Contents of This Issue:

Volume 5, Number 9
September 6, 2005

1. Big Break! Finalists Announced

It is our great pleasure to congratulate the 20 finalists in the 2005 Big Break! Screenwriting Competition. The outstanding finalists were chosen from 3,500 competing entries! The top ten screenplays are now being judged by a panel of industry notables. These screenplays will be carefully reviewed and a winner chosen in October. We applaud everyone who entered for your artistic endeavors and are honored to bring recognition to promising screenwriters across the globe.

TOP TEN FINALISTS
· David Greenman, Sherman Oaks, CA. Romantaphobia
· Jon Gilbert, London, United Kingdom. The Sculptress and The Thief
· Carl Ames, Marshall, WI. Mailman
· Alexander Del Negro, South Orleans, MA. Trifecta
· Paul Vaillancourt, Hollywood, CA. Scout's Honor
· Scott Simonsen, Hermosa Beach, CA. Tides of Summer
· Craig Tiede, Meadville, PA. Zoo Day
· Julia Van Develder, Rhinebeck, NY. The Escape Artist
· Chris Fiore, New York, NY. The Utopia Virus
· Olivia Rosewood, Los Angeles, CA. Finding Perfect

SEMIFINALISTS
· Scott Peake, Los Angeles, CA. What We Did on Our Holidays
· Jason Cunningham, Smyma, TN . The Island of Ted
· Jonathan Massey, Santa Barbara, CA. Blackball
· Megan Johnson, Clackamas, OR. Stealing Roses
· Stuart Flack, West Hollywood, CA. Hope Smokes
· Robert Frisbee, Scottsdale, AZ. Absolution
· Mickey Blaine, Los Angeles, CA. Qwickie all Night
· Mary Szmagaj, Mountain View, CA. Juan Doe
· John Hillis, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. Bitter, Sweet, & Beautiful
· Mike Bencivenga, Astoria, NY. Single Bullet Theory

Sincerely,

Marc Madnick, President & CEO, Final Draft
Liz Alani, Contest Director

For more information about the contest, and a list of 2005 judges
Visit: www.bigbreakcontest.com

2. 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

3. ON THE ROAD - FD IN THE OC!

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

Location	Date	Time
Apple Store South Coast Plaza 3333 Bear Street, Suite 101 Costa Mesa, CA 92626 714-424-6331 Final Draft and Final Draft AV Demo	Sat, Sep 10	11:00am - 1:00pm
map:   www.apple.com/retail/southcoastplaza
Writers Faire at UCLA Extension UCLA Campus; Young Hall Courtyard 405 Hilgard Ave. (Near Hilgard and Westholm Ave) Los Angeles, CA 90095 (Westwood) A Final Draft representative will be there, so come by and see us. For more information, visit www.uclaextension.edu/writersfaire	Sun, Sep 11	11am - 3pm
map:   www.mapquest.com
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
Apple Store The Grove 189 The Grove Drive Los Angeles, CA 90036 323-965-8400	Sat, Sep 24	3:00pm
map:   www.apple.com/retail/thegrove
Apple Store Santa Monica 1248 Third Street Promenade Santa Monica, CA 90401 310-576-1011 Final Draft Scriptwriter's Suite Roll Out Event	Tues, Oct 18	6:00-8:00pm
map:   www.apple.com/retail/thirdstreetpromenade
Apple Store The Grove 189 The Grove Drive Los Angeles, CA 90036 323-965-8400 Final Draft Scriptwriter's Suite Roll Out Event	Thurs, Oct 20	6:00-8:00pm
map:   www.apple.com/retail/thegrove
Apple Store SoHo 103 Prince Street New York, NY 10012 212-226-3126	Sat, Oct 22	1:00-3:00pm
map:   www.apple.com/retail/soho
Dramatists Guild 1501 Broadway, Suite 701 New York, NY 10036 212-398-9366 Final Draft Demo - non-members may also attend	Tues, Oct 25	5:30-7:00pm
map:   www.mapquest.com
Apple Store SoHo 103 Prince Street New York, NY 10012 212-226-3126 Final Draft Scriptwriter's Suite Roll Out Event	Wed, Oct 26	6:00-8:00pm
map:   www.apple.com/retail/soho
Schedules are subject to change. Check with the location to verify dates and times.

