Final Draft 7 Professional Scriptwriting Win/Mac Reviews

• Great.

  
  By A1F5UYG8GQAP7Y on 2005-04-12
  I have been researching several products for screenwriting. I am a beginner. I do not recommend Hollywood Screenwriter due to restrictions: must have cd in drive to use, incompatible with some cut/paste features, etc.
  
  I read the for's and against's on here and other sites; it was terribly difficult to figure out what to purchase. I want the best for my money.
  
  I did download both Movie Magic Screen Writer and Final Draft. For my work, I found that Movie Magic had too many values to work with in it's software. Although, I enjoyed the "windows" appearance and its reports, I found that the thesaurus was limited. The names list works well.
  
  In Final Draft, it has an exceptional thesaurus, but it has a name list that works off of letters you enter vs. Movie Magic which provides a visible name list (a little easier to use).
  
  Both seem to work almost identically in their format method. I did prefer the side bar in Movie Magic to enter or tab "dialouge," "transition," etc. Final Draft does do a find job of handling it and the "mores and continueds" work accordingly.
  
  OVERALL, I came to the same conclusion that one rater has come to. You have to find which software works for you. They are both good.
  
  I chose Final Draft and bought it from J&R Music because its interface is simple, it's easy on my eyes and the cost was relative. There's little clutter. I want to focus on my script and not the drop down with 9 or 10 items on it (yes, FD has one like that too).
  
  To make either product out as a "bad" choice is silly. The developers of those products are math folks working to bring a screenwriting program for liberal arts folks into the market and make it functional.
  
  That's a difficult chore, but I think they did a good job. My choice was Final Draft, because it's no nonsense, straight forward and functional.
  
  Hopefully, some of these details helped you and best wishes getting your script out!
  
  

• Aren't Newer Versions Supposed To Be Better?

  
  By AODXKP395NDKN on 2004-04-23
  I've been using Final Draft for a number of years now, back to version 4.X, and always liked it. Version 6 has been a real winner, with a few annoying quirks. When given an opportunity to upgrade to version 7, I thought, "Great, I'll do it." I'm sorry I did. FD7 may turn out to be a good update to a good program, but as it is now it shouldn't have been released. Just a couple examples -- when I switch to the index card view, I get a screen full of blank index cards, even though I'm many pages into my script. What gives? It's much less convenient to access Scene Navigator and Index Cards in FD7, and as another reviewer wrote, the Go To function doesn't work properly. What a disappointment. So now I'm back to using FD6, which is so much better. I'll be on the lookout for updates that might make FD7 at least usable, but until then I'll stick with FD6. You should do the same.
  
  

• Break the chain

  
  By A20MNJDZAF3BUZ on 2006-08-21
  I have never written a review of anything in my life. When Final Draft 7 crashed for the umpteenth time today, I felt compelled to. I am a working screenwriter who has been using Final Draft since version 5. All told, six years. Whatever bug that caused FD6 to randomly crash in OSX HAS NOT been fixed, despite what Final Draft says. At least in Final Draft 7 the crash doesn't render my file "incompatable with this version of Final Draft" -- if any of you out there have had that happen, I deeply pity you, as you understand what it's like to be that maze-bound rat that randomly receives electric shocks.
  
  Throw in the fact that this product is edging toward $250.00 (nearly as much as digital video editing programs), the fact that customer support costs $2.00 a minute -- you heard me right, $2.00 a minute to ask them ANYTHING, no matter how small -- and you get a clear impression of a company that peddles severely inferior software becuase they know they have the market locked. This is, however, NOT THE CASE. 25% of people that use screenwriting apps DO NOT USE FINAL DRAFT, becuase there are vastly superior programs out there. As of today, I am a proud member of the 25%.
  
  Thanks to easy .pdf file conversion, anyone can use any screenwriting app they like.
  
  Those that for some reason do decide to purchase this product, I implore you to change your preferences so you auto-save every five minutes, as this is the only way you won't lose a day's work, a week's work -- or God forbid, if don't back up your files -- an entire script.
  
