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Issue link: https://digital.macdirectory.com/i/401116
It all started 25 years ago with a Macintosh classic and a dream. But the dream wasn't about software at all – it was about writing movies. Marc Madnick came to the West coast to be a part of Hollywood and writing screenplays was his way in. charismatic, determined, and creative, he started making connections and developing ideas for movies. But when he sat down to write those ideas with his roommate and writing partner Ben cahan, the frustration set in. the formatting for scripts was – as it is today – very stringent. Writers who failed to format their scripts properly were immediately deemed amateurs and even minor errors in margins or line spacing could result in problems during production. With the cursor of the Macintosh blinking at them every time they tried to remember the proper margins for an action sequence or montage, Ben said, "I can write a program better than this." Marc immediately replied, "I can sell it!" Little did the pair know that the program they created to solve the difficulties facing every working screenwriter would quickly become a vital part of the very infrastructure of Hollywood, changing the screenwriting business forever. now, 25 years later, you would be hard-pressed to find a feature film or mainstream television show that was not written using final Draft software – the product that was once sold out of the back of Madnick's car and is now managed from an impressive suite of offices in the rolling hills of calabasas, ca. originally developed for apple Macintosh only, the program quickly became cross-platform. Downloads have replaced floppies as well as most boxes and cDs. But the essence of the work remains the same – make the screenwriting process as seamless as possible. and you can't argue with the success of a program that changed the way the industry makes movies. though co-founder cahan has moved on, 40 employees on two coasts work together to keep final Draft evolving with the constantly changing needs of filmmakers. the website touts over 100 testimonials, many from some of the biggest names in filmmaking, including J.J. abrams, tom Hanks, James cameron, and Lawrence Kasdan, professing love for the company and the program that lets screenwriters "just add words." feature 60 MacDirectory Final Draft: How Marc Madnick Built the Brand at Changed Hollywood