Celtx reaches "1.0"

Celtx Software is a widely used freeware screenplay formatting/pre-production suite of programs that independent filmmakers might like to have a look at.

It's been around a while but has finally made it to release 1.0 status. I've used it on and off since it was first making a name for itself. It's useful but annoyingly (at least until recent versions) shies away from following industry formats in favour of its own "Our web-aware ways are better" (e.g. for breakdown sheets) approaches which makes it difficult to use if you've been brought up with other systems. It's also built around models that work well on computer screens and not so well when printed out on aper (and even low budget productions get through enough paper to account for entire acres of your average forest).

To this end, they've introduced tighter iPod integration (gee, thanks, just what I was waiting for). I'd have to see if the screenplay formatting and script import/export is as buggy as it used to be. I seem to remember a lot of fighting to get slug lines and dialogue to format properly that I wouldn't have with, say, MS word and a bunch of macros. However it is a very useful tool if you're prepared to abandon some of your Ralph S. Singleton ordained habits. If I have time I'll play around with it and and try a review.

If you have Microsoft Excel, I can also recommend you have a look at the (not free but cheap) filmmaker software package for budgeting and scheduling (areas that Celtx has been weaker on in the past)

Short film: pre-production

Ayşegül, my wife, wrote a short script based on a Barbara Eskine story, and we'll be shooting it on HDV, using the Sony Z1E. Ayşegül's got the go ahead from Ms Erskine's publisher. So first up we'd like to thank Ms Erskine and those at the Blake Friedman agency for giving us their help, time and support for our project.

I thought I'd throw up some bullet points on production as we go through it. First pre-production. The usual stuff has been planned. Our route will be:

Shoot in HDV, using Cineframe 25 for a film look. I know CF25 reduces resolution, but we'd de-interlace anyway, and when de-interlaced, 50i tends to leave artefacts behind. We've already shot some scenes one the street in 50i and the de-interlacing plug in's I had certainly didn't look as good as CF25. Any tilts certainly got munged up.

Black Stretch also looked good, but decided against Cinematone as it tended crush the blacks rather too much. We did tests with the Shireen, our actress, and in the location. The story is a simple drama, not anything too stylised or dramatic, so a plainer, lighter look is sufficient.

We'll light the interiors, even though we're shooting in the day and the room is quite light. However there's some stuff at front doors that I'm nervous about as Cinematographer, and the location has lots of mirrors. Also the 16:9 frame may cause us some trouble, with regard to where we will be able to hide lights, boom operators, etc.

Ayşegül has scheduled the film to be shot largely in one day. We actually already have about 20 minutes of footage that we shot in Christmas day as tests, but should be good for a title sequence. The storyboard and shotlist and a partial floor plan have been completed.