Contents of This Issue:

Volume 5, Number 7
July 21, 2005

1. FINAL DRAFT 7.1.1 UPDATE AVAILABLE

The Final Draft 7.1.1 update enables additional spell-checkers for our international edition and contains a number of other feature enhancements for printing and Tagger. This is a free update if you already own Final Draft 7. The 7.1.1 update will not update Final Draft 6 or earlier versions.

To determine which version of Final Draft 7 you have, open the program and go to Help > Customer Support. If you have an online connection, go to Help > Program Updates. If your Final Draft needs to be updated, you will automatically be forwarded to the appropriate download page.

To download the 7.1.1 update go to Help > Program Updates or go to: www.finaldraft.com/support/downloads.php4 and choose your platform.
You will also be able to view the Readme file,
which details the improvements the update makes to the program.

For Users of Spell-Checkers other than American English:
If you are updating your copy of Final Draft 7 to 7.1.1, and you use an additional spell-checker, you will need to update your spell-checker.

When you go to download the 7.1.1 program update, instructions on how to get the updated spell-checkers will be available from the same page. You can request just the spell-checker updates by visiting www.finaldraft.com/support/downloads.php4, choosing your platform and clicking on Spell-checker Updates.

2. ATTENTION FINAL DRAFT 5 USERS

Due to its advanced age and incompatibility with current operating systems, all technical support for Final Draft 5 will be discontinued on August 31, 2005. 

If you have a computer without an authorized hard drive you will have to launch the program with the Final Draft 5 CD in the drive. 

If you need questions answered, you will still be able to find solutions in the on-board help section in the program, in the User Guide on the Final Draft 5 CD and in our online knowledge base. To visit the online knowledge base, go to: www.finaldraft.com/help.

Registered users can upgrade to the latest version of Final Draft for only $89. To purchase the upgrade, go to: www.finaldraft.com/orders/upgrades-fd.php4.

3. THE SECOND CITY TRAINING CENTER

Each year The Second City Training Center in Chicago attracts about 400 children and adults from the United States and abroad to its summer camps and intensives in improvisation and sketch writing.  The Training Center began offering its students Final Draft this year and many of them are using it to create their original sketches.  In particular, some of the students from the school's Teen Ensemble class are using the software as they develop material for an independent show they are producing. 

"It's amazing to see kids enjoying writing during the summer and they're out of school," said Rob Chambers, President of The Second City Training Centers & Education Programs.  "Final Draft makes it very easy for them to create and edit their scripts.  It's a great tool for students of all ages." 

To learn more about The Second City Training Center, visit:
www.secondcity.com/?id=training-education

4. ON THE ROAD - CHICAGO, LA, SAN FRANCISCO

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

Location	Date	Time
Apple Store Century City 10250 Santa Monica Blvd. Los Angeles, CA 90067 310-286-6820	Sat, Jul 30	12:00-1:00pm
map:   www.apple.com/retail/centurycity
Apple Store North Michigan Avenue 679 North Michigan Ave. Chicago, IL 60611 312- 981-4104	Sat, August 6	11:00am-1:00pm
map:   www.apple.com/retail/northmichiganavenue
Apple Store San Francisco One Stockton Street San Francisco, CA 94108 415-392-0202	Sat, August 6	Noon-1:00 pm
map:   www.apple.com/retail/sanfrancisco
Apple Store Santa Monica 1248 Third Street Promenade Santa Monica, CA 90401 310-576-1011	Sat, Aug 20	2:00pm
map:   www.apple.com/retail/thirdstreetpromenade
Schedules are subject to change. Check with the location to verify dates and times.

5. CUSTOMER SUPPORT / TECH TIP

The current version of Final Draft 7 is 7.1.1
The current version of Final Draft AV 2 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, open the program and go to Help > Customer Support. If you have an online connection, go to Help > Program Updates. If your Final Draft needs to be updated, you will automatically be forwarded to the appropriate download page.

IMPORTANT: If you have Mac OS9, the current version is 7.0.0.54. The 7.1.1 update is not supported on OS9.

Please log on to this web page for AV 2 current version information:
www.finaldraft.com/support/downloads.php4

To determine which version of Final Draft AV 2 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 versions.

Tech Tip
If you find that you need to cheat the length of your script by reducing the number of pages, in Final Draft for both Mac and Windows, simply go to Document on the main menu. Then click Page Layout and go to the Options tab. Change the Line Spacing from Normal to Tight.

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/help

6. THE WRITERS GUILD FOUNDATION PRESENTS

A Masters Screenwriting Workshop
July 30th
8:30 am to 8:30 pm
At the Writers Guild of America, west.
7000 W. Third St., at Fairfax Ave. in Los Angeles

Academy Award™ winners Ron Bass (Rain Man, The Joy Luck Club) and Eric Roth (Forrest Gump, The Insider), along with Roger Avary (Rules of Attraction), Al Gough & Miles Millar (Smallville, Herbie: Fully Loaded), David S. Goyer (Batman Begins), Margaret Nagle (Warm Springs), Jeff Nathanson (Catch Me If You Can), and many more will headline this special one-day Masters Workshop on the subject of adaptation from fiction, history, real life and other sources.

