Scriptwriting & Screenwriting

Script Writing and Screenwriting AI Tools

First, let's review the differences between Scriptwriting and Screenwriting.

An AI Scriptwriter is used to write a story that can be viewed either 'on a screen' or 'as a live performance.' Scriptwriting tools can help you write the dialogue and action descriptions from the novel for formats such as film, television shows, radio, stage plays, video games, or other productions.

An AI Screenwriter software, on the other hand, helps craft the storyline, characters, dialogue, and structure for a full-length movie that is shown on a SCREEN, such as television or a movie screen in a theatre. The end result is a lengthy 'screenplay' document that tells the narrative of the film which is then used by the rest of the movie production team to create the film.

The 'screenplay' of course includes detailed descriptions of scenes, character actions, dialogues, and, when required, technical directions for shots and transitions.

Now that you know the distinction between 'Scriptwriting' and 'Screenwriting', we’ll present what tools are out there in the Generative Artificial Intelligence technology innovations.

We'll break down the tools in these three categories:

(a) AI Tools Suitable for Scriptwriting,

(b) AI Tools Suitable for Screenwriting, and

(c) AI Tools Suitable for Both Scriptwriting and Screenwriting.

With that introduction, let's move forward and go over a selection of tools with their brief description, key features, and their pros and cons.

Note that we don’t rate the tools so the order in which they appear is random and not in the order of bias or preference. We just merely state their strong features, capabilities, and compatibility for a specific use and purpose.

(a) AI Tools Suitable for ‘Scriptwriting’ First.

Jasper.

Jasper is a fairly popular AI text content generation tool adaptable for various writing needs which include scriptwriting. Its key features are its versatile content generation capabilities, its customizable templates, and multiple language support.

Jasper is highly user-friendly, and it is fairly efficient for generating new ideas and improving upon existing ideas.

A few shortcomings of Jasper are that it may require significant editing, and the subscription can be costly.

Writesonic.

This is an AI-powered writing tool for a range of content types adaptable for scriptwriting.

Beyond scriptwriting, Writesonic is also great for AI article and blog writing, and marketing copy generation.

Writesonic is easy to use, supports various content types, and is good for initial drafts. However, it often needs manual editing.

ContentBot.

Then we have ContentBot.

This is an AI tool focused on producing written content for different formats, with strong leanings towards Scripts.

With its AI-powered content templates, versatility, and a simple ‘User Interface,’ it is a good tool to have in a Scriptwriter’s toolkit.

One shortcoming noted in ContentBot is its inconsistent output quality. But that can be overcome with a bit of tweaking.

TextCortex.

This is an AI writing assistant aimed at automating scriptwriting.

Its key features are ‘rewriting scripts using AI’ and of course, it can do other stuff as well like blog posts and email compositions.

User-friendliness and speeding-up of content creation are also among some strong points of TextCortex.

Its main weakness reported is that it sometimes produces ‘generic content’. Not always, but sometimes – whatever that means.

AIScreenwriter.

AIScreenwriter is another tool assisted by Artificial Intelligence for the writing process. It is designed for scriptwriting across various media.

As its name emphasizes, ‘Script generation for screens’ is its main focus, and format adherence and dialogue assistance are its strengths. Positive general feedback from users and evaluators mentions script ideation and formatting as additional strong points.

AIScreenwriter is limited to scriptwriting, which does require manual editing, but which tool does not.

Squibler

Next, we’ve selected ‘Squibler’ as a writing tool for Scriptwriting. This is because it combines ‘note-taking’ and ‘manuscript writing,’ which makes it adaptable for scriptwriting.

Squibler is great at Note organization and outline building, both good for organizing ideas. Users also use it for writing prompts for Generative AI.

Squibler's outlining tools allow aspiring screenwriters and novelists to write compelling stories quickly and easily."

(b) “AI Tools Suitable for Screenwriting”.