  

• A Message from Final Draft Customer Support

  
  By A2F2JNQR486OIJ on 2006-02-16
  If you're nervous about buying Final Draft 7 because of some of the reviews posted here, there's no need to be. The current build of Final Draft 7 [and the one that's sold on Amazon] is far and away the most thoroughly tested piece of software Final Draft, Inc. has ever released. It comes with an unconditional 30-day money-back guarantee; you can even try before you buy by downloading the free demo from our website, www.finaldraft.com.
  
  Some of the reviews here said:
  
  1. "FINAL DRAFT 7 WILL DESTROY YOUR SCRIPT."
  It won't. Final Draft 7 has no ability whatsoever to "destroy" a script. Tens of thousands of writers use it every day without any trouble.
  
  2. "FINAL DRAFT HAS TAKEN OUT ITS BEST FEATURES..."
  We didn't. Final Draft, Inc. innovates based on what our users and our technology partners [such as Avid and EP Scheduling] demand. Visit our website and read what some top filmmakers say about us; they wouldn't use us if we removed features they've asked us to include.
  
  3. "...TRIED TO REINSTALL IT BUT IT WOULDN'T ALLOW IT."
  It does. The program can be installed over and over again on multiple computers.
  
  4. "THIS PROGRAM IS RIDDLED WITH BUGS."
  It's not. Like just about every other piece of software ever sold, Final Draft 7's early iterations did have issues. However, in the two years since its debut, we've released free updates that have eliminated 99% of these issues. We invite those reviewers who have had trouble to contact our support staff, which will work to find out exactly what the problem is.
  
  Final Draft is used by countless feature film production companies and TV shows as well as every major studio and agency. It's used by every important film school in the country. We offer 24/7 phone, email and online support and are anxious to take excellent care of our registered customers. If you have any concerns before you order, we invite to you call us at 800-231-4055. We'll be happy to talk things over with you.
  
  Final Draft Customer Support
  Calabasas, California
  
  

• ScreenStyle Customers Love Final Draft

  
  By A3H94SBSFIPOY5 on 2004-11-17
  We have been a long time user and seller of Final Draft. It's been our most popular product for over 4 years. As a screenwriter myself, I love the new Panels features and additional features Final Draft has added to make Final Draft not just more user-friendly but more writer-friendly.
  
  Joe Mefford
  President
  ScreenStyle.com
  
  
• Another writer back to using V6
  By A1XK5SZKQJVDTI on 2004-04-26
  The people at Final Draft really should have worked out all the bugs in Version 7.0 before releasing it to the public. I've used Final Draft for years and this new version is the first that has actually crashed my computer just trying to use it. Go To has problems, as does Index Cards, and even Spell Check doesn't perform properly for me. It doesn't even fix the spelling of the word after I've approved the change. Like the other writers here, I have returned to Version 6 until Final Draft gets the bugs out of this new version. So far, a complete waste of time and money. In this case, newer does not mean better. Stick with V6 if you want to get any work done!
  
  
• An absolute embarassment of a program
  By A34GKT09LBCU5U on 2004-10-23
  Final Draft 5 was great, and Final Draft 6 was spectacular. Those two versions are what made Final Draft the industry standard in scriptwriting programs.
  
  Final Draft 7, on the other hand, is horrific. Despite new updates coming out every month, the program constantly crashes. The autosave function just seems to make it crash even more. I can't count the hours of work I've lost to this highway-robbery of a scriptwriting program. I find myself saving after every line of dialogue, which really breaks up the creative flow.
  
  Tech support is even worse. After FD7 crashed for the umpteenth time, I emailed tech support asking them why the program kept crashing, and if there was a way I could recover my work. I ended the email by saying, "Telling me it's because the program sucks isn't the correct answer." I didn't swear, and THAT was the only insulting thing I said.
  
  I received an obscenity-laced response in return [...] and that they weren't going to answer my question. Real nice. [...]
  
  My hope is that Microsoft can incorporate a scriptwriting feature into the next version of MS Word. I can't imagine it would be that difficult... the programs are already pretty similar. Bill Gates loves to put people out of business -- here's his next opportunity!
  
  Until then, go with FD6. It's not that different than FD7 -- the main difference being that FD6 doesn't crash every twenty minutes.
  
  
• A great tool - almost addictive
  By APEPVW7I92ZG8 on 2004-12-10
  First, I have never had problems with the kinds of bugs reported here. The patches make things only better, but when I read the kinds of fixes the patches address, I can say that I have not seen most, if any, of them.
  