Breakfast, lunch and a wine and cheese reception with door prizes sponsored by Final Draft.

For full workshop details, visit: www.wgfoundation.org/workshop.htm.

Tickets:
$150 for general admission
$125 for WGA members
$110 for full-time students with I.D.

To purchase tickets online, go to: www.WGFoundation.org, or call: 323-782-4692.

7. 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.

NOTE: Support questions sent to the above address will not be answered. If you have a question you would like answered via email, visit www.finaldraft.com/help. You can search for an answer from our database of almost 900 sales and technical questions. If you still can't find the information you need, click the Ask a Question tab on any answer page.

If you want your name to be removed from the Final Draft mailing list, visit
www.finaldraft.com/media/newsletter-signup.php4 and follow the directions there.

8. WRITERS' RESOURCES

Million-Dollar Screenwriting Seminar

Here's what people are saying about the first Million-Dollar Screenwriting Seminar:

"Life-changing!"
Benjamin DeLubato
Graduate NYU Dramatic Writing Program

"I feel like I've found the Holy Grail!"
Erica Clethen
Screenwriter

"My story's 10 billion times better, thanks to these methods!"
Abby Cohen
Writer, prone to hyperbole

Visit: www.MillionDollarScreenwriting.com to learn more.

Next Seminar:
Date: September 16 & 17 (Location TBA)
Fee: $350
Only $250 for Registered Final Draft Users. Special offer ends soon.

To receive the $100 discount, contact Chris Soth directly:
Email: chris@milliondollarscreenwriting.com
Phone: 310-397-3124

American Zoetrope Screenplay Contest: Early Deadline

Register your screenplay before the early deadline of August 1 and capitalize on the reduced fee of $30. The guest judge is Terry Zwigoff (Ghost World, Bad Santa), who will award the $5,000 Grand Prize. The winning and top ten scripts will be considered for option and development by more than a dozen major production companies, including Francis Coppola's American Zoetrope. Finalists will also be considered for representation by ICM, UTA, Paradigm, William Morris, The Gersh Agency, CAA and The Firm. They will also receive screenwriting software from Final Draft.

For entry forms, contest rules, deadlines and fees, please visit: www.zoetrope.com/contests.

Directing Commercials Seminars
Announcing a special private sale for all registered Final Draft users:

Craig Worsham has graciously agreed to offer his Directing Commercials Seminar on DVD to our members for $150 (Regular Price $449).
Offer expires Thursday, July 28.

The business of getting commercials, planning them and finishing them. That is what Craig Worsham's DVD set Directing Commercials is all about. You get a veteran's insights into putting together a reel, working with production companies and ad agencies, treatments and more. After watching the DVD set, the industry looks much more approachable. It's everything you need to know to get started without looking as though you're just getting started.

Go to www.directingcommercials.com to view a sample of the DVD set.

Main Page:   www.directingcommercials.com
Preview of the DVD:   www.directingcommercials.com/video.html
Order:    www.directingcommercials.com/register.html

To receive the discount:
1. Choose DVD of Seminar and the FD price will be automatically added.
2. MAKE SURE TO USE YOUR FINAL DRAFT EMAIL (the one you
are getting this email from) so we can validate orders.

This sale is SECRET. It's not for the general public, your friends, etc. ALSO, you can order ONLY ONE SET. Finally, selling the disks on eBay or anywhere else is strictly prohibited.

Offer expires July 28!

UCLA Extension Writers' Program
Put your Final Draft software to good use.
Take a UCLA Extension screenwriting course.

The UCLA Extension Writers' Program is offering a variety of beginning, intermediate and advanced level courses in screenwriting for film and television this summer.

The following are just a few of the courses you can choose from:

Introduction to Screenwriting I
Screenplay writing is a rigorous craft and, at its best, an art. In this course, you learn all the key elements of writing feature film screenplays, including story structure, plot, scene development, characterization and dialogue.

Intermediate Rewrite
Writing is rewriting and rewriting is a craft all its own. This course takes you through the process of finding strategies that bring your rough draft to its fullest potential. You learn how to create your intended result through analyzing your current script, focusing on honing premise, fleshing out characters, deepening conflicts and fine-tuning structure, dialogue, tone and action.

Intermediate Feature Film I: Writing the Screenplay the Professional Way
Designed for students who have a solid grasp of the basic principles of feature-length screenwriting and have written at least one complete script, this intermediate workshop launches serious writers into the process of creating their next, more viable and sophisticated screenplay. Instruction focuses on developing a premise that can sustain an entire script, creating and refining a full story outline, and writing the first act.

