Volume 6, Number 10
October 10, 2006

Take A Meeting
at the Austin Film Festival
with Top Agents & Executives!

1. Big Break! Finalists Announced

It is our great pleasure to congratulate the top ten finalists in the 2006 Big Break! Screenwriting Competition. The outstanding finalists were chosen from over 3,000 competing worldwide entries! The finalists are now being judged by an industry jury. The screenplays will be carefully reviewed, and a winner announced on October 27. Below is the alphabetized list of finalists:

Stinson Carter, Los Angeles, CA — ANANIAS
Tom Cosgrove, Dublin, Ireland — THE SEA DEVILS
James Duff, New York, NY — MOROCCO
Rick Fonte, Austin, TX — HER FORTUNE
Ken Klein, Portland, OR — IMPACTS AND REMAINS
Yehudi Mercado, Austin, TX — BUFFALO SPEEDWAY
Bret Ootes, Toronto, ON, Canada — ATOMIC EYE
Jill Parker, London, UK — LOVE IN THE TIME OF BOLERO
Jon Preece, Newport, UK — ELVIS WALKS HOME
Greg Shea, North Andover, MA — HEARTBREAK HILL

We applaud everyone who entered for bringing your vision to fruition and wish you the best in your creative endeavors.

Liz Alani
Contest Director
bigbreak@finaldraft.com

2. Take A Meeting with Top Literary Agents and Producers

Take A Meeting is the elite opportunity to present your ideas in the most professional and respectable environment available for both you and your material. You will have 15 minutes with the executive of your choice – plenty of time to discuss your career, work experience, ask for advice or offer up your concept for the next great movie or TV show. Taking place October 19-22, the Austin Film Festival and Final Draft’s Take A Meeting are a combined event not to be missed.

Don’t miss this impressive roster of Los Angeles and New York entertainment executives coming to find new talent at the Austin Film Festival.  Some of the companies include:

ICM (Big-5 Talent and Literary Agency)

Red Wagon Entertainment (Gladiator, Jarhead, Memoirs of a Geisha, RV, Spy Game)

Silver Pictures (Lethal Weapon, Die Hard, V for Vendetta, Matrix Trilogy, Gothika)

Smart Entertainment (Anger Management, The Ringer)

Kaplan/Perrone Entertainment (You, Me and Dupree)

Guy Walks Into A Bar Productions (Elf)

TWO Special offers:

• Select any 3 meetings and we’ll deduct nearly $40 at checkout
• Select any 5 meetings and we’ll deduct nearly $75 at checkout

Meetings are filling fast – be sure to book the one that will change your career.

To register and see our complete A-List group of attending companies:

Visit: www.Take-A-Meeting.com

3. Final Draft's New Website

We’ve recently streamlined and reorganized our website to make it simpler to navigate and easier on the eyes. Just about everything you need is now no more than a couple of mouse-clicks away.

Visit:  www.finaldraft.com

 
In addition, our brand-new online knowledge base and email support service (as well as free chat service) now make it easier than ever to reach a Customer Support Representative when you can’t find the answer you need from among the over 800 FAQs.
Visit:  www.finaldraft.com/help

4. On The Road

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

Location	Date	Time
FTX West Conference and Trade Show Final Draft Booth # 214 Vancouver Convention & Exhibition Centre 999 Canada Place Vancouver, BC, Canada	Fri, Oct 13 Sat, Oct 14
Final Draft Demos at the FTX West Scriptwriting Conference Segal Centre SFU Downtown Campus 500 Granville Street Vancouver, BC, Canada Thursday, October 12 7:30pm - 8:30pm Room 1200 Sunday, October 15 2:30pm - 3:30pm Room 2800 website: www.ftxwest.com	Thurs, Oct 12 Sun, Oct 15
2006 Festival of Science Fiction, Fantasy, Horror and the Supernatural The Plaza Hotel and Casino Las Vegas, NV www.movienationfestivals.com	Thurs, Oct 12 through Sun, Oct 15
Apple Store The Grove 189 The Grove Drive Los Angeles, CA 90036 323-965-8400	Sat, Oct 21	2:00-3:00pm
map:   www.apple.com/retail/thegrove
Apple Store Santa Monica 1248 Third Street Promenade Santa Monica, CA 90401 310-576-1011	Sat, Oct 21	5:00-6:00pm
map:   www.apple.com/retail/thirdstreetpromenade
Screenwriting Expo Expo Location: Renaissance Hotel & Los Angeles Airport Marriott Hotels Los Angeles, CA www.screenwritingexpo.com Special - Sunday 10 am Inside Final Draft Marriot Hotel - New York Room	Oct 19 - 22
Apple Store Fifth Avenue 767 Fifth Ave. New York, NY 10153 212-336-1440	Mon, Nov 6	7:00pm
map:   www.apple.com/retail/fifthavenue
Apple Store The Grove 189 The Grove Drive Los Angeles, CA 90036 323-965-8400	Sat, Nov 18	2:00-3:00pm
map:   www.apple.com/retail/thegrove
Apple Store Santa Monica 1248 Third Street Promenade Santa Monica, CA 90401 310-576-1011	Sat, Nov 18	5:00-6:00pm
map:   www.apple.com/retail/thirdstreetpromenade
Schedules are subject to change. Check with the location to verify dates and times.

