Margin Fixing

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  • Margin Fixing

    For whatever reason, the director of a short film I wrote wants the margins in Final Draft extended. Seeing as how I have no idea how to do this, what's the easiest route? I fiddled with it earlier but couldn't find a way to make it stick through rewrites without having to manually change it. Can anyone help?

    Much appreciated, by the way!

  • #2
    Re: Margin Fixing

    Which margins? All of them?

    In any event...

    First, Save your document under a new name (in case things go bad, you'll have a backup).

    Click at the top of the window: Format | Elements

    A small window pops up. Click on the element's name that you want, click on the Paragraph tab, then set the margins (which will be for that element). Then if you want to set special margins for another element, click on its name, then set its margins. When you are done, click OK. Then Save the document. That will maintain the margins for those elements for that document.

    Caveat: When you do that, it should go back and change the margins for every related existing element (e.g., every Action paragraph) throughout your script. But sometimes it doesn't. If you find one that has not be changed to the new settings, simply put the cursor in that paragraph, then in the Standard toolbar, select that element's name (e.g., Action) and it should fix things.

    BTW, in FD 8, see page 53 of the manual.

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    • #3
      Re: Margin Fixing

      Probably the director was talking about the dialogue, not the other margins. But you need to know for sure what he wants.

      The default dialogue lines in Final Draft are shorter than what I like. Long words falling at the end of a line will trigger a line wrap, and the line can end up really short.

      I cannot imagine why he would want to change the other margins to make them greater (though some TV shows use a left page margin of 1.25" instead of 1.5", according to the templates that come with Final Draft).

      You need to make a template to use in the future, so that you do not have to make the changes after you start a project. To do that, save a file with the new settings (you can delete all the text in it), and give it the file extension *.fdt or *.fdxt, depending on the version of Final Draft that you are using. Name the template something distinctive that relates to the special settings, so you will know which template to choose.

      Of course, do this on a COPY of file with the new settings, so that you do not lose your original file. Then, when you want to start a new script with those special settings, just select that template when you start the new script. When you open that template, Final Draft will create a new file for you with the settings that are in the template. The template itself is not affected.

      "The fact that you have seen professionals write poorly is no reason for you to imitate them." - ComicBent.

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      • #4
        Re: Margin Fixing

        Just wondering Comic, in regular FD format with normal settings, how far across/how many characters exist without the wrap in dialogue lines? I've read/downloaded so many articles/blogs etc on dialogue length, always wondered how FD treated it...

        By the way, still laughing about the recent remark of your doing NY Times crossword puzzles in ink...
        " Don't really like writing. But I do like having written." Vince Gilligan, Breaking Bad.

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        • #5
          Re: Margin Fixing

          By the way, still laughing about the recent remark of your doing NY Times crossword puzzles in ink...
          Yeah, that was a pretty funny remark! (Even though I don't like crossword puzzles and never do them.)

          Just wondering Comic, in regular FD format with normal settings, how far across/how many characters exist without the wrap in dialogue lines? I've read/downloaded so many articles/blogs etc on dialogue length, always wondered how FD treated it...
          The Final Draft default for Dialogue is a line that can extend for 35 spaces (3.5"). Most people just leave the default the way it is.

          I like a slightly longer line, so I change the setting by giving it three more spaces (to bring the line to 38). This is enough to keep some lines from breaking really short. I do not have FadeIn Pro, but according to something that Centos posted in another thread, it uses a default Dialogue line of 37 spaces (3.7"). The effect of these changes on script length is small. I have run tests on this in the past, but I do not remember the specifics. Script length is affected much more by your writing style and your use of short or long paragraphs.

          I also move the Character setting from 3.5" to 3.8". In the default setting of 3.5" the name is too far to the left. People like me, who have experience or interest in page layout, notice things like this instantly.

          "The fact that you have seen professionals write poorly is no reason for you to imitate them." - ComicBent.

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          • #6
            Re: Margin Fixing

            Thank you for your reply, Comic. I've often noticed variations, even on character. Guess, it's why I was wondering. Again, thanks!
            " Don't really like writing. But I do like having written." Vince Gilligan, Breaking Bad.

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