4. 10% Discount on Screenwriting Expo 4 for Registered Final Draft Users

Screenwriting Expo 4 is back at the Los Angeles Convention Center, November 11-13, 2005, with more than 350 seminars, a $5,000 writing tournament and pitching to 60plus top production companies & agencies.

Guest speakers include William Goldman (Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid), Paul Haggis (Million Dollar Baby) and David Koepp (War of the Worlds). Jack Epps (Top Gun), David Freeman, Michael Hauge, Robert Kosberg, Linda Seger and John Truby headline more than 100 teachers at Expo 4.

The Expo is only $74.95 for 3 full days. Register by October 1st, 2005 and use special coupon code Expo4FD to receive a 10% discount off your registration.

Visit: www.screenwritingexpo.com

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
In Final Draft 7, to 'flip' the Index Cards from Summary View to Scene View, go to View/Index Cards [not Card but Cards] and then choose Show Summary or Show Script.

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. 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.

7. WRITERS' RESOURCES

Final Draft Registered Users Save $50 at Gotham Writers' Workshop

Final Draft registered users receive $50 off tuition when they sign up for a 10-week online class presented by New York's acclaimed Gotham Writers' Workshop. Selected Best of the Web by Forbes, workshops are taught by professional writers and are offered at levels from basic to advanced.

Workshops offered this fall include:
· Screenwriting I
· Screenwriting Advanced
· Screenwriting Intensive Master Class
· TV Writing
· Film Analysis

In addition, the school offers a four-week online workshop, How to Sell Your Screenplay, taught by a Hollywood insider.

Save $50.00
To receive the $50 savings on the tuition on your first first 10-week class, you must provide promotion code FD50 when registering online or by phone. (This offer is valid only on 10-week class tuition for students new to Gotham. May not be combined with any other offer. Promotion code FD50 must be provided at time of registration to receive discount.)

Visit: www.WritingClasses.com
Phone: 877-974-8377

9th Annual ASA International Screenplay Competition

$10,000 Grand Prize

Entries are now being accepted for the 9th Annual International Screenplay Competition, presented by the American Screenwriters Association and Gotham Writers' Workshop. Grand prize includes $10,000 cash and a script development trip to Hollywood.

Entry deadline is October 31, 2005
Visit: www.goasa.com

The Write Way In™ with Simon Kinberg

The Write Way In™ offers you a cutting-edge opportunity to pitch your feature and television projects to established Hollywood companies, learn the career secrets of A-List screenwriters in The Writers Studio™ and network at a cocktail party loaded with industry people you'd love to mix and mingle with—all at one event!

Sign up now for our inaugural event featuring:
Simon Kinberg
(Mr. & Mrs. Smith, Fantastic Four, XXX State of the Union)
Moderated by Heather Hale

Cost: $149.00

To Register:
Visit: www.hollywoodbythebay.com
Phone: 877-801-9477
Reserve your space today, space is limited.

Future The Write Way In™ Guests of Honor include: Steve Zallian, Paul Haggis and more...

Presented by Hollywood by the Bay and The IndustryLA



The Alliance of Los Angeles Playwrights (ALAP)

On Saturday, October 1 from 12pm to 4pm, on the gorgeous Malibu campus of Pepperdine University, ALAP will present the 2005 Playwrights Expo. The Expo brings together playwrights (including lyricists, librettists and composers) with representatives from roughly 100 theater companies and playwright groups from all over Southern California in the region's ultimate afternoon of networking.

There will also be three symposiums: Playwriting by Design,The Rights Stuff and So I've Just Graduated from College and I Want to Be a Playwright - Now What?!?. In addition, there will be book, software and theater ticket giveaways. And to cap off the day, at 4:15 pm will be the 7th Annual ALAP Playreading Festival featuring the best 10-minute plays of the year chosen by a panel of award-winning writers and directors from theater, TV and film.

Expo admission is $5 for the general public and $3 for students with ID (free for ALAP members and Pepperdine students/faculty);
Festival admission is free to all.

Jon Dorf
www.jondorf.com
Playwright, Screenwriter and Script Consultant
Co-Chair, Alliance of Los Angeles Playwrights
Final Draft and Writers Store Resident Playwriting Expert
Member, Dramatists Guild of America

Visit: www.LAPlaywrights.org
Email: info@laplaywrights.org
Phone: 323-957-4752

Expo sponsors include The Dramatists Guild Fund, Final Draft, Inc. and The Writers Store



In-script Doctoring from Pilar Alessandra and On the Page - $50.00 off

Using Final Draft tools, script consultant Pilar Alessandra refines your screenplay by placing story notes directly into pages, editing dialogue and streamlining format. In addition to the doctored script, clients receive a page of analysis, a printable version of the page notes and a half-hour follow-up phone call. Discounted fee: $450.00

Pilar is the director of On The Page and former Senior Story Analyst for DreamWorks and Radar Pictures. Her class Six Steps to a Screenplay will be held as an intensive October 8 & 9.

