Both .fdr and .fdx files are types of [Final Draft](http://www.finaldraft.com/) documents. Files with the .fdx extension come from Final Draft 8, while .fdr documents are from earlier versions of Final Draft. Final Draft 8 can open and save .fdr files, but older versions of Final Draft cannot open .fdx files. The .fdx format is based […]
What is Movie Magic Screenwriter?
[Movie Magic Screenwriter](http://www.screenplay.com/p-29-movie-magic-screenwriter-6.aspx) is a popular scriptwriting word processor, like [Highland](http://quoteunquoteapps.com/highland/), [Final Draft](http://www.finaldraft.com/) or [Celtx](http://celtx.com/). It is available for both Macintosh and Windows. Online, you may see the application referred to as: * “Movie Magic Screenwriter” * “Screenwriter” * “Movie Magic” * “MMS” * “MMSW” It is comparable in price and features to Final Draft. […]
What does “screen story” mean?
“Screen story” credit is given when a screenplay is based on source material, but the screenplay’s story is new and substantially different from the source material’s. You can read more about this and other credits at the [WGA’s screen credits policy page](http://www.wga.org/subpage_writersresources.aspx?id=171). ### More from johnaugust.com * [The essentials of adaptation](http://johnaugust.com/2003/the-essentials-of-adaptation “The essentials of adaptation”) […]
How long is a short film?
There is no official consensus or definition for the length of a “short.” Any film shorter than 50 minutes qualifies as a short film for the Sundance Film Festival, while any film with a run-time under 40 minutes is eligible for the shorts categories at the Academy Awards. The longest of the ten movies nominated […]
What is a feature film?
A feature film (or just “feature”) is a full-length film, the kind you buy a ticket for at your local theater. The term is also used to distinguish between films that are first shown theatrically versus those made for television. A modern feature is typically between 80 and 180 minutes long, but different groups have […]
What is a screenplay?
A screenplay is a script for a film or television show. It includes dialogue as well as stage direction and character actions and movement. Screenplays have a specific format, although there can be slight variations based on factors: 1. Type (i.e. film, multicam TV, singlecam TV, etc.) 2. Destination (studios and networks often have specific […]