Volume 5, Number 3
March 10, 2005

1. 6TH ANNUAL BIG BREAK! SCREENWRITING CONTEST

The 6th Annual Big Break! International Screenplay Contest is underway. We will be accepting submissions until June 15, 2005.

Big Break! is an annual, global screenwriting competition designed to promote emerging creative talent. The grand-prize winner is awarded $10,000 in cash and prizes, and meetings with industry professionals. Many past Big Break! winning scripts have been produced or optioned. 

The top ten finalists will receive a copy of Final Draft scriptwriting software, a screenwriting course from Gotham Writers Workshop, one-year subscriptions to Fade In and scr(i)pt magazines and a gift certificate from The Writers Store.

For more information about the contest, go to: www.bigbreakcontest.com

2. FINAL DRAFT AT NAB 2005

Las Vegas, April 18- 20, 2005

Final Draft will have a booth at NAB 2005, the world's largest electronic media show. If you would like to obtain a FREE pass to the exhibit floor, follow these steps:

1. Go to www.nabshow.com
2. Select Registration
3. Click VIP Exhibits Pass
4. Enter Code MJ0267

After April 13, 2005 you must register on-site at the Las Vegas Convention Center and pay a $20 processing fee.

Final Draft will also be present at the BEA (Broadcast Education Association) in Las Vegas on April 22-23, 2005.

For Final Draft booth location and details, see the ON THE ROAD section below.

3. FINAL DRAFT DEMONSTRATION IN THE UK

Apple Store, London
May 5, 2005, 7:00-9:00 PM

Final Draft will be doing a demonstration of Final Draft 7 and Final Draft AV2 at the Apple Store on Regent Street. Come see us and have all of your questions answered by a Final Draft representative.

For store location and details, see the ON THE ROAD section below.

4. ADIEU TO FINAL DRAFT 5

On August 31, 2005 we will be discontinuing all technical phone support for Final Draft 5, but you can still solve common FD5 problems by searching for answers in:

•  our online Knowledge Base www.finaldraft.com/support
•  the on-board Help section built into the program
•  the PDF manual found on the FD5 CD 

If you lose your authorization, FD5 will still be able to run in full mode (on compatible computers) by installing it and then leaving the CD in the drive while the program is starting.  After the program has opened you can remove the CD from the drive. 

Thanks for the good work, FD5.  You can rest now.

5. 12th ANNUAL WRITERS NETWORK SCREENPLAY & FICTION COMPETITION

Win Agency Representation & Cash Prizes!
Now in its 12th year, the Writers Network Competition, co-sponsored by WGA Signatory Agencies, is a unique program designed to give new and talented writers the chance to pursue careers in film, television and publishing. If you have a screenplay, one-hour or half-hour teleplay, stage play, novel or novel in progress that you would like to submit, go to: www.fadeinonline.com/Contests/Award

Enter online or call: 800-646-3896
Deadline for entries: May 14, 2005 (postmarked by)
Entry fee: $35 (for one novel or one to two scripts or plays)

6. WRITERS' RESOURCES

A Modern Masterclass with Syd Field
London, May 14-15, 2005

Internationally acclaimed screenwriting guru Syd Field is bringing his Modern Masterclass Seminar to Europe for the first time. Updating classic storytelling conventions with a focus on the contemporary tools of the craft, Syd will guide a two-day tour of storytelling techniques, focusing on the best of modern cinema, using examples like Kill Bill and Sideways, in order to help the aspiring and professional screenwriter to create, prepare, write and rewrite his/her own screenplay. His lecture and discussions will include contemporary film clips for a modern investigation of the screenwriters' choices.

Whether you are writing your first or your hundredth screenplay, Syd's analysis and practical approach to the craft are poignant, simple, fresh and inspiring. Don't miss it!

Early bird offer and payment plans available. Contact the Screenwriter's Store for further details:

Web: www.screenwriterstore.co.uk/index.taf?_P=PRD10910
Phone: +44 (0) 20 7261 1908
Email: johanna@thesws.com

Zoetrope Screenwriting Workshop

Zoetrope has partnered with New York's leading writing school, Gotham Writers' Workshop, to bring comprehensive screenwriting workshops to the Internet. Every Zoetrope 10-week course includes: 

• Expert instruction by a professional screenwriter
• Weekly craft discussions that incorporate films produced by American Zoetrope
• Student opportunity to submit the first ten pages of a screenplay for review by a development person at American Zoetrope studio
• Special guest chat session with a member of the American Zoetrope staff

Whether you are an aspiring novice or an experienced writer, a Zoetrope screenwriting workshop will help you take your writing to the next level. 

To learn more go to: www.zoetrope.com/index.cgi?action=news_item&story_id=90]

Action/Cut Filmmaking Seminar

This seminar is essential for filmmakers and screenwriters. In two days gain first-hand career knowledge from working director/writer Guy Magar. Learn how to write visually with audio-visual scene studies and film clips that demonstrate the tools and skills of professional filmmaking.


