Movie Making Manual/Digital Video/Development

This Module is part of the Movie Making Manual

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Development

Honestly how many different ways can one put an idea on paper? Scripting is scripting no matter what the recording medium is. DV may tend to use more AV side-by-side style scripting over the classical movie script, but other than that the conception stage is not where the differences lie.

That being said, solid development and planning leads to a superior final product. The script is the absolute bare rock foundation for a project. A bad script can ruin even the best production while even the best script can not save a bad production. Like a damaged seed will create a damaged plant, a bad script will create a damaged film. Evaluating a script for quality and production feasibility is the skill and art of a Producer.

To help filmmakers create scripts easier do not use Microsoft Word. Formatting and all that mess is a major hassle. There are a variety of great pay for software programs out there that will format a script to industry standards. The following options are presented in alphabetical order:

• Celtx.
• Final Draft. This is the program I (user:film8ker) but really that’s only because I had a friend that shared it with me. It’s very easy to use and works well. The new Final Draft AV looks very promising and I hope to get it soon.
• Movie Magic. Some people swear that they will never use another program and other people hate it and will never touch it. Personally I think it’s just as functional as the other programs, however if you pay the extra money to buy Movie Magic Budgeting, Movie Magic Scheduler, and Movie Magic Contracts, the products work well as a package.
• Page2Stage. It’s now FREE! Other than that it looks comparable to Final Draft. You have to have a torrent client to download it, but you can’t beat legally Free!

Next | Preproduction