Contents of This Issue:

Volume 5, Number 8
August 10, 2005

1. FINAL DRAFT'S 6TH ANNUAL BIG BREAK! SCREENWRITING CONTEST ANNOUNCES JUDGES

This year's top-ten finalist judges, representing Old Hollywood, New Hollywood, studio development execs and a notable agent, will evaluate the finalists and choose the top three winners in September.

The six industry judges are:

Michael Zoumas
Sr. VP Production & Development (Miramax/Dimension)

Zola Mashariki
Director of Production (Fox Searchlight Pictures)

Maha Dakhil
Agent (CAA)

Joel Schumacher
Director: Phone Booth; A Time to Kill; Batman Forever; Falling Down.
Writer: Phantom of the Opera; St. Elmo's Fire; Car Wash.

Michel Shane
Producer: Catch Me if You Can; I, Robot.

Todd Phillips:
Director/Writer: Old School; Road Trip; Starsky & Hutch.

Big Break! is an annual, global screenwriting competition designed to promote emerging creative talent. Many of the previous years' winning scripts have been produced or optioned.

For more information about the Big Break! contest, visit: www.bigbreakcontest.com.

2. REGISTERED USERS RECEIVE DISCOUNTS ON ADDITIONAL FINAL DRAFT PRODUCTS

If you are a registered user of Final Draft or Final Draft AV, you can purchase additional software at a discount.
	Final Draft 7 $169 To purchase Final Draft 7 call 800-231-4055
	Final Draft AV $99 To purchase Final Draft AV call 800-231-4055
	Syd Field's Screenwriting Workshop DVD $19 To purchase the DVD call 800-231-4055

3. FROM THE FINAL DRAFT PRODUCT MANAGER

We've decided to add to our newsletter a new section from the Final Draft Product Manager that will discuss Final Draft, its features, tips for using it and general comments about the craft of screenwriting. We receive a variety of questions and suggestions from users, and some of them are worth addressing in a more public forum. We hope you'll find this helpful.

Many users have asked about screenplay format and which format is correct, which is not, what to do to make their script stand out, etc. First, out of the box, Final Draft's default template is writer-ready in industry approved Hollywood spec format. Choose another template such as Half-Hour Sitcom, and you'll be ready to write in that format as well. No tinkering, no adjusting, no second-guessing.

In either case, you'll do fine if you don't adjust a thing. The truth is, unless you're already working on a TV show or at a studio/production company that has format guidelines specific to them, there's no need to worry about formatting. Final Draft handles that for you. The best way to impress someone with your script is by its content.

That said, you can customize the layout of your script either on the fly or by changing the default Element's margins (Format > Elements). Be careful about this. While there is no true absolute screenplay format, there is only so much leeway that is considered acceptable. When in doubt, just write a great script and don't worry about how it looks and whether or not you should use two brass brads or three. It's the content that matters.

Keep writing!

Bobby Pappas
Product Manager, Final Draft
suggestions@finaldraft.com

4. EDUCATOR BACK TO SCHOOL SPECIAL

Final Draft is running a Back to School special for educators and lab administrators. All software and license options are being discounted for a limited time. Offer ends September 30, 2005.

For details and to receive ordering information, email:
academia@finaldraft.com

5. ON THE ROAD

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

Location	Date	Time
Media Services 500 S. Sepulveda Blvd., 4th Floor Los Angeles, CA 90049 Tagger Demo Reservations required. Contact Jeff Oehley at 310-471-9330	Tues, Aug 16	10am
map:   www.mapquest.com
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
Apple Store Santa Monica 1248 Third Street Promenade Santa Monica, CA 90401 310-576-1011	Tues, Sep 13	5:00-6:00pm
map:   www.apple.com/retail/thirdstreetpromenade
Schedules are subject to change. Check with the location to verify dates and times.

6. 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
Need to print out just one character's dialogue?  Want to see how many lines each character has or how many locations are in your script?  Want to see an overview of all your scenes and their statistics?  Then check out the Reports feature in Final Draft.  Click on Tools > Reports.  You can customize each report to get just what you need. 

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

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

Student Filmmakers Summer Shorts Contest
Now Open to All - student and independent filmmakers
Deadline: September 15, 2005

To learn more about the Summer Shorts Contest or to submit your work online, go to:
www.studentfilmmakers.com/summercontest.shtml

Winners will receive a trophy from studentfilmmakers.com and the following prizes from their sponsors:

• CHIMERA® 8005 Lighting Kit (Retail Value $695)
• The Kinoflex Camera Package (Retail Value $599)
• Final Draft 7 and the Syd Field Screenwriting Workshop DVD
• Adobe Software

More prizes still to be announced!
Go to www.studentfilmmakers.com/summershorts/awards.shtml to check out the awards.

Free How-to Seminar and Screenplay Workshop -- Different Each Week

ScreenplayLab nurtures the development of motion pictures and television by bringing together writers, actors and filmmakers. Selected original screenplays receive moderated public feedback after being read in a workshop environment with working actors. Mostly comedies, romantic comedies and sitcoms are read.

This is a family-friendly workshop that meets every Monday night at The Writers Store in Westwood.

For details, visit: www.ScreenplayLab.com.

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

Directing Commercials Seminar and DVD
An incredible resource for information on how to become a commercial director

Breaking into the lucrative field of commercial directing can be a daunting task. Craig Worsham's 2-day seminar teaches everything you need to know about the business of directing spots. From your spec reel and preproduction to contracts and pitching, this will transform you from a complete novice to a well informed professional ready to tackle the market.

Worsham, an established commercial director, provides insightful commentary on several spec reels that will help you understand why a commercial fails or succeeds.

If you have ever considered becoming a commercial director, this is the seminar that you cannot afford to miss.

Next Seminar:
September 17-18
Universal Studios, Hollywood

This popular 2-day class is now available on DVD. Everything the class offers is on the 4-disk set including all the handouts, spec spots and professional spots.

To reserve a seat and see video previews, go to: www.DirectingCommercials.com.

10th Annual Fade In Awards – Get Discovered

Applications can now be downloaded from www.fadeinonline.com for the 10th Annual Fade In Awards or enter online. Up to 16 finalists will be chosen. Plus, winners will appear in an edition of Fade In magazine and Variety.
 
Fade In Award winners work!  
Over the last nine years, seven of the nine Grand prize finalists and five of the finalists have gone on to become professional working writers/writer-directors!  To read about their experiences, go to www.fadeinonline.com, then enter for your chance to get discovered.
 
  Fade In Board of Advisors
  Scott Frank
  Frank Darabont
  Ed Solomon
  James Gray
  David O. Russell
  Nicolas Kazan
  Robin Swicord
  Eric Roth
  Scott Rosenberg  
  Steven de Souza
 
Entry fee: $40 (per entry)
Prizes: Over $15,000 in cash and prizes, including an iMac and an expense paid trip to Los Angeles to meet with executives, agents and managers.
Deadline: October 31, 2005

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.

Learn To Write a Screenplay in Just Four Weeks

If you have an amazing idea for a movie but don't know how to begin writing it, this self-paced online course is for you. Screenwriting Basics, the result of over 23 years of helping writers succeed, guides you from FADE IN to FADE OUT for only $49.

There is no easier way to learn the fundamentals of writing a page-turning script.

Session begins September 5th.
Go to www.WritersUniversity.com and sign up today.

This course and many others are brought to you by Writers University, a division of the Writers Store.

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.

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