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MovieMagic Screenplay - What is happening with it?

Posted: Dec 30, 2014 2:16 pm
by Lighthope
So....what exactly is going on with Movie Magic Screenwriter?

The software is seven years old. It's still quite buggy. And it is in desperate need of an upgrade.

I don't know what is going on with Final Draft, other than the latest version seems to be terrible.

But honestly, MMS is looking like abandonware.

Let us know what is happening.

But tbh, seven year old software isn't worth the price being asked on the website. (I already own it, so I have no dog in the fight.)

I have been interested in Dramatica Pro, but I get so many e-mails saying "Dramatica Pro is on sale for..." that it doesn't ring to me as a sale but as regular price. I'm waiting for a real sale. Especially for -- again -- old software.

See? Notice I keep using the world "old". This is not a good thing.

Windows XP is "old". It's a great OS, but it's old, therefore abandoned.

As great as MMS is, it's old.

Upgrade, keep up with the times, or be left behind and forgotten.

Re: MovieMagic Screenplay - What is happening with it?

Posted: Jan 07, 2015 9:59 am
by Chris Huntley
We are working on the long term solutions for all the various bugs and annoyances that are part of a complete reworking of Screenwriter (it's gotten so complex internally that fixing one thing breaks three others). No, there is no E.T.A., but a team of our engineers are actively working on the new version(s).

Dramatica for Windows (i.e. Dramatica Story Expert for Windows) is going through a similar re-engineering. Also, no E.T.A.

These are not excuses for the length of time between significant versions of our software, just explanations of how we are working on the updates to them.

Re: MovieMagic Screenplay - What is happening with it?

Posted: Jan 25, 2015 2:36 pm
by Lighthope
Well, I'm glad I stuck with MMS, but only for the Name Bank. That is the one thing that swayed me to MMS over Final Draft. (Really, FD's name bank is horrid awful to work with...at least when I tried it. I don't know what their new version is like.)

But honestly, any new version of Screenwriter needs to blow my mind for the price I assume you're going to be asking, or I may be tempted to just go with another programme. I'm not trying to be mean or a problem child or anything like that, so please accept this as simply feedback:

Given that we've had MMS6 for so many years, buggy and with no patch, and with so infrequent updates, the reputation for this is a little on the low side. Especially given the competition which updates (and patches) their software far, far, FAR(!) more frequently.

I know, and I understand, that you have coding problems. After so many years, I can only imagine the spaghetti programing that must be under the hood. I was a programer myself for a number of years. I know your pain. I share it. I have the t-shirt.

But as a user, I know you can understand that those are not really my problems. We're selfish beasts, and all we want is working, up-to-date software. Whatever stands between us and that package is so far off our radar that it doesn't even come into consideration.

Maybe you could consider letting a few tidbits out. What is coming? What can we look forward to? And, because patches have been non-existent, an ETA. Yes, I know you cringe at giving those, but in the end it will be more helpful than harmful. Unless we're talking years down the line. Then maybe I really do need to take another look at the competition.

Re: MovieMagic Screenplay - What is happening with it?

Posted: Feb 22, 2015 12:07 pm
by Chris Huntley
OK, so here is a quicky update. There is a free update for the in the near offing for Mac Screenwriter with a completely new spell checker and thesaurus support. Regarding the Windows version, we have a completely new version in development -- new from the ground up. I'm not at liberty to say when the the new Windows version will be out at this time.

Re: MovieMagic Screenplay - What is happening with it?

Posted: Oct 29, 2015 11:40 pm
by PaulG
Is there any progress on the new Version of MMSW? The last post was in February.

Re: MovieMagic Screenplay - What is happening with it?

Posted: Nov 09, 2015 10:20 am
by Chris Huntley
We're working on a complete overhaul of MMSW. It's taking time but we're making good progress on it. No E.T.A. yet.

Re: MovieMagic Screenplay - What is happening with it?

Posted: Jan 24, 2016 1:30 pm
by Balsamo
Take your time. Aside from the buggy issues it's great. Don't mess it up.

Re: MovieMagic Screenplay - What is happening with it?

Posted: Jan 25, 2016 9:26 am
by Chris Huntley
Thanks. We are taking our time and it is coming along nicely...just slowly. Screenwriter has so many features in it that its taking us a while to catch up to it while making design and functionality enhancements along the way.

Re: MovieMagic Screenplay - What is happening with it?

Posted: Jan 26, 2016 12:14 pm
by scriptstuff
I just want to put in my .02 and ask one of you to please start posting in screenwriter forums. Every time the issue comes up, I point out a that MMSW leaves EVERYBODY in the road. Yeah, it's a bit buggy and yeah, hard to believe there will ever be an update, and pretty sure most of the pro customers, the studios and such, have gone somewhere else.

