Adobe Story

[uncle_al]

I haven't had that much of an opportunity to play with it yet... what with finals coming up, and all.

I think that the integration of Story into the CS Production Premium package is useful, but I would also recommend making it a standalone item, much like Mindstar Productions does with Cinergy's script writing program, in addition to its also being part of the production software.
I use Photoshop, After Effects, and Premiere Pro currently, as well as tinkering around with the other modules in the CS package.  Seeing a screenwriting package integrated into the CS environment would be good, but what would be equally as useful to me would be a breakdown, scheduling, and budgeting application something like a combination of MM Scheduling, MM Budgeting, and Final Draft's Tagger.

My opinions... worth what you paid for them.
Cheers!

Al B.

[ScriptNurse]

I'm playing around with it. It's pretty easy to use. I haven't tried printing yet, so we'll see how it goes.

I wonder if it can be used as a group writing tool ... a collaborative script. We've always wanted to do that here so we could learn from each other, but we never had a way to make it happen, except for Celtx, but it's entirely public and we wanted to restrict it to just our little group.

[rnbrewer]

I think Story sounds like it has all the bases covered. A spellcheck is one feature I wouldn't skimp on since GOOD spellcheckers are hard to come by. One thing I've always liked about Final Draft is its extensive Reports capabilities and how easy it is to use them. They come in quite handy at times one wouldn't think.

Hmmm... what else would I like to see in a screenwriting program? It has to have a fair price tag. I don't mind paying for things, but often times these sorts of programs tend to be spendy. There are a handful of good, free programs out there and if it wasn't for the fact that I'm already invested in Final Draft I wouldn't think twice about downloading one of the free programs. I'm not trying to suggest that Adobe Story be free, just consider that there are free programs out there to compete with and that they are relatively good programs.

The interface needs to be as user friendly as possible. As a writer I don't want to feel like I need a special course just to learn the program. I simply don't have time to worry about those sort of elements when my brain is trying to focus on the words necessary to tell my stroy. Writing should always be the #1 focus of any good screenwriting program. Load it with handy features but keep it simple and easy to use. Adobe Story is on the right track, that's for sure. Keep it up.

[anubhav]

Thanks for discussing Adobe Story. Adobe Story is in beta right now and is available for free.

Story is a critical part of the Production Premium suite, especially if you are interested in getting from script to screen faster. We are planning to sell it as a standalone product  if you just want to use Story and not the rest of the suite.

I'm curious to know what do you think we need to do to make Story a compelling script writing tool for you?

--Anubhav
Anubhav Rohatgi
Product Manager, Adobe Story.

[rnbrewer]

I watched the video and tried out the program. To be honest, I'm not sure the world really NEEDS another screenwriting program, but in all fairness, Adobe Story works quite well. From what I've experienced thus far, it loads fast, does an excellent job of importing my scripts from Final Draft, and is intuitive. It seems a bit over complicated though. The online and offline modes are perfect for collaborative writing, but unless you intend on being deeply involved with the production of a script on a filmmaking level I can't see any reason one would need some of the other features.

The outline on the left hand side of the screen is essentially the same as FD's Scene Navigator feature. The only major difference being that you can view the entire scene in the outline box without leaving your current place in the document. This would be handy in Navigator, but it feels more like basic bells and whistles than a truly innovative writing tool. I haven't had a chance to work with it that much, so my words could be a bit preemptive.

I think the best feature thus far is the online mode. It makes it very easy to share your scripts with others and the ability to determine what kind of "rights" the viewer has is helpful, but not always necessary. The only other drawback here is that they plan on releasing it as an additional program feature of Adobe Production Premeium. This is a VERY expensive program and most writers who aren't interested in making their own movies would no doubt have no use for a $1400 program. Then again, not everything is known about the program or its availability at this time, so it's too early to tell for sure.

[George Washington]

There is a new screenwriting software called Adobe Story. It's a collaborative script development tool that can be downloaded for free using this link: http://labs.adobe.com/technologies/story

Adobe Story is designed to be part of the planning and pre-production phase of the video workflow and will be integrated with other Adobe products, including future versions of the Creative Suite family.

Has anyone used it already and what do you think of this new solution? Should Final Draft and MM Screenwriter take this seriously?