Throughout the years I have answered many questions here about problems that people have had with their screenwriting programs and with other software issues (e.g., file conversions and PDF creation).
Many features of screenwriting programs are "bells and whistles" — advanced features that people do not use, either because these features are rarely needed or because people do not know about them.
I thought that I would write two or three articles about some bells and whistles that people may not know about. I will focus on Fade In, but I may refer to similar things in Final Draft at the end of an article.
- - - - - - - - - -
A PDF version of this article (with graphics) is available on my website. It provides some nice illustrations of the steps that I can only describe in words here on the board. The PDF version is strictly about Fade In. The PDF file is not indexed. You have to type in this address to get it:
http://www.rolandstroud.com/FadeIn/FadeInAltParags.pdf
- - - - - - - - - -
BELLS AND WHISTLES #1
Alternate Paragraphs
Those Problem Paragraphs; or
"I Just Can’t Get It Right"
We have all been in the position of not knowing exactly how to describe something or how to present some dialogue in the best manner. You know what you want to say, but you cannot express it with precision, or it sounds awkward.
For convenience, let’s call this kind of text a «problem paragraph», and let’s name it Paragraph A.
You tinker with the wording of A, and you come up with a different version, which is Paragraph B. You like some of B, but it is still not what you want. So maybe you create a Paragraph C. It is pretty good, but A and B also have some strong points.
What do you do? You decide that you ought to continue your work and come back to the problem after you have more of your script finished. This is a wise decision, because later developments can provide insight into how you ought to handle earlier text.
Can I Save My Golden Words?
You want to save the different versions of a problem paragraph and decide about them later, maybe after you have a better sense of where you are going. So the question is: How can I conveniently save these paragraph versions?
Through the years I have tried several approaches.
I have kept a second file, which I used as a clipboard for unused materials.
I have performed a cut-and-paste operation to move paragraphs into storage at the end of the current document.
I have even left several versions in place in the current document, with the various paragraphs in brackets or commented out with C-style /*comment*/ codes.
But none of these methods was entirely satisfactory. The presence of all that repetitive text on the page is really messy and distracting.
'Fade In' to the Rescue!
Fortunately, Fade In provides an excellent feature that lets you save your paragraph versions in a way that is not at all cumbersome. You create "alternate paragraphs" as you work.
As always, an example explains best. I will keep the directions very simple, and I will only give two versions. In this case, the paragraph is dialogue, but you can have versions of any paragraph element, not just dialogue, and you can create more than two versions.
Let’s suppose that I have a speech by MRS. SCALIA. Here is the original.
I decide that this speech is too wordy. Also, I want to identify "him" as DR. OSWIN for greater clarity. And I want to delete the reference to who owns Dr. Oswin’s clinic, because later the heroine is going to see a sign at the clinic that identifies the corporate owner. In the context of everything happening, that sign raises a sense of mystery and threat. The story dynamics are better with no prior reference to clinic ownership. To create my alternate paragraph, I take the following steps.
So I make my changes to the original paragraph and end up with the following for my alternate 2. The deleted text is gone, but the revised text is in blue.
This new version of the dialogue is my alternate 2. It is available for me to select if I want to use that version in my screenplay.
Adding, Deleting, Managing Alternates
Cycle Through the Alternates. Whether I have two, three, or four alternates, I need to be able to display each of them individually. The first step in managing the alternates is to place the cursor over the tiny circle containing a number. When I do so, the circle changes into several symbols: left and right arrows, and plus «+» and minus «-» signs.
To cycle through the alternates, I use the arrows.
Add an alternate. If I want to add a third alternate (I have not typed it out yet), I click the plus «+». The paragraph is automatically selected again, and I can edit the paragraph as my alternate number 3. I do not have to save it.
Delete an alternate. If I want to delete an alternate, I cycle to it to display it. Then I click the minus «-».
Display all the alternates. If I want to see all the alternates (which can be really helpful when more than two are available), I right-click on the paragraph to pop up a menu. I choose Alternates > Show All Alts for Element.
Doing this displays all the paragraph versions in one paragraph, with two forward slashes // between them. I have color-highlighted the two alternates of the paragraph, though Fade In does not do this.