New Course
The Business of Being a Screenwriter
If you've learned how to write a screenplay, it's probably time to get started as a professional screenwriter. This two-day workshop teaches you how to live happily as a screenwriter; avoid the pitfalls of being a screenwriter and most of all, how to project a winning picture of yourself and your art form in selling situations.

For more information about these courses, or to view all of summer quarter's screenwriting offerings,
Visit: www.uclaextension.edu/writers
Phone: 310-825-9415.

Hollywood Creative Connection Short Script Competition
Call for Entries

Hollywood Creative Connection, a new service making connections between artists and the Los Angeles film and television community, announces its first script contest: The Short Script Competition 2005 (5-45 pages).

Prizes include up to $1,000 cash, Final Draft scriptwriting software, a career consultation and script evaluations by feature and television professionals and a streaming video presentation of the winning script.

Deadline for entries is September 15, 2005.

For more information, go to: www.hollywoodcreativeconnection.com.

Melbourne International Film Festival 2005

This year marks the 54th Melbourne International Film Festival (MIFF), Australia's longest-running, largest and most prestigious film festival. Over 18 days, MIFF screens a sensational selection of almost 400 films from over 50 countries. The festival will be held from July 20 - August 7, 2005.

For more information and program updates, visit: www.melbournefilmfestival.com.au.

The #1 Pitch Event
9th Annual Hollywood Pitch Festival
July 30 & 31, 2005

Renaissance Hotel, Hollywood, CA "Where Preparation and Luck Meet Opportunity"
Over 140 studio and development executives, agents, managers, producers and directors to pitch your project to in one-on-one, seven-minute meetings. The largest and longest-running pitch festival of its kind featuring the most sales, options and agency signings. If you have a book, TV or movie idea, screenplay or short to sell, this extraordinary weekend is for you.

Limited to 200 attendees.
$375.00 (2-day pass, lunch, pitch class) Early-Bird price
310-275-0287
800-646-3896
www.fadeinonline.com

The Spec Market

Profile your project for the largest audience of entertainment professionals in the world. Baseline StudioSystem's Spec Market posting directory provides an exciting new arena to list your screenplay, novel or story.

Entertainment professionals can browse, search and locate available content, giving you the best possible opportunity to get your script in the hands of the real decision-makers.

To register go to: www.scriptshark.com/specmarket/index.cfm.

Online Writing Workshops
Rated Best of Web by Forbes

The comprehensive online screenwriting and TV writing courses offered by New York's acclaimed Gotham Writers' Workshop have been selected as Best of the Web by Forbes. Each 10-week workshop is taught by an industry professional and features everything you would expect in a live workshop including insightful lectures, class discussion and extensive feedback on student work. New classes begin in July and September. Class size is strictly limited.
To learn more or to register, visit: www.WritingClasses.com.

Save 20% on DVD's and Audio at the Writers Store

School's out for summer, but the learning never stops at The Writers Store.

This summer school serves up DVD's and CD's at 20% off! Dov Simon's 4-Year Film School is a thrilling crash course on 16 jam-packed DVDs! Watch So, Is It Done? for the latest techniques on revising your first draft or listen to The Pitch Pack CD's on your long summer drives. Whether you watch a DVD in air-conditioned bliss or listen to a CD poolside, you'll have more to show for your summer than just a killer tan when you save 20% at The Writers Store!

To receive the 20% discount, mention or enter promotional code FDSUMMER during checkout.

Brought to you by the Writers Store
Visit: www.writersstore.com/?e=1002
Call: 800-272-8927

Barnes & Noble
Tuesday, July 19, 2005 at 7:30PM
1201 3rd St Promenade, Santa Monica
Phone: 310-260-9110

Rona Edwards and Monika Skerbelis, authors of I Liked It, Didn't Love It: Screenplay Development from the Inside Out will critique your screenplay pitch and discuss the ins and outs of Hollywood development. Edwards and Skerbelis have lived the lives of studio and development executives and are currently teaching a UCLA Extension class in Los Angeles.

Action/Cut Filmmaking Seminar

"Excellent" MovieMaker

"Essential" Script

"llluminating" Screentalk

The most acclaimed and comprehensive filmmaking seminar in the film industry.

Los Angeles: October 15 & 16
New York: October 22 & 23
Chicago: October 29 & 30
St. Louis: November 5 & 6
Providence: November 12 & 13
Fort Lauderdale: November 19 & 20

9AM to 6PM both days.

An essential seminar for filmmakers and screenwriters -- from networking to visual writing!
In two days, gain first-hand career knowledge from a working director/writer/producer with audio-visual scene studies of the skills to take your project from page to finished film.

Guy Magar - Seminar Director, international film instructor and contracted to Miramax Films.
Professional credits include over 50 feature films and television network shows.

To Register:
Visit: www.actioncut.com
Call: 800-815-5545