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Download Final Draft 8 Software
Background
Final Draft software was created in 1989 by Final Draft Inc. Although it was initially developed for Macintosh, Final Draft has been compatible with Windows since 1995. Both versions, for Macintosh and Windows, are entirely compatible. Final Draft is undeniably a leader on the market of screenwriting software.
Upgrade, Update and license
The user license allows you to install Final Draft (for one same user) on two computers simultaneously, MAC/MAC or MAC/PC.
Updates (free downloads) are released every 8 months and upgrades (new version, average price 70 euros) every 3-4 years.
The current version of Final Draft 8 was released in April 2009.
Final Draft (7 and 8) files are back and forth compatible.
Easy to install and to use
Final Draft is a very simple application to install and to activate.
An Internet connection isn’t essential but highly recommended to activate the software and download updates. It is possible to activate the license calling the support line but the procedure will take longer.
Layout & Formatting – Automatic input – Spell check
A major feature of Final Draft is its extremely intuitive layout and formatting functions. You will only need 1 to 2 hours to become perfectly familiar with the word processor and to type a screenplay in professional format. Final Draft remembers all character names, transitions and scene headings. Simply type the first letter and the application will instantly type the rest of the word
The interface is also very well designed and user friendly.
Importing a screenplay written with Microsoft Word or other Word processing software is equally simple. Allow approximately 15 minutes to import an entire script, and, if necessary, to reformat certain paragraphs and it works perfectly with foreign characters such as ‘é,è,ç,à,…’.
Other functions, like note management and bookmarks are also available and simplify the writing process.
Final Draft also provides a basic spell check (English US) to which you may add another dictionary of your choice from among many languages, including the following: English UK, Spanish, French, German, Italian, Swedish, Norwegian and Portuguese
Final Draft doesn’t provide a grammar dictionary.
Outline / Navigator
Final Draft provides a Card mode where each card has two "sides". The Summary side is initially blank to contain text you will enter - concerning development ideas, scene summaries, outlines, sequence or act markers, comments... The Script side contains the actual text of a particular scene. In both modes (summary or script), you will be able to reorganize the order of your scenes by simply ‘playing’ with the cards.
Final Draft also provides an option allowing you to visualize the outline of your screenplay (left panel on the screenshot below).
Template management
Final Draft contains many screenplay templates (long feature film and TV Series for instance) that you may select when you start writing your screenplay or that you can apply later on, once you have begun writing.
You can also easily customize your own template developed using basic models, save it and send it to your co-screenwriters. This is particularly useful if a production company wants to set-up its own specific template for a TV series.
Final Draft also contains templates used to write feature film screenplays in France, Spain and Germany.
Rewriting
Final Draft has several functions that come in useful during the rewriting process: revision mode including page and scene number locks, storage of the content of an omitted scene which can be reintroduced at any time into the script, note management and document comparison. Nevertheless, concerning this last point, we regret a lack of precision in the comparison function. Final Draft isn’t able to compare word for word in a document but only block by block (or paragraph by paragraph). Therefore you won’t be able to immediately see the word that has changed in the dialogue but only the entire sentence.
Production (Tagger, Statistics, etc.)
Final Draft provides Assistant-directors with a Tagger function, allowing them to entirely break down a screenplay.
Final Draft also includes many reports on the sets, characters and dialogues that are very useful for the production crew and for the screenwriters.
Compatibility with other software (EP Scheduling, Frameforge 3D, Storyboard Quick,…)
Thanks to RTF (Rich Text Format), you can easily communicate with most pre-production applications, using Microsoft Word or Apple Works. (it works perfectly with foreign characters) Unfortunately, scene numbers are lost when you export into RTF.
You can save your screenplay in PDF format (Acrobat Reader).
You can also export your screenplay to a storyboard application such as Frameforge 3D Studio or Storyboard Quick or to a break down application such us EP Scheduling or Gorilla.
Other useful features
Title page, auto-backup files, Smart Check scans your entire script looking for and correcting common forting errors, etc.
Conclusion
Despite certain functions that could be - from our point of view - yet more efficient, Final Draft 8 is sure to fulfill a screenwriter’s main needs, from the first ideas to the final draft. It is a simple and complete tool, its main feature being how easy it is to use. If you want to waste no time writing a script in a professional format, Final Draft is definitely the right choice.