  Second, the fact that I'm pro-Final Draft 7 does not make me anti-Movie Magic Screenwriter. In fact, I've agonized about buying both programs, just to be covered. I have sampled the MMS demo, and what I don't like about it is that the interface is a far cry from the MS Word style that is claimed. Final Draft 7 mirrors the Windows XP interface, and when the you've set the font display to maximum resolution, it looks beautiful.
  
  Third, Final Draft 7 makes the art of screenplay writing addictive (not that MMS doesn't). As you get yourself immersed in the process, you can find it hard to pull yourself away.
  
  Fourth, Final Draft offers a special pricing policy for military customers (of course, I can use the MMS competitive upgrade policy and save even more). I contacted Write Brothers both by phone and e-mail about a military pricing policy, and received conflicting information. By e-mail, I was told that they have a military pricing policy. Why they don't publicize this on their web site is beyond me. When I called them, however, I was told that no such pricing policy exists, and that if I was looking to save money, I should try Amazon or other sites.
  
  Personally, I love Final Draft. I'm looking for a reason to also add MMS to my software suite, but I haven't seen enough reasons (yet) to take the plunge.
  
  
• Useful, but flawed
  By A3KOSOAECPV38Z on 2005-07-27
  Final Draft 7 is a nice piece of software. It is easy to use and it has a number of nice features (my favorite: assigning voices to characters and listening to the program read your script). This application really streamlines the process of writing a script, which is nice. You don't need to worry about wasting time formating. It's all automated.
  
  Now to the bad stuff. This program is riddled with bugs. It crashes very frequently. I can't tell you how annoying it is to be intensely involved with your work only to have Final Draft crash on you, destroying pages of unsaved work. If you get this program then you will find yourself in the habit of pressing ctrl+S (save) every few lines.
  
  Overall, Final Draft 7 is a useful, but flawed program. There's no denying its ease of use in crafting screenplays, but it can also be a major headache when it crashes.
  
  
• If you're a new user, DON'T BUY IT!
  By A3NGF2E0NL7PCI on 2004-07-07
  I've used Final Draft since version 5 through version 6, and although it was antiquated and clunky compared to contemporary word processing software, it was at least useable and relatively stable.
  
  HOWEVER - I recently upgraded to FD7, and it's a mess. It implemented new features in such a way as to make them impractical in daily, minute by minute by use, while simultaneously dumping several genuinely useful features from previous versions. It's already been through two patches since it was released, and it's still clunky, bug ridden, crash prone, and less usable in practice than the previous version.
  
  If you are a first time buyer, I'd recommend delaying your purchase for at least six months till they sort out the bugs (assuming that's possible), or consider buying another of the many products available, e.g. Screenwriter or Sophocles.
  
  ADDENDUM:
  
  I'd also recommend you read some of the reviews on this site with a pinch of salt - there are a couple that I would consider suspiciously glowing. There's nothing to stop someone from the manufacturer adding a review, is there...?
  
  UPDATE: 24/9/04
  
  You're going to love this... Following "problems" with the latest patch, they've withdrawn it. Now even their PATCHES don't work.
  
  I'm so appalled by this abysmal software launch that I felt compelled to share my experience, if only to share the pain. Actually, it's gone so far beyond abysmal it's become laughable. I've used FD5&6 professionally for about 4 years, but nothing on earth would persuade me to buy anything from this company in the future.
  
  
• Just add words?
  By A1WWNH8S189FN5 on 2004-07-05
  I have to work every day with FD 7 (Mac OSX) as the production company I write for asked me to do so. To cut it short: I have never ever seen a programme with so many bugs and crashes! Unfortunately recent updates have not changed anything. :-(
  
  
• A HORRID PIECE OF SOFTWARE!
  By A2KR808RSXR081 on 2004-12-07
  I've worked as a professional writer in Hollywood for a decade and Final Draft is the worst screenwriting program I've ever encountered. It's buggy, non-intuitive, clunky, slow, and supremely frustrating to use. I actively discourage writers I work with and hire from using it. How this became the "industry standard" is beyond me. Final Draft will kick-out a professional-looking script, but as far as actual "writing" Final Draft gets in the way of the process. If you like having to battle a program that's always trying to second guess you - then you may love it. But I certainly don't.
  