To Register:
Email: inquire@onthepage.tv
Visit: www.onthepage.tv

Learn to Write for Television in Just Four Weeks

Beginning Television Writing, taught by two established executive producers/showrunners, will give you an inside look at the world of episodic television. You will learn and practice the actual process involved in successfully writing a spec episodic script that will open doors throughout Hollywood. Get started on your new career in television!

Sessions begin October 24th.

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.

Mike Figgis, Tom Waits, and Wes Anderson Design Francis Ford Coppola's Zoetrope: All-Story

Francis Coppola founded Zoetrope: All-Story in 1997 as a magazine of stories he hopes will become films. In that short history, it's won every major award for short fiction. To reflect the collaborative nature of filmmaking, he invites a major artist to design each issue. Among past guest designers are Julian Schnabel, Gus Van Sant, and David Byrne.

He's offering registered Final Draft users an exclusive discount on subscriptions. Access the website at www.all-story.com/subscribe.cgi and enter the discount code 03FDT06 for 25% off. You'll soon receive the Fall issue, with design by two-time Academy Award-nominee Mike Figgis, and look forward to successive issues designed by Tom Waits and Wes Anderson. It's a great gift for any film enthusiast.

LEARN TO WRITE A MILLION-DOLLAR SCREENPLAY!

MILLION-DOLLAR SCREENWRITING SEMINAR SEPTEMBER 17 & 18 Only!

Produced screenwriter Chris Soth, will reveal the Mini-Movie Method of Story that's made him over a million dollars in Hollywood. Breaking a two-hour movie into eight fifteen-minute films, Mini-Movies, or sequences, are an industry secret not taught in any other course, book or seminar. Once you learn Mini-Movies, you'll never go back to three-act structure again!

Schedule: 10am - 6pm.
Where: 1323 Lincoln Blvd., Suite 220, Second Floor in NALIP Conference Room, Santa Monica, CA

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

Chris Soth, BA in Dramatic Literature, MFA Screenwriting, sold his screenplay Firestorm for $750,000 while still at USC Film School and wants you to do the same!

Three more registered Final Draft users will receive a $100 discount, but YOU MUST contact Chris Soth directly:

Visit: www.MillionDollarScreenwriting.com
Email: chris@milliondollarscreenwriting.com
Phone: 310-397-3124

Special Thanks to in National Association of Latino Independent Producers (NALIP)

The #1 Pitch Event

Fade In's 12th Annual Power-Pitchfest & Hollywood Filmmakers Conference October 29 & 30, 2005 Renaissance Hotel, Hollywood, CA

Submit: Agency Submissions ( ICM, William Morris, UTA, Endeavor and several others)
Learn: Pitch Class sessions with A-list filmmakers.
Pitch: Over 70 prominent production companies, studios, producers, agents and managers to pitch to/meet with (including Paramount, Universal, New Line, William Morris, HBO, Fox Searchlight, and many many more) in 7-minute meetings. **No per-pitch fee!
Network: Catered Networking Reception.

Limited to 175 attendees. Sells out in advance. Don't be fooled by copy-cat "pitchfests." The #1 event with the most sales, options and agency signings.

Visit: www.fadeinonline.com
Phone: 310-275-0287 or 800-646-3896

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

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!

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

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

Craig Worsham, an established working director, teaches everything you need to know about the business of directing commercials.

Topics covered include: The Spec Reel, Joining a Production Company, Your Contract, Insider Secrets that will Help you Get the Job, Dealing with the Ad Agency, Directing a 30-second Spot, all aspects of production and so much more.

Information found nowhere else.

"I learned more in 2 days than most commercial directors learn in their first 2 years! What an amazing advantage you've given us."
Josh Elliott
Photographer / Set Decorator, on American Dream

If you have ever considered becoming a 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.

Coming Soon - The DC TeleSeminar!
Visit: www.DirectingCommercials.com

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.
Visit: www.hollywoodcreativeconnection.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 - 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.

Visit: www.actioncut.com
Phone: 800-815-5545