Final Draft’s Acquisition Boosts Firm’s Script Authority

In April of this year, Final Draft, Inc. and Script magazine hosted an event in Universal City featuring working professional scriptwriters dishing out advice about their craft. Final Draft chief executive Marc Madnick called the Scriptwriters Showcase the “date” before the marriage of his Calabasas-based company and Script’s parent Forum Publishing, headquartered in Maryland. The showcase convinced Madnick and his counterpart at Forum, Shelly Mellott, the two companies could do more together rather than continuing on their own putting out new product for their respective customer bases. “That was the icing on the cake,” Madnick said of the showcase, which is to be an annual event. Final Draft earlier this month acquired all the assets of Forum Publishing, including its flagship publication Script and other services for aspiring and professional scriptwriters. Details of the transaction were not released. Mellott, who continues in her role as editor in chief of Script and takes the additional title of vice president of events and publications, said the acquisition creates a one-stop shop for scriptwriting services, resources, information and feedback. “There’s no one else in the marketplace offering such comprehensive services,” Mellott said. The magazine’s editorial offices will remain in Maryland but changes in the appearance of the publication will be seen as early as January. A redesign means more pages, a gloss-coated cover, more full-page ads and high-end photography. New content features include columns from working writers and development executives, industry news and trends, and guides and tips for success in pitching, selling and management. Expanding its audience With a new owner, Script will be able to realize its full potential and reach a larger audience than it could have on its own, Mellott said, adding that Final Draft also brings to the table a larger marketing and advertising staff. The acquisition also makes Final Draft full owner of the Scriptwriters Showcase event and Take A Meeting, an event in which writers get a one-on-one meeting with industry decision makers. Final Draft also sponsors the annual Big Break scriptwriting contest, and offers ScriptXpert, a service critiquing scripts before they are put on the market. Madnick founded Final Draft in 1991 as he transitioned from production accountant to writer. He and a roommate who was a computer programmer devised the company’s flagship Final Draft software program to simplify required formatting rules. The software is now in its seventh version. Final Draft AV, another company product, assists in writing commercials, industrial films and video games. “I can’t imagine anybody in the business using Final Draft and not being happy with it,” said David Burr, a screenwriter from Burbank. “It’s a big time saver.” Formatting The software automatically formats a page into the industry accepted style, inserting scene numbers, capitalizing slug lines, indenting action and dialogue. “When you write a character’s name and hit enter, the program knows the next thing on the page will be dialogue, so it puts it in the proper format,” said Burr, co-writer of “The Road Home,” a feature film that screened in festivals before issuance on DVD. With the addition of the assets of Forum Publishing, the company becomes more than just the software. Madnick envisions his company as the centralized location for information and resources for scriptwriters now available in multiple places. A writer wanting to know which producers are looking for comedies, how to find an agent, or how to get a script to a certain actor or actress need only come to Final Draft, he added. One other new initiative being pursued by Final Draft is a community website where writers can gather virtually to discuss the benefits and pitfalls of their field. “You can be sure when you come to Finaldraft.com you are going to get the best,” Mellott said.