I have been an avid Celtx user for my screenplays since moving on from the frustrations of formatting Microsoft Word with custom tabs and margins. Celtx has served me well. Especially the price point! ($0)
Celtx provides an ordered methof of tracking notes and various types of documents in the one file. It provides cloud storage, a multitude of script types (screenplay, AV, comic-book, novel, to name a few) and tools to assist in the pre-production process.
But all good things must come to an end.
I guess I was itching to try something else, just to see what it was like. So I downloaded demos of Fade In, Final Draft and Movie Magic Screenwriter.
Final Draft and Movie Magic Screenwriter are both industry standards, so they had that going for them. I could use professional tools, even though I am not a professional. Yet.
In playing around with them, though, neither of them really captured me in terms of their interface and writing experience.
Fade In, on the other hand, captured me from the very beginning.
Sheer elegance.
It feels like it is a program designed to help you write. It may not be as full-featured as the other two in terms of scheduling and generating reports, but it certainly makes the actual writing as pleasant as a program can.
My favourite aspect of Fade In, so far, is that you write on a page, rather than a scrolling window that extends as far up and down as the script goes.
It means I know exactly where elements are on the page as I write, rather than having to typeset and generate a PDF, like what happens in Celtx.
This is useful, because it means you can more easily edit on the run to ensure your screenplay looks its best. Does a line of action extend to the next page by a couple of words? Edit it then and there to neaten up your screenplay. It’s only a little thing, but any little thing that makes for an easier reading experience is valuable when it comes to your screenplays!
I’m going to sound cheap, but I also found the price point much more to my liking, compared to the big two. Where Final Draft and Movie Magic Screenwriter both retail at $250, Fade In retails at $99. And for a limited time you can pick it up for half-price!
And if you find that you need Final Draft support, Fade In supports it. Along with a host of other formats, including Fountain.
That isn’t the end of the story, however, for Celtx.
I still find it a useful repository of notes and media for my projects, even if my actual writing is handled in Fade In.
If you’re currently looking for a screenwriting program, I’d highly recommend Fade In.
While I know my endorsement won’t mean much to anyone, check out the nice things Craig Mazin had to say about the program in Episode 7 of Scriptnotes.
‘Til next time.
K-Tock