Product Reviews

Like its closest rival, Final Draft, Movie Magic Screenwriter 6 is script-formatting software. It should be no surprise that specific software exists for this purpose, as to professionally format a script, whether it is a screenplay, TV, radio, game or theatre script, is incredibly laborious with a standard word processor. The application can be bought boxed or downloaded and the licence allows up to three machines to use the software concurrently (either Mac and Windows).

Unlike the previous version, authorisation and de-authorisation of systems is now a straightforward online affair. Installation was pedestrian and the program suffered no stability issues throughout extensive use.

With Screenplay 6, it is possible to format all script elements (scene headers, character names, parentheticals, transitions and so on) with just two keys: Tab and Return. It is entirely liberating to format a script this way, a quantum leap from performing the formatting using a standard word processor.

Further economies are that character names and scene headers auto complete. Type just one letter of a character name or location and the program presents a list of relevant scenes or characters from your script to choose from.

For the day-to-day task of getting words on the page, Screenwriter is hard to criticise. Featurewise, there is little to separate it from its closest rival, Final Draft. Both sport scene navigators, index card view, script speech, import and export options, UK specific spellcheck, character name database, script registration services, online collaboration modes and a host of templates from popular shows on both sides of the pond.

However, despite such a similar feature set, subtle

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differences between the two become apparent in execution. For this reviewer, the Screenwriter 6 interface feels slicker. For example, the screen font itself appears clearer on screen. This may seem trivial, but a considerable amount of time is spent staring at that font.

The index card feature is also handled particularly well in Screenwriter 6. Many screenwriters like to structure their work on index cards. Traditionally, this means scribbling each scene on a card, re-ordering the cards until each act is structured, then turning on the screenwriting software to write the script. Screenplay 6 takes care of this process within the program. A script can be built up first in index card view, adding scene location, characters involved, sample dialogue, brief lines of action and so on. When the indexing is complete, clicking on Done creates a script using the card information previously entered. If re-ordering the scenes is necessary, simply enter Index Card View and drag the scenes around to re-order them; the script updates accordingly.

The NaviDoc, Screenwriter's navigational tool, offers a significant degree of flexibility. It can display scene views, outline views, notes and bookmarks. The size of the text within each section can also be adjusted independently of the on-screen text.

For all Screenwriter's positive attributes, there are some glaring oversights. For example, we would like to see a two-up page layout. Our other big complaint is that the Speak Selection feature, allowing the reading of a script by assigned electronic voices, produces risible performance.

Our final grumble applies equally to both Final Draft and Screenwriter 6. Neither application can open or save files in the other's format. As the majority of scriptwriters use either Screenwriter or Final Draft, such a feature would help them collaborate.

Whilst Screenwriter 6 has no killer features to elevate it above the competition, it remains a slick, intuitive application regardless. Ultimately, user preference should dictate whether Screenwriter 6, Final Draft 7 or indeed, the substantially cheaper Montage, becomes the application of choice. But one thing remains certain: dedicated software for the purpose of script formatting should be an essential purchase for any aspiring scriptwriter.