You can edit any of the versions right in place here. Changes are automatically saved.
If I want to hide the alternates again (with only one of them still displaying), I right-click the paragraph, then select Alternates > Separate Alts.
If I have made any changes to any of the versions, those changes are retained.
You should try playing around with this great feature in Fade In. You will quickly figure it out, and you will realize how powerful and helpful it is.
* * * * *
For Die-Hard Final Draft Users
Yes, I will mention a similar feature in Final Draft, because I know that some of you will be clutching your laptop with Final Draft on it when Jesus returns for the Rapture. You should know, however, that I have it on good authority that Jesus, who dabbles a bit with screenwriting, switched to Fade In a couple of years ago. And rumor has it that he is revising a screenplay about the disciples, titled "The Magnificent Eleven", after it only received a 6 on the Black List and was judged to "lack authenticity". He is currently seeking representation.
Final Draft allows the writer to create dialogue alternates. But, strangely, it does not allow alternates for any other paragraph type. This is really curious, since you would expect that a writer might want some alternates for action.
Anyway, here is what you do in Final Draft 10.
(Follow me on Twitter: @RolandRayStroud)
(* Tags: stroud screenwriting software bells whistles fade_in fadein alternates versions *)
Many features of screenwriting programs are "bells and whistles" — advanced features that people do not use, either because these features are rarely needed or because people do not know about them.
I thought that I would write two or three articles about some bells and whistles that people may not know about. I will focus on Fade In, but I may refer to similar things in Final Draft at the end of an article.
- - - - - - - - - -
A PDF version of this article (with graphics) is available on my website. It provides some nice illustrations of the steps that I can only describe in words here on the board. The PDF version is strictly about Fade In. The PDF file is not indexed. You have to type in this address to get it:
http://www.rolandstroud.com/FadeIn/FadeInAltParags.pdf
- - - - - - - - - -
BELLS AND WHISTLES #1
Alternate Paragraphs
Those Problem Paragraphs; or
"I Just Can’t Get It Right"
We have all been in the position of not knowing exactly how to describe something or how to present some dialogue in the best manner. You know what you want to say, but you cannot express it with precision, or it sounds awkward.
For convenience, let’s call this kind of text a «problem paragraph», and let’s name it Paragraph A.
You tinker with the wording of A, and you come up with a different version, which is Paragraph B. You like some of B, but it is still not what you want. So maybe you create a Paragraph C. It is pretty good, but A and B also have some strong points.
What do you do? You decide that you ought to continue your work and come back to the problem after you have more of your script finished. This is a wise decision, because later developments can provide insight into how you ought to handle earlier text.
Can I Save My Golden Words?
You want to save the different versions of a problem paragraph and decide about them later, maybe after you have a better sense of where you are going. So the question is: How can I conveniently save these paragraph versions?
Through the years I have tried several approaches.
I have kept a second file, which I used as a clipboard for unused materials.
I have performed a cut-and-paste operation to move paragraphs into storage at the end of the current document.
I have even left several versions in place in the current document, with the various paragraphs in brackets or commented out with C-style /*comment*/ codes.
But none of these methods was entirely satisfactory. The presence of all that repetitive text on the page is really messy and distracting.
'Fade In' to the Rescue!
Fortunately, Fade In provides an excellent feature that lets you save your paragraph versions in a way that is not at all cumbersome. You create "alternate paragraphs" as you work.
As always, an example explains best. I will keep the directions very simple, and I will only give two versions. In this case, the paragraph is dialogue, but you can have versions of any paragraph element, not just dialogue, and you can create more than two versions.
Let’s suppose that I have a speech by MRS. SCALIA. Here is the original.
Code:
MRS. SCALIA Don’t worry about that, dear. I’ve known him my whole life. By the way, we own the property where he has his clinic. You just let me arrange things for you. I’ll bet I can get you in to see him tomorrow afternoon.
- I right-click the dialogue.
- I see a pop-up menu that has an item Add > Alt. I choose Alt.
- The paragraph is automatically selected. It is ready for editing. I am going to use a greenish-gray color for the font to show selection.