5. Ask The Pros Monthly Excerpt

The Final Draft book, Ask the Pros: Screenwriting, is available for sale through www.finaldraft.com/purchase. Click on the link below to view this month's featured excerpt from screenwriting professionals.

Question:
What’s the worst note you ever received on one of your screenplays?

For the answer and an archive of previously featured excerpts, visit:
www.finaldraft.com/products/ask-the-pros/monthly-excerpts.php?answer=0610

To purchase the book, visit: www.finaldraft.com/purchase

6. Customer Support / Tech Tip

Final Draft version 7 users:
The most recent update is 7.1.2

To find out if your version 7 is up to date, go to Help > Program Updates. If your Final Draft needs to be updated, you will automatically be forwarded to the downloads section of our website. If you are not online, open the program and go to the Help > Customer Support menu option and make sure it shows the most recent update. To go to the Updates & Downloads section of our website:
Visit: www.finaldraft.com/support/updates-downloads/final-draft-7.php

IMPORTANT: The 7.1.2 update requires Mac OS X v10.3.9 or better or Windows XP/2000.

Tech Tip -- Some writers like to split up their scripts into sections or acts and create new files for these pieces of the script. Since Final Draft paginates automatically, if you break up, for example, your miniseries into three files corresponding to the three nights it's going to be aired, the page numbers will start at 1 in each of the three files. But you don't want that, you want the Night 2 file to start at Page 60. To change the starting page number of a script, go to Document/Header and Footer/Options and put the page number you need in the First Page box.

For more information about the benefits of registration or to complete the online form:
Visit: www.finaldraft.com/support/product-registration.php

For more information on Final Draft's 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:
Visit: www.finaldraft.com/help

Final Draft version 6 users:
The most recent update is 6.0.6.0

To find out if your version 6 is up to date, go to Help > Technical Support. If you do not have the most recent update, you should download and then install the free update from our website:
Visit: www.finaldraft.com/support/updates-downloads/final-draft-6.php

Please note that you must have version 6 already installed on your hard drive to install the 6.0.6.0 update. The 6.0.6.0 update will not update any version other than 6.

Registered owners of version 6 can upgrade to version 7 for $89:
Visit: www.finaldraft.com/purchase/upgrade-fd.php

Final Draft AV version 2.5 users:
The most recent update is 2.5.2

To find out if your version 2.5 is up to date, go to Help > Program Updates. If your Final Draft needs to be updated, you will automatically be forwarded to the downloads section of our website. If you have are not online, open the program and go to the Help > Customer Support menu option and make sure it shows the most recent update. To go to the Updates & Downloads section of our website:
Visit: www.finaldraft.com/support/updates-downloads/final-draft-av25.php

Final Draft AV includes the revolutionary new Rearrange Guide Line as well as expanded importing and exporting capabilities. For more information, visit the product information page on our website:
Visit: www.finaldraft.com/products/final-draft-av

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 over 800 sales and technical questions. If you still can't find the information you need, click the

Escalate to Chat or Send an Email button on any answer page.

If you want your name to be removed from the Final Draft mailing list:
Visit: www.finaldraft.com/company/newsletter-unsubscribe.php and follow the directions there.

