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   Software Review
   Movie Magic Screenwriter 2000
   Publisher: Write Brothers, Inc.
   Genre: Screenwriting Software
   Website: Write-Bros.com
   Demo Downloads: Click Here

   MSRP: $249.99
   For Special Price: Click Here





   Review Date:
January 15, 2006

   Reviewed By: Monika DeLeeuw-Taylor
Final Score:
8.6

Like many people who've ever tried to tackle the job of writing a screenplay, I've been overwhelmed more than once at the sheer volume of work that must be put into this creation. It's even more difficult when all the software one has to work with is Microsoft Word, which means that one will spend a good portion of writing time in adjusting margins, lining up dialogue, looking for minor characters whose names you'd forgotten, and searching for the one vital scene that you happened to put in the wrong place.

Until technology manages to produce a software that will actually write the entire screenplay for you - and pour a martini while it's at it - any aspiring screenwriter's next best friend will continue to be a good, solid, screenwriting software. Unfortunately, there's a lot of software out there that all but promises a Best Screenplay Oscar, and since wading through them is just about as irritating as writing your script in Word, some would-be screenwriters simply forgo the process altogether.

Read ReviewRead ReviewPurchase_linkRegrettably, this type of thinking tends to bite a brand-new screenwriter in the foot. Hollywood producers get hundreds of scripts a day, and the first ones to get tossed in the garbage are those who don't follow proper format. And this makes perfect sense when you look at it from a producer's point of view - sure, you may be tossing a great idea, but if the writer didn't bother to take a few minutes to look up regular screenplay formatting, they most likely didn't take a few weeks' worth of planning to create and organize a good story. So, into the trash it goes.

The fact still remains that this should not be the case. There are many different kinds of screenwriting programs available, many of which include free trial versions, so there should be no reason why any serious screenwriter's script should be tossed in the trash because of a lack of proper formatting.

One such program is the Write Brothers' Movie Magic Screenwriter 2000 , which is currently the top choice for the Writer's Guild of America. Several years ago, I came across an early version of Movie Magic Screenwriter; it was a DOS-based program with very few features, a confusing interface, and - worst of all - didn't allow importing or exporting text to and from other word processors. Though it initially seemed better than writing in Microsoft Word, I soon gave up on the program, and on screenwriting software in general. So when I began this review, I was initially skeptical of this version of Movie Magic Screenwriter. However, I was pleasantly surprised.

Ease of Use
For people who are used to normal word processing software, screenwriting programs like Movie Magic Screenwriter can take a while to get familiar with. At first glance, it looks similar to Word, but don't be deceived. The hardest part for me to adjust to was the shortcuts, since I use them quite frequently while writing in Word. For example, Ctrl+S will create a new scene, not save the document - one must press F7 to do that. And Ctrl+End will actually erase a line rather than take you to the end of the document; instead one must press Ctrl+Alt+End, which is a more tricky combination. However, for those who learn slowly, the user does have the opportunity to change to regular Word keystrokes, but I only happened upon this option by chance. (So, for those of you who are about to drop-kick your computer, it's hidden in the Tools menu under Configuration Wizard and the Text Entry tab.)

Fortunately, the software comes with a thick manual and several Adobe Acrobat documents that contain a lot of information on both using the software and on writing screenplays in general. The first Acrobat file includes the full (and very, very long!) user manual with detailed instructions on how to use all the features contained within the software, so if you leave your manual at home when writing on the road, you won't be screwed. For those who, like me, don't like to read instructions and just want to get started writing, there is a PDF file with a "10-minute tutorial" for Windows and Mac users that explains the basics of the software. It contains a brief sample script, then gives instructions on how to set up scene headings, describe action and shots, and write dialogue. And finally, once you have a finished screenplay, there is a separate Acrobat file with a "Production Bible," which contains information about Hollywood Production standards and how the Movie Magic software helps the author in this process.

Like most kinds of software, once you learn the basics of Movie Magic, it's not that difficult to use. Like in Word, the icons have help balloons so the user can tell what each of the buttons do, and on the right-hand side of the window there's a shortcut menu for placing all the basic elements: character names, dialogue, parentheticals, action, transitions, scenes, and shots; as well as placing notes and viewing the Scene Pilot (which I'll discuss later.)

Perhaps the biggest question that will be asked by most aspiring screenwriters - including myself - is, "What if I already have a script typed in Word? Will I have to start over and re-type the whole thing again?" Fear not, screenwriters, for I bring you good news. Movie Magic does allow you to copy and paste from Word documents, and if the text was already in a screenplay-type format, the software does a pretty good job in distinguishing action from scene headings and dialogue from character names. Though you may want to go through and just check - sometimes it gets confused. But, coming from someone who once had only a DOS version that didn't allow importing at all, anything is an improvement!

Another helpful feature is the Goto menu, which will allow the user to scan the script by several different elements, including the next line of a certain character or the next script note. There is also a search and search and replace function in case the user has trouble finding a certain character of bit of dialogue.

And, if all else fails, there is still the PDF user's manual. In addition, the software contains a help menu with an offline search function, and several web resources for both software help and proper screenwriting format.

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