Remember, AI Screenwriter tools help craft the storyline, characters, dialogue, and structure for a full-length movie that is shown on a TV SCREEN, or, in a MOVIE THEATRE.

AI Screenwriter tools then can produce a detailed and lengthy screenplay document that tells the narrative of the film.

FadeIn

FadeIn is a professional screenwriting software known for its clean interface and robust features, which include industry-standard formatting, collaboration tools, and editing capabilities.

FadeIn has some advanced capabilities such as automated scripting rules, auto-formatting of dialogue, character dictionaries with configurable syntaxes, and tab-completion capabilities - all designed to ensure each script you write is top-notch.

Other key features of FadeIn include a ‘breakdown of your scenes’ to easily visualize the story structure and timeline. It can create detailed budgets and reports for productions, and it can easily share scripts with anyone or multiple collaborators at once.

FadeIn is highly regarded as a professional tool and is regularly kept updated.

However, good things usually, not always, but usually, come at a price. In this case, it is the purchase cost and a steeper learning curve for FadeIn.

Highland2.

Next up is Highland2. This is a screenwriting tool focused on simplicity and writing efficiency. It has a distraction-free and user-friendly interface. It has automatic formatting with a good sense of ‘writing focus’. It also comes with many useful features such as:

· Automatic conversion of screenplays from PDF, FDX, and other formats.

· Creating notes, ideas, and suggestions within the script.

· Color coding dialogue for easy readability.

· Rearranging scenes quickly using a virtual outline.

Highland2 is great for both novelists and screenwriters, as it helps you format your writing to industry-standard.

One drawback of Highland2 is that it only works on a Mac. If you write on a PC, you are out of luck – unless they release a PC version.

The limited features of Highland2 compared to other tools is one reason it is commonly used as one of the tools in a screenwriter’s ‘toolkit’ as it highly complements other professional tools.

Movie Magic Screenwriter.

Then we have Movie Magic Screenwriter. This is yet another professional software used in the film industry for screenwriting.

Its key features are that it has an excellent user interface and navigation features and comes with templates that support industry-standard formats. In fact, the tool is widely used in the industry because it is very comprehensive and loaded with features. Some of these features include:

· Dedicated research, outlining, and script-editing capabilities are ideal for beginning and experienced writers.

· Automatic formatting of scripts for industry standards compatibility.

· Saving scripts in PDF and Final Draft formats.

· Powerful indexing capabilities that find any part of the script quickly.

· Collaboration with other writers in real-time; this streamlines, simplifies, and expedites complex and large-scale projects.

Basically, Movie Magic Screenwriter is one of the most versatile screenwriting software available today. One of its strong features is called ‘NaviDoc Technology’ that makes it easy for writers and filmmakers to navigate through the screenplay in different ways.

And you guessed it - Movie Magic Screenwriter can be expensive to use if your budget is limited.

‘Final Draft’ Software.

This is also an industry standard for screenwriting, used by professionals globally. Final Draft is one of the most popular and dominant screenwriting software programs in the industry, having helped create award-winning films and television shows for decades.

Screenwriters find it invaluable, but it's also great for other writers due to its extensive template library with resources for writing novels, TV plays, stageplays, and graphic novels.

Some of its key features are:

· Powerful collaboration tools and automatic file backup.

· Text-to-speech output capability to read back screenplays.

· Over 100 templates to help start screenwriting faster.

· Story mapping tool & character name generator to organize beats, (including character arcs & plot points).

· Track changes with ease, and visualize key milestones within the screenplay.

· Compatible with Windows, OSX & iOS.

Despite its wide acceptance, robust features, and continuous updates, it is not for everybody. It is one of the most expensive software with a steep learning curve. But it's worth it if you can tackle both.

Arc Studio Pro

This is a very state-of-the-art software with a focus on collaboration and ease of use. It has an intuitive user interface, real-time collaboration capabilities, and excellent storyboard features.

