Celtx Crash Course: Basic Scriptwriting and Media Pre-production Software Features

Do you have a flair for creative writing? Ever wanted to pen your own stage productions or even feature film screenplays? Or do you just need a simple program in which to write your field reporting package scripts as a broadcast journalism student? No matter what your media venue, Celtx scriptwriting software (from developer Greyfirst Corporation®) is here to help. And the best part is this: it's absolutely free and available for easy download online. Here are just a few of its amazing features:

1. A Variety of Production Project Templates

With Celtx®, you are not limited to just screenplays and scripts. This program comes standard with several other project templates, including Theatre, Audio Play (such as a radio drama), Storyboard, Comic Book, and a simple Text template in which you can create your own formatting and outlines. Speaking from personal experience, it is also useful for scripting documentaries, video games and even podcasts. Each text editor incorporates the use of LaTeX, a markup language used in documents by countless engineers, mathematicians, linguists and even economists, making it easier than ever to diversify your templates and printing options.

2. Easy Collaboration with Fellow Scriptwriters

If money is no option, considering signing up for the Celtx® Studios online feature at https://studio.celtx.com/. For just $4.99/month for up to 5 users, you can manage and share your projects (scripts, storyboards, etc.) with your fellow writers, directors, producers, journalists or whoever you may be collaborating with.

Say you're the director or lead scriptwriter for a short film project. As the leader, you would create the Celtx® Studios account in your name and then assign up to 5 "sub-seats" for your fellow writers and/or producers. But what if one or all of your team members abandon you halfway through the project? Suddenly you are forced to recruit new scriptwriters. No problem. With a few clicks of the mouse, you can reassign and rename your sub-seats to accommodate your new project members. There's no need to create a new account.

Celtx® Studios will also allow you to save all of your project production histories. This feature is handy for writers who may be penning different versions of the same script for side-by-side comparisons at a later date. And with live collaboration editing, you'll be able to see what user made the most recent changes to the project and when.

3. A Wide Variety of Script-Insertion Elements

This feature is particularly handy for film, stage production and radio drama students, but may even be utilized by broadcast journalism students upon occasion. Celtx® contains over 30 various "elements," which can be inserted into your script upon command, to denote a specific action, special effect, actor entrance or dialogue line taking place in the scene, etc. You can then add your own media or text elements to each action, so as to make it all the more specific. Here are just of few of the elements you may consider using, depending upon the nature of your specific project:

• Special FX (effects)

• Sound FX

• Prop(s): this denotes a prop that an actor will need to handle or touch in some way during a scene.

• Music: denoting the cuing of music

• Actor: used to denote the actor playing the role of a fictional character

• Character: use to denote the fictional name of the character

• Animal handler and Animals

• CGI: to denote the use or entrance of a Computer Generated Image(s)

• Camera: to denote special use or movement of the camera

• Greenery: to denote any foliage you may need to include onstage or on set.

• Lights

• Hair and makeup

• Vehicles (cars, trains, planes, etc.)

• Stunts

• Weapons

As the director and/or lead scriptwriter of a feature or short film or stage production, it is your duty to make your script as specific as possible so that each and every actor involved will be aware of the performance's various elements. The last thing you want is for an actor to be standing on stage or on set during rehearsal with a dazed and confused look. An actor should be aware of any prop(s) he or she will be handling, any special actions and/or special effects taking place during a scene, special music, lighting effects, etc. Keep your actors informed.

So if you're in need of quality scriptwriting software with little to no cost involved, considering downloading the latest version of Celtx® v. 2.7 at: http://celtx.com/download.html. The program is downloadable in a variety of languages, from English, Spanish, Greek, Italian, Japanese, Russian, Danish and countless more. Don't let your project suffer from the woes of unprofessionalism. Utilize Celtx® for your next production.

**Note: the following information and advice comes from the writer's personal experience in using Celtx® media pre-production software as a Broadcast Journalism student.