One of the first and most important aspects of filmmaking is screenwriting. The script, or screenplay can be written work for film, television, podcasts, and even video games. Sometimes, screenplays are adapted from original works of literature such as novels, comics, etc. In screenplays, movements, actions, expressions and dialogue of the characters are narrated from the camera's perspective.
The formate of screenplays are such that one page is equivalent to about one minute of screen time. This is only a general guideline and not necessarily a rule.
Two of the major components of a screenplay are the action and dialogue. The action is written in the present tense and is often limited to what the audience can see and hear. However, unique to the screenplay are "slug lines". This contains three pieces of information to set the scene; whether the location is inside, or out; specific locations like the kitchen, or bedroom; and time of day.
The script is the blueprint of the entire project and to say the screenwriter's job enormous would be an understatement and is one of the hardest job to pull off successfully. Screenwriting is a much easier task with software. Trying to write in screenplay format in a Word document would be miserable. Picking particular software to get started can be just as challenging. Luckily, all screenwriting software formats the script automatically and we have found our go-to for starting any filming project and we love Celtx.
According to Studiobinder.com, for something a little more affordable, Celtx is one of the best options. It’s a cloud-based screenwriting tool that boasts 5 million users. It comes with a wide variety of template formats and convertible from one to the other. With existing scripts, it offers a variety of import formats including PDF, Final Draft, and Microsoft Word documents. Among its other features, Celtx screenwriting integrates with other pre-production tools like call sheets, storyboards, shot lists, and a scheduling solution while allowing for collaboration, although it’s not real-time and will require to refresh to see a collaborator's edits. This is definitely a solid (and more affordable) alternative to Final Draft.
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