Code:
MRS. SCALIA [COLOR=DarkSlateGray]Don’t worry about that, dear. I’ve ② known him my whole life. By the way, we own the property where he has his clinic. You just let me arrange things for you. I’ll bet I can get you in to see him tomorrow afternoon.[/COLOR]
- A small gray circle with a number in it appears out to the right of the paragraph. That number corresponds to the number of paragraph versions available. The numbering scheme starts with 2, because I am about to create version 2 from the original version.
- I edit the paragraph. I do not have to worry with saving anything. Any edits that I make are part of alternate 2.
Code:
MRS. SCALIA Don’t worry about that, dear. I’ve known [COLOR=Blue]him[/COLOR] my whole life. [COLOR=Red]By the way, we own the property where he has his clinic.[/COLOR] You just let me arrange things for you. I’ll bet I can get you in to see him tomorrow afternoon.
Code:
MRS. SCALIA Don’t worry about that, dear. I’ve known [COLOR=Blue]Dr. Oswin[/COLOR] my whole life. You just let me arrange things for you. [COLOR=Blue] I’ll bet I can get you an appointment with him tomorrow afternoon.[/COLOR]
Adding, Deleting, Managing Alternates
Cycle Through the Alternates. Whether I have two, three, or four alternates, I need to be able to display each of them individually. The first step in managing the alternates is to place the cursor over the tiny circle containing a number. When I do so, the circle changes into several symbols: left and right arrows, and plus «+» and minus «-» signs.
To cycle through the alternates, I use the arrows.
Add an alternate. If I want to add a third alternate (I have not typed it out yet), I click the plus «+». The paragraph is automatically selected again, and I can edit the paragraph as my alternate number 3. I do not have to save it.
Delete an alternate. If I want to delete an alternate, I cycle to it to display it. Then I click the minus «-».
Display all the alternates. If I want to see all the alternates (which can be really helpful when more than two are available), I right-click on the paragraph to pop up a menu. I choose Alternates > Show All Alts for Element.
Doing this displays all the paragraph versions in one paragraph, with two forward slashes // between them. I have color-highlighted the two alternates of the paragraph, though Fade In does not do this.
Code:
MRS. SCALIA [COLOR=Purple]Don’t worry about that, dear. I’ve known him my whole life. By the way, we own the property where he has his clinic. You just let me arrange things for you. I’ll bet I can get you in to see him tomorrow afternoon.[/COLOR] // [COLOR=DarkGreen]Don’t worry about that, dear. I’ve known Dr. Oswin my whole life. You just let me arrange things for you. I’ll bet I can get you an appointment with him tomorrow afternoon.[/COLOR]
If I want to hide the alternates again (with only one of them still displaying), I right-click the paragraph, then select Alternates > Separate Alts.
If I have made any changes to any of the versions, those changes are retained.
You should try playing around with this great feature in Fade In. You will quickly figure it out, and you will realize how powerful and helpful it is.
* * * * *
For Die-Hard Final Draft Users
Yes, I will mention a similar feature in Final Draft, because I know that some of you will be clutching your laptop with Final Draft on it when Jesus returns for the Rapture. You should know, however, that I have it on good authority that Jesus, who dabbles a bit with screenwriting, switched to Fade In a couple of years ago. And rumor has it that he is revising a screenplay about the disciples, titled "The Magnificent Eleven", after it only received a 6 on the Black List and was judged to "lack authenticity". He is currently seeking representation.
Final Draft allows the writer to create dialogue alternates. But, strangely, it does not allow alternates for any other paragraph type. This is really curious, since you would expect that a writer might want some alternates for action.
Anyway, here is what you do in Final Draft 10.
- View > Show Alts.
- When you click within a dialogue paragraph, a «+» appears out to the right.
- Click the «+» to create an alternate. The current dialogue disappears. It is still there, but the space goes blank for you to type your new version.
- Type your new dialogue.
- Out to the left there is a set of arrows (left, right) that you use to navigate from one version to the next or to the previous.
- A «+» and a «minus» appear at the right. These are for adding a version or deleting the currently displayed version.
(Follow me on Twitter: @RolandRayStroud)
(* Tags: stroud screenwriting software bells whistles fade_in fadein alternates versions *)
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