  
• A disgrace
  By AXKB4UUEI0TYP on 2004-09-04
  As a now professional writer, Final Draft 4, 5 and 6 got me through the early screenplays, I have grown very fond of the program - my major "work tool".
  
  Final Draft 7 is a disgrace. Not only will you be wasting your money on an unusable product, you will spend hours of your time downloading and installing updates that fail, trying to optimise and "learn" a program that will let you down. I am actually amazed that a program that is so close to Version 6 (really, the only addition is the split screen thing...)is so far from that version in terms of stablity. What is up with this?
  
  We are talking about a program that is a BASIC word processor tailored to screen and stage writing - this isn't a complex 3d game!
  
  My strong advice is that if you feel you have to start with Final Draft, then purchace Version 6. (Still avalible - how many companies would keep an outdated version of their software on that market?) Otherwise look at the competitors.
  
  
• Final Draft Now at 7.1.1 - Tech Specs are Fine
  By A18UG15FPRXFQX on 2006-02-06
  Final Draft is now on version 7.1.1. All bugs have been fixed. Any reputable online dealer such as Amazon or ScreenStyle will give you a 30-day money back guarantee so you hae nothing to worry about. The program has been out for over a year now and any bugs or problems are long gone.
  
  
• Excellent Program
  By A2ZUJINKE70RAS on 2005-03-11
  Read the negative feedback on this site, so I attempted to use Word (again) for all of my script formatting. It looked horrible, so I decided to give FD7 a try, regardless of the reviews. Typed the entire script, made revisions, tracked changes, made more revisions...
  The program worked great, and the script looks better than anything I would have had the patience to create in Word.
  Maybe they have fixed all of the initial problems (that I read about on this site), but I think it is an excellent program. I recommend it to anyone, who, like me, likes to write and hates worrying about where he/she has placed the "more" and "continued" on the page, or how the margin on my dialogue centers.
  
  
• Good, but has flaws
  By A38ZZ5M2KJX22O on 2006-08-14
  I've been using Final Draft since version 6, and I will say I am happy with the changes they made to 7.
  The controls are very intuitive. I actually spend more of my time going from rough draft to first draft paring down the dialogue because it really is so simple to enter. The auto-complete function coupled with the ability to quickly enter two person dialogue (simply hitting tab will set up a new character's dialogue line,) really does save an incredible amount of time.
  
  The notecard function helps me a great deal during the beginning stages of writing a script. Script ideas can quickly and easily be jotted down and saved. It saves me a lot of desk space which was before saved for countless Post-Its.
  
  The script reading function is a neat little added function. It isn't a substitute for having live actors read through it, but being able to hear the words out loud does come in handy.
  
  Earlier versions of FD7 were a bit buggy, but the latest version build does seem to run a lot smoother.
  
  There's an option for stageplays but, to be honest, I'd stick with a regular word processor. It takes WAY too much time to correct the default formating to make it worth your while.
  
  I am still quite frustrated with the activation/deactivation convention Final Draft has decided to use.
  When you purchase a software license, you are allowed to activate Final Draft on 2 computers. I only used one and was going on my merry way when the hard drive crashed. I, mistakenly it turns out, went ahead and just used the second activation.
  The hard drive is older, so it does give me problems sometimes. When the PC crashed again, I had to call customer support and have them release the customer number so I could reactivate my license.
  I needed to do it again just recently, and was lectured on the phone by person at tech support about how he could only give me one more "freebie," and that next time he would have to charge me $99. I'm sorry, but buying version 6 and then upgrading to version 7 cost me over $300. Being able to login to an account and freeing up activations needs to be implemented.
  
  All in all, this is a very good program for what it's built to do: write screenplays. Playwrights would be better advised to stick with their run of the mill word processor.
  
