In my last blog, I wrote about the many software that filmmakers can use to assist them in their production. This also means every member of the production team must have the same software. Not everyone will be using a particular software all the time and it will result in wasting money. There is a desire within the film community to reduce the need to purchase multiple filmmaking software licenses. One example is Final Draft screenwriting software, which allows only one person to be the owner of an individual copy of Final Draft. Yes, just one! Even if two (or more) people split the cost of the program, only one person is allowed to used the program. This means that if you want to collaborate with another writer, the other writer will also need to have the same software.
There is a need to ensure that you have the right license agreement. If you are trying to save money by not having too many software licenses, this would restrict the productivity of your production and create a silo mentality unintentionally. IT spending on software grew by 8.6% in 2017 and is expected to continue leading IT spend growth in 2018 per recent Gartner reports. Researchers have found that the average cost of unused software within companies comes to about $259 per desktop. Over the course of a year, this average accounts for a 37 percent waste per company, whether due to a lack of communication or a poor asset management program.(1)*
It doesn't matter if your production is a self-funded ultra low budget indie or a studio-financed independent film, its common knowledge that regardless of the size of production, there is always not enough time and money. The last thing one would want to do is to be responsible for burning money on unused resources. So, the million-dollar question is, "How many licenses should you get for a piece of software?" This is a problem that The Martini is looking to solve.
The Martini has released a screenwriting feature that will allow you to share (and receive feedback) on your screenplay with your collaborators. Since this is an integrated software it has the option to import a Final Draft file (.fdx) which will eliminate the need for your screenwriting partner to have the Final Draft software. Here at The Martini, we understand screenwriters have their preferred writing software and there are tons of free options out there. However, they lack the ability to share the screenplay and enable chat functionality in real-time. This is an area that The Martini wants to serve and it is only the beginning. You can write the screenplay in any software and import it into The Martini as either a .pdf or .fdx file. Sign up now for free to test out this exciting feature today.
Of course, we won't be stopping at just screenwriting. In our visionary roadmap, we are looking to expand our integrations, provide a fresh look on telling "stories", and Youtube and Vimeo compatibility just to name a few. If you want to stay in the loop on our next releases, do sign up to the Newsletter and follow on Twitter and Instagram.
Author’s Notes/References
(1) Software License Management (SLM) Explained - https://www.bmc.com/blogs/software-license-management/