But what is said inevitably by someone is: "MMSW is Abandonware." Unless someone from the company shows up to contradict this, there's no answer. Word of mouth is your best advertising. /r/screenwriting on Reddit, Done Deal Forums offer plenty of serious newbs and working writers. Customers.

But unless you guys come out of hiding - it's impossible to promote you. Even when I tell a poster about a feature and he comes back with that's exactly what I'm looking for! But he won't buy it because someone else says "They'll never update." And I can't say he's wrong. I wish you would.

Re: MovieMagic Screenplay - What is happening with it?

Posted: Jan 26, 2016 12:30 pm
by Lighthope
^ What the above poster said.

I'd much rather hear progress reports than generic "we're working on it" statements.

I am currently searching for a good replacement. Found some nice ones, but each one has a tool I need that is missing, which is why I stay with MMSW.

Some "Here's what we are working on, here is a pie-in-the-sky ETA" would be wonderful.

Oh, and I am a published writer. I have no idea how to change that.

Re: MovieMagic Screenplay - What is happening with it?

Posted: Feb 01, 2016 9:48 pm
by Chris Huntley
Excellent suggestions. We are remiss in self-promotion. I'll see about getting our staff to monitor those forums and comment when appropriate. Cheers!

By the way, the whole "unpublished writer" thing had to do with how many comments users have left, not their actual status in the real world. I've modified it so that those new to the forums will now be labeled as "writer", not "unpublished writer".

Re: MovieMagic Screenplay - What is happening with it?

Posted: Sep 24, 2020 7:24 pm
by Thomas
The last post promising an upgrade was made over 4 years ago.

Please forgive us for all deciding to move on. What with a new FD (several new FDs, actually), Fade In, Fountain, Celtx, and whatever else is out there that *is* being actively developed, you can see why we all went to one of them.

Even if a new MMSW were to magically appear, it would be difficult at this point to convince us that it will continue to be supported. It really looks like screenplay.com has abandoned it's user base completely.

Re: MovieMagic Screenplay - What is happening with it?

Posted: Sep 24, 2020 7:30 pm
by Lighthope
Thomas wrote:The last post promising an upgrade was made over 4 years ago.


I don't think the Screenplay servers are working anymore. When I tried to reinstall after a bought a new desktop, I couldn't register it.

Please forgive us for all deciding to move on. What with a new FD (several new FDs, actually), Fade In, Fountain, Celtx, and whatever else is out there that *is* being actively developed, you can see why we all went to one of them.


I'm using Fade In.

Even if a new MMSW were to magically appear, it would be difficult at this point to convince us that it will continue to be supported. It really looks like screenplay.com has abandoned it's user base completely.


That's kind of where I'm sitting. I only replied to your post because I got an e-mail. I kind of forgotten about MMSW.

Re: MovieMagic Screenplay - What is happening with it?

Posted: Dec 07, 2020 5:04 pm
by Thomas
I have also recently purchased Fade In.

Not sure I like it. But I am willing to give it a fair shot. And I have purchased every upgrade of FD. It does seem to keep getting better. However slowly, it is actually making progress. That is more than we can say for MMSW.

Now mind you, Chris may well be speaking truth. But he told us they were working on it nearly seven years ago and we still have nothing. So at this point, I will need to see it to believe it.

Re: MovieMagic Screenplay - What is happening with it?

Posted: Dec 07, 2020 5:33 pm
by Lighthope
Thomas wrote:I have also recently purchased Fade In.

Not sure I like it. But I am willing to give it a fair shot. And I have purchased every upgrade of FD. It does seem to keep getting better. However slowly, it is actually making progress. That is more than we can say for MMSW.

Now mind you, Chris may well be speaking truth. But he told us they were working on it nearly seven years ago and we still have nothing. So at this point, I will need to see it to believe it.


I don't think the servers are working. I bought a new computer and tried to re-register MMSW and couldn't connect.

I think it is safe to say this is dead software.

FD may be improving, but it is vastly overpriced. I think you'll like Fade In.

Re: MovieMagic Screenplay - What is happening with it?

Posted: Nov 23, 2021 1:55 pm
by Thomas
Lighthope wrote:I don't think the servers are working. I bought a new computer and tried to re-register MMSW and couldn't connect.

I think it is safe to say this is dead software.

FD may be improving, but it is vastly overpriced. I think you'll like Fade In.


So far I am liking it very much. That is what I am using these days.