Hi Dan
   
  No, you can indeed not create screen writing templates with styles alone.  To 
give you an idea of how script writing works - there are certain elements like 
a "Scene Heading" with a certain indentation, all typed in Upper case.  Then 
there are  scene actions, with a different indentation, typed in lower case.  
Character names before dialogue are always centralised and capitalised; the 
dialogue following it has yet again a different indentation and is again in 
lower case... In script maker each of these can be achieved with a simple 
shortcut, such as Ctrl>N to capitalise a character name and put it in the right 
place on the page; Ctrl > H for Scene heading etc.  It is these commands that 
don't all work in OO.  
   
  For an example of perfectly formatted scripts, please refer to the scripts on 
this site: 
   
  http://www.script-o-rama.com/table.shtml
   
  Maybe I should indeed invest in Final Draft (but not going to right now) - 
and when I do eventually,  I need to know that it is indeed 100% compatible 
with OO...
   
  Thanks for your support in this matter, I hope their will be a solution soon.
  Analize
   
  
Dan Lewis <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
  On Monday April 09 2007 8:39 am, John W. Kennedy wrote:
> Dan Lewis wrote:
> > On Monday April 09 2007 12:18 am, Analize Viljoen wrote:
> >> Dear Open Ofice
> >>
> >> I have written about this issue before but didn't really get
> >> any solution yet.
> >>
> >> I am a screen writer, which means I write movie scripts, and I
> >> prefer Open Office (OO) writer to Word. My problem is that I
> >> can't use Open Office for writing screenplays because I have not
> >> been able to find script writing software that is compatible. 
> >> On Word I use a free script writing software package called
> >> Scriptmaker, but this doesn't work with Open Office. Although I
> >> can open the macros in OO, and it even appears to be working,
> >> all of the commands are not available, and it does not write the
> >> script in exactly the correct format the way Word does together
> >> with the scriptmaker software.
> >>
> >> Word has its own screen writing templates, that I don't like
> >> because it is not very user friendly but at least there is the
> >> option when you need it. Is there anything similar avaialble
> >> for OO or can you recommend free software that is compatible?
> >>
> >> Thank you
> >> Analize
> >>
> >>
> >> Best wishes,
> >> Analize
> >>
> >> Some mistakes are too much fun to only make once
> >
> > Can you use styles to create the formating that you want? Do
> > you know how to do this? Could you create the look and feel of a
> > movie script with all of the necessary styles and then save it as
> > a template?
>
> No. It is literally impossible to create movie or TV scripts with
> /any/ general-purpose word processor without substantial use of
> macros, because any event that causes repagination also requires
> modification of the text. Templates and styles alone cannot do the
> job.
>
> In my experience, the best thing to do, at present, is to invest in
> specialized screenwriting software, such as Final Draft, but if
> this "ScriptMaker" package of macros is adequate, and available
> under an appropriate license, it might be worthwhile to try to port
> it to OOo.

Copy sent to Analize.



Best wishes, 
Analize   
   
  Some mistakes are too much fun to only make once

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