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Need new software

J

Jijenji

Problem:
My computer recently died (10 years old!).

Solution:
I'm buying a new one ... but I need a new screenwriting program :(

I've always used the free Sophocles Beta version circa 2008, it worked terrific. I have a copy on flashdrive, but as far as I know you can't install it onto new computers ever since Sophocles shut down. Bummer. So now I have to get a new program but don't want to spend hundreds of dollars, like on FD.

Unless they have cheaper versions? Or what other options are there?

Suggestions? thanks in advance
 
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Jijenji said:
I've always used the free Sophocles Beta version circa 2008, it worked terrific. I have a copy on flashdrive, but as far as I know you can't install it onto new computers ever since Sophocles shut down. Bummer. So now I have to get a new program but don't want to spend hundreds of dollars, like on FD.
Click to expand...

Out of curiosity, why not? If you still have the installer files, what would stop you from installing it onto a new computer? Obviously it wouldn't be a modern 64 bit program, but I run old software all the time.
 
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Am I wrong?...it looks like Celtx is hosted on a server over the internet, as opposed to software based on your PC/Mac.

If that's the case, I would be bothered storing my work elsewhere besides my computer.
 
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Jijenji said:
Am I wrong?...it looks like Celtx is hosted on a server over the internet, as opposed to software based on your PC/Mac.

If that's the case, I would be bothered storing my work elsewhere besides my computer.
Click to expand...

They offer both local (on your computer) and cloud-based storage. You don't have to store your stuff in the cloud if you don't want to, though it is nice to have a backup like that (and they have phone apps so you can access your stuff on the go).

I LOVE Celtx, but then again I've never used any other dedicated screenwriting programs.
 
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JoshL said:
Out of curiosity, why not? If you still have the installer files, what would stop you from installing it onto a new computer?
Click to expand...

Sorry Josh, I missed your reply earlier.

I installed Sophocles on my computer in Feb. 2008, right before they abandoned everything that Spring. At the same time, I copied the installer onto flash drive thinking that would allow me to still write when away from home, like on vacation or at school computers, etc.

What happened was when I tried to install Sophocles on other computers (after the program was abandoned) I guess you could no longer get the right registry key or something (I'm not all that tech smart). In short, the program wasn't "activated". With the activated version on my computer, Sophocles Beta worked fantastic. With the non-activated installs on other computers, the formatting was buggy, and the program would not allow you to print or convert files to other formats.

It's really a shame they abandoned this product, it was really good and I'd still like to use it. I've been poking around on the web and there seem to be a few people who think they know work-arounds to the activation problems. Perhaps I can get in touch with them ... maybe some people here on IndieTalk know too.
 
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Ah, gotcha. I dislike that style of product authorization for exactly that reason...if the company goes under, the software becomes useless. It does look like there's are cracks for it that have been floating around for a couple years (I'm against pirating software, but with abandonware it's a bit of a grey area), and a lot of diehard fans of the software. Anyway, you should be able to get it up and running without too much trouble!
 
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What the hell happened to Celtx? It was just a simple page with a download button. Now you have to register, there's cloud storage, what if I don't want to register?

I hate change.
 
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that1guyy said:
What the hell happened to Celtx? It was just a simple page with a download button. Now you have to register, there's cloud storage, what if I don't want to register?

I hate change.
Click to expand...

Cloud storage is a good thing. You don't want your computer to die on you, like OP's did. Besides, signing up only takes like half a minute.
 
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There are older versions of CeltX floating around on the Internet. But honestly, unless you plan to use it for more than screenwriting, there are lots of other templates out there. When I'm doing a quick write-up, I use a simple Word form with tabs set at 1.25, 2.0 and 2.75 with margins at 1.5 (left) and 1.0 (right). Set your font for Courier 12. I found that CeltX tends to use Courier 11 which buys you a few more words and isn't noticeable. In terms of the format, just don't go past 5 when typing dialogue. Writers used typewriters to turn out classics. It certainly doesn't require sophisticated software today. And with the Adobe add-in, you can save from Word to PDF. And the beauty is that I can take my Word document with me and work on it pretty much anywhere.

If you want to make the step up, OpenOffice (a freeware alternative to Microsoft Office) has a fully rigged screenwriting template for its Word equivalent. So when you get your computer if you don't want to buy Microsoft Office, you can download OpenOffice for free and have an equivalent set-up (wordprocessing, powerpoint-equivalent, spreadsheet, etc.). It also can generate PDF. (http://openoffice.org)

There are a variety of templates out there from the British Writer's group too. However, I like to keep it simple. And while as a filmmaker the reports function on CeltX is great, as a writer it sometimes frustrates me with the awkward key combinations to get a specific formatting beyond what it expects. Even as simple as: Character-parenthetical-dialogue-parenthetical-dialogue. It can be done but not as simply as using my tab key as I'd hope.

You need to find what works for you. I keep a blank script Word template on my flash drive. I can use it pretty much anywhere in a pinch. And I can cut-n-paste other scripts from PDF and Googledocs into it as straight text. With a little clean up, I'm good to go when reviewing or editing scripts. Save it as text and usually you can open it up in CeltX (or another program) without too much clean up. You should be able to find the older CeltX setup file (non-cloud based).
 
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I had the same reaction about Celtx (that is was updated, registration required, etc) but I have yet to download the upgrade so I'm still using version 2.7, which may not be that old, but it does the trick.

When I (eventually) land that big writing gig (right!) or otherwise I think I will consider going with Final Draft, which I actually have on my ancient Mac PowerBook 180 (!)

But Celtx has been good to me. Exporting the script as a PDF is all I need at this point.

Good luck!
 
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I downloaded the latest version of Celtx without hooking it up to the cloud, opened all of my old local files perfectly and works like a champ. Love it!

I think the "Cloud" is a horrible idea from a data security point of view, but I spent 10 years having to be completely paranoid about who is hosting the data I worked with (legitimately black helicopter and tin foil hats paranoid -- I protected personal data without a single break-in on my watch). I don't trust any data that isn't on a machine that I can physically touch and shut off / disconnect in case of a breach.
 
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Thanks for the feedback, everyone. I just ordered my new PC,
when I get it I will try to get my Sophocles Beta program running again,
if not I will give CeltX a try.

Knightly, I'm like you, I don't think I'd be comfortable storing my work on a cloud.
For me it would both be a security issue and an access issue (what if your internet goes down? etc).
 
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