Shortly after Apple’s iPad unveiling back in January, screenwriter John August (The Nines, Corpse Bride, Big Fish) blogged his thoughts on the device and how people in Hollywood might use it. August noted that “if Pages and Numbers can run on the iPad, a credible screenwriting app should be possible.”
Four months later, Final Draft—considered by many to be the industry standard for screenwriting—has taken up this challenge.
Though the company first hinted at an iPad app in its January 28 company newsletter, active advertising for people interested in the application did not begin until early March. Final Draft put up a notification form on its Website, also offering users a chance to be a part of a focus group or beta test the application.
Blogger Taz Goldstein of Hand Held Hollywood had a chance to attend one of Final Draft’s focus groups in March, and wrote about it at length: “They asked some very pointed, and well thought-out questions… They had already done their homework.”
According to Goldstein, “almost everyone agreed that there needed to be seamless integration between the iPad and desktop versions of Final Draft.” Other ideas mentioned in the focus group involved wireless syncing, cloud storage, and “page view”—the ability to see a script as it would look printed.
There’s no official launch date set yet for the app, but look on the bright side— Final Draft is still seeking focus group participants and beta testers. If you have any ideas or qualms about an iPad version of the program, now might be the best time to make your voice heard.