8. Writers' Resources

The following is a compilation of events that may be of benefit to you, the writer. They are listed here for your convenience but are not specifically endorsed by Final Draft, Inc.

Robert McKee Comes to NY, London, Toronto and Las Vegas!  

Author of the bestselling book "Story", McKee is one of the most widely known and respected screenwriting teachers in the world. Portrayed in the Oscar®-nominated hit ADAPTATION and profiled by "60 Minutes" correspondent Bob Simon on CBS News' "Sunday Morning Academy Awards® Special," McKee's sold-out Story Seminars teach the essential principles of screenwriting and story design that studios, production companies and publishers demand from their writers.
 
From LA to NY to London, Sydney, Singapore, Tel Aviv, Boston, Oslo, Rome and 12 other film capitals around the world, more than 45,000 students have taken the course over the last 15 years.
 
"Insightful...Concise..." - Akiva Goldsman

"The clarity of McKee's words and the truth of his approach to storytelling was a revelation for Peter Jackson. He realized that the key to breaking out...would lie in his ability to tell a well constructed story...based on the principles [he] learned from McKee's lectures." - THE NEW ZEALAND EDGE (Bio on Peter Jackson)
 
Upcoming Seminars:
N.Y. - October 20-22
London - November 10-12
Toronto - November 17-19

Vegas - December 1-3
 
For Information and details, please contact:
Visit: www.McKeeStory.com
Phone: 888-676-2533

See Your Script Come To Life

Sit back in your director's chair and watch as your script comes to life with FrameForge 3D Studio. Unlike the convoluted storyboarding software of the past, FrameForge makes it effortless to plan and present your project like never before.

With FrameForge, you can import a complete script from either Final Draft or
Final Draft AV and start storyboarding right away. You'll also save time and money with optically correct storyboards that display shots just as they would be seen through the camera! Best of all, FrameForge 3D Studio allows you to easily share your work with the people that can turn your cinematic vision into reality.

SRP $399 - Sale Price $349 - Save $50 when you enter or mention promo code FDNEWS during checkout.

Available at The Writers Store
Visit: www.writersstore.com/?e=1033
Phone: 800-272-8927 or 310-441-5151

In-Depth Interviews with Hollywood's Hottest Screenwriters!

6 NEW TITLES AVAILABLE ON DVD OCTOBER 19th!

Lowel Ganz & Babaloo Mandel (Parenthood)
John Hamburg (Meet the Parents)
Nick Kazan (Reversal of Fortune)
Callie Khouri (Thelma & Louise)
Jose Rivera (The Motorcycle Diaries)
Scott Rosenberg (Beautiful Girls)

In these 80 minute interviews hosted by industry veteran Mike De Luca, writers share their work habits, methods and inspirations, secrets of the trade, business advice and stories from life in the trenches of Hollywood.

SAVE 10% BY USING CODE FDE123106. Offer expires 12/31/06.

To buy these and other titles on DVD, watch clips, read Jim Uhls’ writers' blog and post in our message board:

Visit: www.thedialogueseries.com

SEE YOU AT THE SCREENWRITING EXPO OCTOBER 20-22ND

51 Tips For Winning Screenplay Contests

Want to know what contest winners do to win?

ScriptForSale.com interviewed contest winners, readers, and contest
directors from Nicholl, Austin, Final Draft and others.

The players gave us 51 must-know tips that will increase your
chance of winning a contest.


The 51 Tips include:

- The Basics That You Must Not Blow
- 7 Winning Story Tips
- 5 Ways to Create Unforgettable Characters
- 6 Tips on Writing Outstanding Dialogue
- 5 Steps to Building Entertaining Scenes
- 7 Methods for Turning a Win into a Career
   And others...

It's your FREE gift from Final Draft and ScriptForSale.com.
Visit: www.scriptforsale.com/listmail/link.php?id=82dbb1efd

10% Discount on Final Draft Software Training from The Digital Media Training Series™ (DMTS™)

Magnet Media, publishers of the award-wining DMTS™ -- Digital Media Training Series --
self-paced training DVDs is now shipping its Inside Final Draft 7 training DVD. This expert instruction provides insider tips, tricks and techniques to get you working quickly and confidently.

Use promotional code FD10 to get 10% off your entire order.

Visit: www.digitalmediatraining.com/products/finaldraft7