  
• A Beginner's Thoughts.
  By A96K1ZGW56S2I on 2006-09-10
  Even though I have done a lot of writing in my life, I had never written a complete screenplay. I've had lots of ideas, but had never written them down. I finally decided to get some of these ideas out on paper. I knew from talking with friends who already work in the industry that script readers are very particular when it comes to the format of a screenplay and that one formatting error can cause someone to throw away an otherwise wonderful script. I considered other screenwriting software, but after speaking with my industry insider friends and doing other research I felt that FINAL DRAFT was the best software to get. I've been using FINAL DRAFT 7 for awhile now and have not had any problems with it. For writing screenplays, I love this software. I have not had any trouble with the software not loading and I've not lost anything I've ever written (though I tend to save a lot of my work frequently anyway). I've read most of the other reviews about FINAL DRAFT 7 on Amazon and it seems that people either really like the software or they hate it. I fall into the former category and have found it quite useful. For a beginning screenwriter, it works wonderfully. The only downside I have with the software is that it is quite expensive. As an educator, I was able to get a discount. FINAL DRAFT offers a discount for students, educators, and military personnel, but if you're not able to get that discount then the software is about double the cost that it should be.
  
  
• The Final Word on Final Draft 7
  By ALIAB1V4T6W45 on 2007-02-14
  Final Draft 7 is a wonderful scriptwriting program for the aspiring and professional scriptwriter. Having used a previous version of the program, Version 7 has a variety of useful features that make writing scripts much less tedious. These features include: easily accessible television, film and stageplay script templates; the ability to have your computer read your script back to you in different character voices; and a one-click Writer's Guild of America online registry service. This is the scriptwriting program I've dreamed about, and I'm confident that I made the best possible purchase to further my writing career.
  
  
• stick with version 6
  By A3BWZ4T0A3D0UP on 2005-11-27
  Unfortunately, in 'improving' its software, FINAL DRAFT has taken out its best features. One can no longer go from index card, or outline, directly to scene from Navigator. It has also crashed three times. Worthless, really. Bring back v.6 and dump this junk.
  
  
• this product is total garbage
  By A2RGFMZ1RLN6EQ on 2006-10-25
  Final Draft is a totally inept program. Never has a product failed so completely. I have been a professional writer for eight years; I would rather use charcoal pencils and toilet paper to write my next screenplay. The mere fact that this sad joke of a product can be packaged and marketed is testament to the fact that there are so few competing screenwriting software programs out there and so they enjoy somewhat of a monopoly. I've just switched to Movie Magic and I'll report on that software shortly. If you're a self hater and like to waste countless hours trying in vain to retrieve lost writing, like a program that is counter intuitive and has none of the requisite functions that would even qualify it as a screenwriting program then this super turd is for you.
  
  
• IT ROCKS!
  By A319WAYTY3B9F on 2004-05-20
  I bought the upgrade to Final Draft 7 and I was pretty disappointed. It
  was full of bugs so I went back to FD6. Then I got an email from them
  saying they had an update. Which I downloaded. Now FD7 is totally
  better than FD6. They still have to fix a couple of things but the
  cards and the panes are awesome, they really help me see my scenes and my story.

  I was PO'd at Final Draft for releasing such a buggy program but they
  said they would fix it and they totally did. It's great now and the guy
  said they're going to be add even more features. He wouldn't tell me
  what ones but I'm looking forward to it. They screwed up and they knew
  it but they took care of it and I'm very happy with Final Draft 7 again.
  Great program (finally), great company. Good job, guys!
  
  

• It formats everything to industry standard
  By AD0J5KK4WQXNS on 2004-11-08
  If you want your screenplay to look like an industry standard screenplay then FD7 will do exactly just that. It is also simple to use and the learning curve is like 10 minutes. It is so easy to format a screenplay that you will no longer need to pay attention to the format - really. It is almost impossible to print a script that is in a bad format or where there are mistakes in the format. Once you understand how it works your ideas will flow from you brain and will almost automatically format themselves correctly on the page making this a must for any screenplay writer. However FD7 will not write you a good screenplay! But it goes without saying that this onus is on you.
  
  However this package is a waaaaaay toooooo expensive!!! Please lower the cost of this thing by a $100. People need software like this for school theatre work and other community scribes.
  
