People often equate the idea of screenwriting with romantic elements such as scribbling in a coffee shop or plonking away on a typewriter. While this dreamy disposition can work for some, these are antiquated ways of getting notes and ideas onto the page.
Everyone has their own personal style, but it doesn’t always have to involve a typewriter, pen and paper or even keyboard. Writers will integrate software to help them get closer to the finished product but there are even more tools available.
For instance, speech recognition software programmes such as Dragon. Many will think of it being linked to the sci-fi genre with command decks like Star Trek but this productivity-enhancing software is now a primary input for many professionals in the medical and legal field.
Using the software to speed up their reporting, fast-tracking transcription, automating processes and creating powerful macro commands to do several steps in one go may seem like overkill for an author or screenwriter. However, in most cases it makes even more sense for someone writing the spoken word.
Writing something and saying something come out differently. Dragon takes a while for people to get used to transcribing their thoughts and formulating sentences without using their fingers over a keyboard. There’s a change in thinking, verbalising and often new users find it easier to start getting used to speaking their writing in a more informal setting like email.
This is perfect for screenwriters wanting to write dialogue because if you can say it without feeling strange, it’ll probably translate more naturally on-screen. Not only can you dream up your scenes with your eyes closed, you can kick your feet up too. This alleviates any issues relating to RSI or carpal tunnel syndrome and can enhance your writing style and overall productivity.
Dictating at 160 words per minute, you can cover a lot of ground and creating time-saving commands can also assist in making routine writing tasks much easier. The software may seem expensive for a screenwriter but is a once-off payment and won’t take long to develop a custom voice profile and get great results.
Training is recommended, allowing a Dragon professional to assist with installation, recommended set up and taking users through the first phase to sharpen their custom vocabulary, advise on best dictation habits for optimal use and have as a coach to cheer you onto greatness!
Whether you already have the product or are looking for assistance in getting the right software, hardware, support or training… look no further than HCD, who provide these services remotely almost anywhere on the planet.