San Francisco: March 19 & 20
Boston: April 2 & 3
Fort Lauderdale: April 9 & 10
Chicago: April 16 & 17

Excellent”- MovieMaker “           Essential”- Script           “Terrific”- Creative Screenwriting

For more information, go to: www.actioncut.com or call 800-815-5545

Action/Cut Short Film Competition 2005
This unique, industry-driven shorts competition will showcase Indie filmmakers and their work from around the world with a chance to win $35,000 in cash, Hollywood meetings and sponsor awards with over 100 prizes! 

Call For Entries: January 15 to May 15, 2005  
Categories: Fiction - Documentary - Animation
Online Entry Form: Visit the website and enter today!

Visit www.actioncut.com to view the 2004 winners.

The ProSeries

Are your scripts attractive to agents and producers?

Whether you want to win contests, get an agent or pitch your screenplay directly to producers, you need professional screenwriting skills.

The ProSeries is not a quick-fix, two-day course or book. It's a professionally designed series of ten online classes and five teleconferences offered over a six month period. The ProSeries is an easy way to accelerate your screenwriting, boost your creativity and spark interest in your work.

You will learn to create high concept ideas, design characters that appeal to top actors, write fascinating scenes, incorporate natural subtext throughout your script and design a complete marketing campaign for your screenplay and career.

The ProSeries is the only concept to marketing screenwriting course specifically designed from the minds of professional screenwriters and producers. There is nothing else like it. Not any book, website or course, and like all ScriptForSale classes, the ProSeries is guaranteed!

Final Draft registered users receive a 30% special discount. To sign up or for more info, please go to: www.scriptforsale.com/classes/proseries.htm
Enter coupon code 7294A.

The Basics & Beyond Final Draft 7 Tutorial CD

Your time spent with this movie-based tutorial CD-ROM will be rewarded a thousand fold by unlocking the full potential of Final Draft 7 script formatting software. You'll be writing immediately with just the Quick Start section alone. From here, your skills will grow as you cover the User Interface, Modifying Formats, Getting Help, Saving Your Work, Automating Text Entry, Outlining and Structure, Collaboration with Partners, Working in Production, and more. At over an hour in length, and fully indexed for later quick referral, The Basics & Beyond Final Draft 7 Tutorial CD-ROM will have you writing like a pro in no time.

Brought to you by The Writers Store

List Price: $29.95 Sale Price: $19.95 - Sale Ends 10/31/04
www.writersstore.com/?e=973
800 272-8927

7. ON THE ROAD

Come see demonstrations of Final Draft and Final Draft AV and have your questions answered by our representatives.

8. CUSTOMER SUPPORT

The current version of Final Draft 7 is 7.0.0.54
The current version of Final Draft AV2 is 2.0.5

Please log on to this web page for Final Draft 7 current version information:
www.finaldraft.com/support/downloads.php4

To determine which version of Final Draft 7 you have, go to Help/Customer Support. If you do not have the current version you should download and install the free update. To download the update, go to:
www.finaldraft.com/support/downloads.php4

Please note that you must have Final Draft 7 already installed to your hard drive to install the 7.0.0.54 update. The 7.0.0.54 update will not update Final Draft 6 or earlier.

Please log on to this web page for AV2 current version information:
www.finaldraft.com/support/downloads.php4

To determine which version of Final Draft AV2 you have, go to Help/About Final Draft AV. To download the most current update, go to: www.finaldraft.com/support/downloads.php4

The current version of Final Draft 6 is 6.0.6.0

To determine which version of Final Draft 6 you have, go to Help/Technical Support. If you do not have the current version you should download, then install, the free update. To download the update, go to:
www.finaldraft.com/support/downloads.php4

Please note that you must have Final Draft 6 already installed to your hard drive to install the 6.0.6.0 update. The 6.0.6.0 update will not update Final Draft 7, Final Draft 5 or earlier.

Tech Tip
Want to write a spec script using the "Will and Grace" format but have already written it using the "Friends" template? No need to rewrite the whole thing or do a lot of copy and pasting. Simply open the script you wrote and load in the Friends elements. Go to the Format menu and click Elements. Click the Load button and select "Will and Grace." Click OK. The script will now reformat in the new template.

For more information on Final Draft features, refer to the Final Draft User Guide PDF document found in the Final Draft folder on your hard drive or visit our online Knowledge Base. To visit the Knowledge Base, go to:  www.finaldraft.com/support

9. CONTACT US

To respond to this email, DO NOT CLICK REPLY; it will only bounce back to you. Comments and suggestions should be directed to newsletter@finaldraft.com.

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www.finaldraft.com/media/newsletter-signup.php4 and follow the directions there.