Script Editor

CineLog’s Script Editor is a professional screenplay editing system built for modern film production workflows. You write on real US Letter pages that break exactly where the printed script breaks, import through a change-by-change review, lock scene numbers and track colored revision rounds, tag the breakdown directly on the page, and populate the shot list from the script.

Core Features

Continuous Persistent Saving

Say goodbye to the “Save” button. The Script Editor silently saves every change to your local device within about half a second, then syncs to the cloud in the background—ensuring you never lose a word of inspiration.

Real-time Fountain Formatting

Live formatting as you type. Automatic element classification for scene headings, character names, dialogue, and action with manual override hotkeys for precise control.

True Paged Layout

The editor renders real US Letter pages, 54 lines each, with paragraphs splitting across the seam under (MORE) and (CONT’D). The pages on screen, the page counter, and the exported PDF are the same pages. See Writing & formatting.

Reviewed Import

Import Final Draft (.fdx), Fountain, PDF, TXT, and RTF files through a review screen that shows every change before it lands. See Importing scripts.

Script Lock & Revisions

Lock scene numbers, issue drafts, and track colored revision rounds with asterisked lines, tinted pages, and revised-pages-only export. See Script lock & revisions.

Script Breakdown

Tag cast, props, wardrobe, and nine more categories directly on the script page. Cast flows into Cast & Crew and onto call sheets. See Script Breakdown.

Live Analytics

A stats sidebar tracks the page count in screenplay eighths, plus scenes, lines, words, and characters — and the size of whatever you have selected.

Shot List Integration

Populate shot lists directly from script content with intelligent coverage estimation, content-aware descriptions, and smart shot placement near source material.

Professional Editing Experience

Tip

The Script Editor provides a professional screenplay editing environment with industry-standard formatting and powerful automation features that streamline your writing workflow.

1. Smart Element Detection

   Automatic classification of scene headings (INT./EXT.), character names, dialogue, action, and transitions with real-time visual styling. Type naturally and watch your script format itself professionally.

2. Manual Override Controls

   Precise control with hotkeys: Cmd+1 Scene Heading, Cmd+2 Character, Cmd+3 Dialogue, Cmd+4 Action, Cmd+5 Parenthetical, Cmd+6 Transition, Cmd+7 Lyrics, Cmd+E Centered text element.

3. Fountain Support

   Core Fountain support with forced syntax elements (@Character, !Action, .Scene) and text formatting (*italics*, **bold**, _underline_). Sections (#), synopses (=), inline notes ([[ ]]), page breaks (===), and side-by-side dual dialogue are not supported.

4. Industry Typography

   Character-precise positioning with 12-point Courier Prime font, proper margins, and element-specific indentation following professional screenplay standards.

Import & Analytics

Multi-Format Script Import

Need to bring in writing from another app? Click the Import button in the Script Editor’s top menu bar. The file is parsed and compared with your current script, and a review screen shows every change side by side before anything is applied — you accept or reject them change by change. On a locked script, changes touching issued material wait for your explicit decision. The full walkthrough is in Importing scripts.

Final Draft (.fdx)

Professional XML parsing with complete metadata preservation, character formatting, and scene properties.

Fountain (.fountain)

Native format support with forced elements, title page parsing, and boneyard comment stripping.

PDF Scripts

Text extraction from PDF screenplays, with a configuration step for how the text is pulled in.

Plain Text (.txt)

Intelligent heuristic detection using scene patterns, character recognition, and context clues.

Rich Text (.rtf)

RTF parsing with style extraction and clean text conversion for screenplay formatting.

Real-Time Script Analytics

A stats sidebar on the desktop editor updates live as you write. It shows five metrics: Pages, Scenes, Lines, Words, and Characters.

Page Count in Eighths

The page count reads in screenplay eighths, like 12 3/8 — the unit schedules speak. It comes from the same pagination the editor renders and the PDF prints, so it is the real count, not an estimate.

Scenes & Lines

Live counts of the scenes in the document and the total number of lines.

Words & Characters

Live totals for word count and character count as you type.

Selection Stats

Select any stretch of the script and the sidebar adds the selection’s character count and its length in page eighths — the quick answer to “how long is this scene”.

Shot List Integration

Tip

Bridge the gap between script and production with intelligent shot list population that analyzes your script content and creates comprehensive coverage automatically.

1. Content Analysis

   The system analyzes your script content to understand scenes, character interactions, action sequences, and dialogue moments.

2. Intelligent Shot Estimation

   Creates coverage shots based on content type—action coverage for sequences, dialogue coverage for conversations, and reaction shots for character moments.

3. Smart Placement

   Shots are placed near their source content with descriptions that include actual script text, helping directors understand WHY each shot is needed.

4. Flexible Population

   Choose from Replace or Merge modes to integrate with existing shot lists while preserving your manual customizations.

Population Benefits

• Content-Aware Descriptions: Shot descriptions include actual script content instead of generic text
• Element-Type Based Coverage: Different shot types based on whether content is action, dialogue, or reactions
• Smart Shot Placement: Coverage shots intelligently placed near source content, not dumped at scene end
• Actionable Direction: Help directors understand the purpose of each shot with content context