Arc Studio is one of the industry's newest screenwriting software programs and not very well known as yet.

Arc Studio has a feature called ‘Plot Board’, that makes script writing easier, as it gives an anchor template to begin writing the story while providing useful hints of plot points and events along the way.

Some other key features include:

· Help feature to eliminate distractions, allowing focus on the task at hand.

· Utilize cloud-based software with real-time capabilities similar to Google Docs.

· Organize and keep track of all story notes using an advanced plot board structure.

Arc Studio Pro is especially suited to beginners, as it has an ongoing free option that includes industry-standard screenplay formatting for two scripts.

Trelby.

Trelby is a free and open-source screenwriting program for writing screenplays easily. It has been developed by a vibrant community on GitHub and is licensed under GPL.

The software comes with powerful features such as;

· autocomplete suggestions of screenplay elements as you type,

· search for and replace words, phrases, or entire sections,

· industry-standard formatting options,

· revision tracking,

· scene numbers,

· character navigation,

· PDF generation, and,

· customizable templates.

It's available on Windows and Linux platforms and offers developers an opportunity to collaborate in the improvement of its platform.

Trelby is open-source and free, making it an excellent option for screenwriters on a budget or for people who enjoy programming. It has a simple, stripped-down user interface, which minimalists may like, but others may find a bit outdated.

Since Trelby lacks the sophisticated storyboarding capabilities of other premium software programs, being ‘open-source’ you can feel assured that the vibrant developers' community on GitHub will quickly catch on to that and provide it. This is the beauty of ‘Open Source’.

(c) AI Tools Suitable for Both Scriptwriting and Screenwriting.

Scrivener.

This is a powerful tool for long-form writing projects, adaptable for scriptwriting and screenwriting and is an excellent option for complex projects, as it is versatile with built-in templates for screenwriting, novel writing, and other formats.

Scrivener makes structuring and organizing the story simple, allowing you to move bits of text around easily as desired. You can add notes and comments to yourself, refer to research material quickly, and easily switch between scenes - making it effortless to rearrange as your script develops.

You can also preview finished works before printing or exporting them, ensuring they look exactly how you want. Some of its other features include:

· Visualize and organize projects using an outliner, corkboard, folders, collections, and more.

· Highlight revisions with different colors, add comments, and edit directly on the text.

· Has a research library that stores notes and related resources.

· Has templates and note-taking capability.

Despite strong features for visually organizing screenplays, Scrivener can be time-consuming to learn.

StudioBinder.

This is more than just a writing tool. It is an AI powered scriptwriting, scheduling, project management, and production management software. StudioBinder is a popular and fairly state-of-the-art screenwriting and film production tool trusted by companies worldwide.

The tool has a user-friendly interface with features such as storyboards for movie scene planning and customization options. Other features include:

· Creation of call sheets for film production.

· Script breakdowns with elements like props & wardrobe tagging.

· Shooting schedule planning with a drag-and-drop interface for multi-day film shoots.

StudioBinder is popular as an all-in-one solution for film productions since it is collaborative and integrates writing with planning. Again, as a professional tool, it may be expensive, and a bit complicated for individuals who simply want to try writing their first screenplay.

Celtx

Celtx is a comprehensive tool and facilitates the whole creative process; from Project Management, Scriptwriting, Screenwriting, Storyboarding, pre-production, shooting, and more.

The scriptwriting tools in Celtx are industry-standard, and the user interface is very friendly and even suited for brand new screenwriters. Celtx can write scripts, develop stories for film, TV, or games, and even plan a full production in an integrated manner.

One thing to keep in mind is that Celtx can be costly as its subscription may be overwhelming for many users.

So this concludes our breakdown of the tools in the three categories;

(a) AI Tools Suitable for Scriptwriting, (b) AI Tools Suitable for Screenwriting, and, (c) AI Tools Suitable for Both Scriptwriting and Screenwriting.