Screenplain is a utility that converts screenplays written in Fountain into professionally formatted documents. Fountain is a lightweight markup language that lets writers create film scripts using ordinary text editors.
Rather than providing its own writing environment, Screenplain takes an existing Fountain file and produces a document suitable for reading, printing or exchanging with other people involved in film production.
Working with plain text allows writers to use familiar editing tools and maintain their scripts in a portable, human-readable format. Screenplain handles the document conversion, separating the process of writing a script from its final presentation.
The application can be used directly from a terminal or incorporated into other Python programs.
This is free and open source software.
Key Features
- Convert screenplay files written using Fountain syntax into formatted documents.
- Generate PDF screenplays suitable for printing and sharing.
- Export HTML documents with screenplay-specific styling.
- Produce Final Draft XML (FDX) files for exchanging scripts with compatible applications.
- Recognise Fountain scene headings, character cues, dialogue, action and transitions.
- Automatically determine the output format from the destination filename extension.
- Select an output format explicitly using a command-line option.
- Write converted documents to standard output when no destination filename is supplied.
- Generate HTML fragments without the surrounding document structure using the bare output option.
- Preserve the editable Fountain source file independently of the formatted output.
- Use the application as a standalone command-line utility.
- Access Screenplain’s conversion functionality from other Python applications through its library interface.
- Integrate screenplay conversion with shell scripts and automated document-processing workflows.
- An online interface provides an alternative way to convert Fountain scripts.
Website: github.com/vilcans/screenplain
Support:
Developer: Martin Vilcans
License: MIT License
Screenplain is written in Python. Learn Python with our recommended free books and free tutorials.
Related Software
| Script Writing Tools | |
|---|---|
| Trelby | Simple, powerful, full-featured program for writing movie screenplays |
| Manuskript | Use the snowflake method to grow your ideas |
| Pago | Screenwriting plugin for the Vim text editor |
| Screenwriter-mode | A plug-in for Emacs |
| Screenplain | Plain text to readable screenplay |
| KIT Scenarist | Fully-featured studio for creating movie screenplays |
| LyX | The Hollywood document class equips LyX for script writing |
| Afterwriting | Post-processing tools for Fountain screenplay |
| Story Architect | Reinventing the screenwriting software |
| lottie | Fountain screenplay editor |
| obsidian-fountain | Fountain support for Obsidian |
| Barefoot | Convert Fountain screenplay files to plain text |
Read our verdict in the software roundup.
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