since it would require resources they probably don't have. It seems oddly primitive that the only way to collaborate long distance is to save a file, email it, then repeat that process over and over. In these days of facebook and online chatting, we've gotten quite spoiled and you can't blame us wretched writers for wanting to see remotely what a writing partner is typing on the screen. But this is hardly an essential feature.
And you also can't blame us for holding residual grudges for all the times we've gotten burned in the past by this program. Writing is damned difficult, and when the actual software gets in the way, it's a ready target for our frustrations that may be stemming from the writing process itself.
Anyway, if you're a professional, you have to use this and you already know it. No matter what any review says. (Unless you don't need compatibility with a production company). If you're not a professional yet, but you really want to be someday, you may as well learn its quirks now. That way you can suffer along with the rest of us.
Bottom line: it works. It ain't elegant, but it works and it's solid these days. If you really want to be the most stable, run Mac OS 10.5.8 with it to avoid later Apple system bugs. When they update the interface and address current bugs, I'll upgrade my review to 5 stars. But for now, they get 3. They lose stars for 10 years of frustration and failing to address current bugs. But they gain some for finally being stable, otherwise I'd give them a one.
Footnote: I'm writing this review as a professional screenwriter, for better or worse. For those just starting or contemplating starting a writing career, software is the least of your concerns. Don't obsess about it. No software in the world is going to make you a writer. No book is going to make you a writer. Go get celtx, a free screenwriting program and see how you like this writing thing. If you love writing and like your work, then go buy FD. It's a decent enough plow. Here's the best screenwriting advice I can give you: find your own voice. Don't try to fit in. Be original. You'll feel better and get hired more and be rewarded by the industry. (Unless you want to be a TV hack and turn out CSI episodes, then please suppress any originality. On the upside, the check from CSI will always clear and you'll have a very nice car.)
17 of 17 found the following review helpful:
 fabulousJul 16, 2010
By parislove
As a new writer, I learned of Final Draft from my brother in Los Angeles. I was thrilled about the program and how easily it allowed me to write my first script. Once I returned to Chicago, I immediately ordered my own copy to finish my script. As of today, I am five pages away from completion. I LOVE IT!!!!! I look forward to getting my script copyrighted next week. Anyone who is serious about their writing, Final Draft is critical to their success!
57 of 69 found the following review helpful:
Disappointing and not user friendlyAug 14, 2009
By E. Miner
"Paperback writer"
Yes, I know this is the industry standard, but the new version, Final Draft 8, is so complex and convoluted that I have been tearing my hair out over it. First of all, most of my industry contacts have version 7. You'd think converting from 8 to 7 would be easy. Not! I spent 3 hours with an online techie to try and resolve my problems. I ended up having to figure it out myself. And speaking of tech support, what company would expect you to fork over $200 and then provide only 20 MINUTES of phone support before demanding $2.50 A MINUTE for phone support once you've used up those few precious minutes? Convert my Screenwriter scripts to FD 8? Should be easy, right? Again, not. FD crashed repeatedly at the effort. This should be the first line of defense. I finally gave up and haven't tried since.
Other difficulties have cropped up as well. I can't get any answers as to why it's so difficult to find the automatic backups, if indeed there are any. No one seems to know why the caps on the first letter of a sentence are sometimes functional and sometimes not. I could go on, but you get the point. Believe me, if I could go back to Hollywood Screenwriter and make the industry folks happy, I would do it in a heartbeat!
See all 61 customer reviews on Amazon.com
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