  
  
• I had a COMPLETELY different experience than Max
  By A95UNPZ09GH7K on 2004-10-24
  I updated to Final Draft 7 early on and have been downloading updates as soon as they are released. Initially, I did have problems with the program but now feel it is as stable (or more stable) than version 6. I have emailed Final Draft Tech Support a number times over the years and have always received prompt, courteous answers. I have been to a few Final Draft demos at a Apple Stores and met some of their people and found them to be OK folks that listen to their users. I find Max's experience hard to believe. It seems totally out of character that the response he said he got came from Final Draft (or any software company). Could someone be hijacking their server? Anyway, I think they did a good job quickly fixing version 7.
  
  
• Don't Believe the Hype
  By A2MCW0E8MBPP37 on 2005-01-23
  This software is not worth the money you pay for it. It has a ridiculous and time consuming installation process which doesn't work on some systems and they do not bother to tell you this in advance. The company is unreliable and difficult to communicate with. They have now twice promised me update CDs to correct the problems with their software which have not arrived (the first time they promised me was about 8 months ago and the last being over 2 months ago.) Not all the features that are supposed to come with this software actually work.
  There are other programs for screenwriters out there. Save yourself the money, the time and the headache - try a different one.
  
  
• Stop thinking about it and start writing
  By A2Z19QMX221SDX on 2005-02-22
  I am a short story writer that is now trying to write scripts. After reading a number of scripts, I was very concerned that I would have to go through all kinds of hoops to keep the formatting and pagination. In fact, I put off starting a script because I was so worried about it. My friends recommended Final Draft. As soon as I sat down and installed it, I realized I had nothing to worry about. I was able to start expressing my ideas quickly and easily. Now all I have to do is finish a script and sell it!
  
  
• Good For What I've Done
  By A146BP69NFJG7C on 2006-05-06
  ...and that's not saying much. This was bought under the recommendation of my brother (cinematographer) who uses it pretty regularly.
  
  I like it. It seems pretty straight forward once you use the help files for things you don't understand. But once I got past the little minor things, I was cranking out a screenplay in no time. I'm by no means a professional screen writer, but I really view this program as a means to and end; getting an idea down in a format. The rest is up to you.
  
  
• Love it!
  By A1A92TD3KRI8YN on 2006-11-07
  I am a beginner at screenwriting so I was a little nervous when I bought this program. However, it is wonderful!! I can't believe how easy it is to use.
  
  
• Buggy software
  By A299HA8SEOFBY4 on 2004-05-08
  I like and have used FD for years (versions 3 through 6) both on Windows and Mac (5 & 6 Windows only). It has the best layout of any of the major script softwares on the market (I've tried 5 top ones). Having said that, I always found it somewhat buggy, but I put up with it for the sake of the layout. But version 7 is just a disgrace. I would much rather they focused on getting the bugs out than adding more useless features I'll never use. It is now just bloatware, and extremely buggy. I'm boycotting FD until they get the COUNTLESS bugs out (spellcheking that won't "take" after my correction are a particular bugaboo). I guess the FD people find themselves in a bind - they need to generate sales, but unfortunately have no idea how to improve the software - guess what: most of us just need the basics, so unless you really deliver something useful, it is easy to ignore the "new versions". My advice to them: start with taking the COUNTLESS bugs out.
  
  
• The King is Back
  By AXLISYU7YXWEE on 2004-05-19
  As with most sophisticated software, the initial release of a new version has flaws. What separates good companies from bad is how quickly they fix the problems. Now that Final Draft has released a patch for Version 7, it shines. I wish Microsoft would fix their products this fast! I think the new Summary Cards are the bomb! They have given me a great way to develop projects, enabled me to make all kinds of notes and to view them along with my script. Simply fabulous.
  
  
• Great formatter with poor font rendering.
  By A1PPD5TOR6VVYV on 2004-05-27
  As a screenplay formatter Final Draft 7.0 works as well as its predecessors, but still has a rotten font rendering quality. I would have thought that this would the number one priority to attend to at this stage in Final Draft's development cycle.

  That gripe aside - and it's a really significant one - everything else works very smoothly.

  Because of this issue, I would recommend Screenwriter 2000, which does everything that Final Draft can do, and doesn't have any issue with its ability to render fonts cleanly. In addition, screenwriter 2000 has a more useful suite of associated products, notably: Dramatica 4 pro and Storyview 2. The tech backup is superior, too.
  
  

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