SCRIPPED - SO EASY AN 8 YEAR OLD CAN USE IT

By Jim Cirile

Back in May, we filled you in on Scripped.com, the revolutionary new FREE online screenwriting software. We did a little test run with the software and gave it thumbs up (if you missed it, it’s up on our blog HERE.) So if you’re still using MS Word to write screenplays, brother, do yourself and the world a favor and give Scripped.com a whirl.

So here’s an interesting bit of putting-your-money-where-your-mouth is. Long-time CI blog and newsletter readers know my 8 year old daughter is a very creative, imaginative type. I’ve written previously about my efforts to keep her from gravitating towards screenwriting and moviemaking, only because overprotective dad doesn’t want to see his little punkin go through years of punishing rejection and frustration (like all the rest of us.) But of course, this was a futile undertaking. As early as 7 years old, she was helping flag typos on scripts (comma before *and* after all direct addresses, sweetie) and asking fairly advanced questions about things like story and conflict. Just today she asked me if I knew that the Captain in WALL-E was going to stand (you gotta see it.) And I said, “Yeah, because it was logical that would be his arc.” And she said, “I thought so, too.”

So it was no surprise when a few weeks ago she asked for my help inputting a handful of pages, handwritten in crude screenplay format, into the computer. ‘Twas her first script – an epic kids/fantasy/adventure called MYSTERY DRAGONS. My first thought was, okay, I can teach her Final Draft. But then I thought about it some more, and I decided, you know what? There’s too many things she could get stuck on with FD. Plus my copy is out of installs, which means she’d have to have a copy of the disk in every time she used it… or I’d have to pay again for another license. Nothing against FD, by the way, which I use myself and find to be very good software (but for a few minor annoyances.) But I wanted something SIMPLE. And then the lightbulb went off.

My daughter is now the youngest enrolled user of Scripped.com.

The great thing is, because Scripped is not quite as full-featured as FD, it actually makes it easier to use. Within 20 minutes I had explained what the Character, Parenthetical, Action, Dialogue, General and Transition tabs were, and VROOM, off she went. But for a few general issues with things like spelling, (Scripped actually has a full-function spell check, yay) where to skip spaces and capitalize words, and what goes in the parentheses, she was off and running with no hiccups.

One of the founders of Scripped told me they’ve been getting calls from Final Draft and Movie Magic. It appears those guys are worried. They should be.

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And thus I am proud to announce Coverage, Ink’s new association with Scripped.com. Coverage, Ink will be providing preferred screenplay analysis and consultation services to Scripped members through Coverage by Scripped, powered by Coverage, Ink. We think that Scripped is the wave of the future. And based on the thousands of registered users in countries around the world, a lot of other people feel the same way. Scripped is quickly becoming a force to be reckoned with.

So, all of you, you no longer have any excuse for poor formatting. You no longer need to be able to afford Final Draft or Movie Magic Screenwriter! Kick MS Word to the curb. Give Scripped a test spin and see what you think.