Intuitive scriptwriting: Final Draft AV. (Test Patterns).

Summary: Dual-column scriptwriting program that automatically aligns video and audio elements

Target Users: Scriptwriters

Platform: Windows 95/98/2000/NT/ME; Mac OS 8.6 or later

If you script your own video productions, you probably use a standard word processor and adapt your scripts to fit onto a single-column page. It may not be the best way to get the job done, but it's often the most convenient--if for no other reason than you already have a word processor.

There is a better way. Final Draft, the company that developed the popular screenwriting program of the same name, has created a spin-off--a dual-column scripting program designed especially for AV producers. Targeted at advertising, training films, corporate videos, corporate presentations, and documentaries, Final Draft AV ($249) supports several kinds of script templates, yet it's flexible enough to adjust to a producer's individual needs.

If you want a lesson in frustration, try writing a multi-column script with a standard word processor. The easy part is creating a page with separate video and audio columns; the hard part is figuring out how to align the video and audio elements. With Final Draft AV, you can add text to a video description, and the matching audio elements will automatically line up. You don't have to retype, rearrange or manually repaginate just to make a change.

Lay of the Land