Rating: 
Summary: Great formatter with poor font rendering.
Review: As a screenplay formatter Final Draft 7.0 works as well as its predecessors, but still has a rotten font rendering quality. I would have thought that this would the number one priority to attend to at this stage in Final Draft's development cycle.That gripe aside - and it's a really significant one - everything else works very smoothly. Because of this issue, I would recommend Screenwriter 2000, which does everything that Final Draft can do, and doesn't have any issue with its ability to render fonts cleanly. In addition, screenwriter 2000 has a more useful suite of associated products, notably: Dramatica 4 pro and Storyview 2. The tech backup is superior, too.
Rating: 
Summary: The King is Back
Review: As with most sophisticated software, the initial release of a new version has flaws. What separates good companies from bad is how quickly they fix the problems. Now that Final Draft has released a patch for Version 7, it shines. I wish Microsoft would fix their products this fast! I think the new Summary Cards are the bomb! They have given me a great way to develop projects, enabled me to make all kinds of notes and to view them along with my script. Simply fabulous.
Rating: 
Summary: The Casablanca of Screenwriting Software!
Review: Being an amateur screenwriter, I've written many shorts over the years, some for theater, some I've been able to direct on film. Of course nothing big, but it's more a hobby anyway. The thing with FINAL DRAFT is, if I ever want to take my work to the next level, the resources are here (although you do need talent, and luck). I used to be one of those vigilantes who wrote with the screenplay format using Microsoft Word. I was able to make stupid 5-page scripts, but anything longer than that my will always died down. When I tried Final Draft, I never went back. It gave me the confidence to actually finish a 90-pager (Oh God, this feels like an infomercial now). It's amazing how convenient the auto-format is, and it makes the work a lot more professional. If you want to sell your screenplay, it's absolutely essential that the format is in the perfect standard form. Unless you're an expert on the format, you'll need Final Draft to make things easier along the way. This isn't really taking into consideration all the other features it has, but it's all fascinating as far as organization, scene construction, and structure go. This review isn't really an opinion on how F.D. 7 is as compared to F.D. 6, it's for anyone who hasn't tried screenwriting software. For professionals and amateurs alike, this is like driving compared to walking uphill.
Rating:
Summary: A great tool - almost addictive
Review: First, I have never had problems with the kinds of bugs reported here. The patches make things only better, but when I read the kinds of fixes the patches address, I can say that I have not seen most, if any, of them.
Second, the fact that I'm pro-Final Draft 7 does not make me anti-Movie Magic Screenwriter. In fact, I've agonized about buying both programs, just to be covered. I have sampled the MMS demo, and what I don't like about it is that the interface is a far cry from the MS Word style that is claimed. Final Draft 7 mirrors the Windows XP interface, and when the you've set the font display to maximum resolution, it looks beautiful.
Third, Final Draft 7 makes the art of screenplay writing addictive (not that MMS doesn't). As you get yourself immersed in the process, you can find it hard to pull yourself away.
Fourth, Final Draft offers a special pricing policy for military customers (of course, I can use the MMS competitive upgrade policy and save even more). I contacted Write Brothers both by phone and e-mail about a military pricing policy, and received conflicting information. By e-mail, I was told that they have a military pricing policy. Why they don't publicize this on their web site is beyond me. When I called them, however, I was told that no such pricing policy exists, and that if I was looking to save money, I should try Amazon or other sites.
Personally, I love Final Draft. I'm looking for a reason to also add MMS to my software suite, but I haven't seen enough reasons (yet) to take the plunge.
Rating:
Summary: Stop thinking about it and start writing
Review: I am a short story writer that is now trying to write scripts. After reading a number of scripts, I was very concerned that I would have to go through all kinds of hoops to keep the formatting and pagination. In fact, I put off starting a script because I was so worried about it. My friends recommended Final Draft. As soon as I sat down and installed it, I realized I had nothing to worry about. I was able to start expressing my ideas quickly and easily. Now all I have to do is finish a script and sell it!
Rating:
Summary: Question for reviewers
Review: I am amazed at so many negative reviews of this "industry standard" software program. I've got a few script ideas in my head and was considering a purchase but hesitant now...
I'm curious... were the folks who found Final Draft 7 "buggy" using the Windows or Mac version?
Rating:
Summary: IT ROCKS!
Review: I bought the upgrade to Final Draft 7 and I was pretty disappointed. It
was full of bugs so I went back to FD6. Then I got an email from them
saying they had an update. Which I downloaded. Now FD7 is totally
better than FD6. They still have to fix a couple of things but the
cards and the panes are awesome, they really help me see my scenes and my story. I was PO'd at Final Draft for releasing such a buggy program but they
said they would fix it and they totally did. It's great now and the guy
said they're going to be add even more features. He wouldn't tell me
what ones but I'm looking forward to it. They screwed up and they knew
it but they took care of it and I'm very happy with Final Draft 7 again.
Great program (finally), great company. Good job, guys!
Rating:
Summary: Weird (on a PC anyway)
Review: I have a friend who uses the Mac version and swears by it. I purchased the PC version and it's certainly interesting. It behaves like no other text editor I've ever seen. Simple operations like cut and paste become strange exasperating games to see what text Final Draft will actually decide to let you cut and paste. I guess it's trying to keep script elements contiguous--but there are times when you just...want...to move...the damn...WORDS. Final Draft makes the mistake of assuming too much. Edit: I hereby redact the rest of my review. I still think the program could use some polish on a PC...but my previous ire was more from ignorance than the program itself. It ain't so bad.
Rating: 
Summary: Just add words?
Review: I have to work every day with FD 7 (Mac OSX) as the production company I write for asked me to do so. To cut it short: I have never ever seen a programme with so many bugs and crashes! Unfortunately recent updates have not changed anything. :-(
Rating:
Summary: Finished Another First Draft With Final Draft
Review: I have written or re-written over 30 scripts, both hits and flops, both TV and Feature, with Final Draft. Like most people who have made the mistake of buying Movie Magic Screenwriter, I switched when the program didn't work and they made me angry on the phone. I have never had a problem with my fonts, or tech support, or upgrading or updating. Ever. They even make their own font to make the switch from Mac to Win seamless and it is. The other programs are okay, but not as 'finished', maybe because just about every TV show and Film is made with Final Draft. It really is combat tested. I just bought another copy from amazon.com for my office and both companies are great!
| 
