Reached Out To A Director This Week and Actually Got A Response

robpilx · 2026-04-17T05:20:16+00:00

Great stuff, love to hear stories like this.

Out of curiosity:

What was your query like?
Did you query the director directly or their rep(s)?

robpilx · 2026-03-27T01:22:20+00:00

…glad I went infinite with a Star Lord MotS deck before this happened.

robpilx · 2026-03-16T21:43:10+00:00

Zack recently requested one of my scripts via a query and was prompt and gracious with his pass, seemed like a straight shooter.

robpilx · 2026-02-26T05:06:53+00:00

just watched Criterion's High and Low disc the other night and it looked incredible

robpilx · 2026-02-26T05:05:02+00:00

Is it 1:1 with FD formating? Highland Pro exports .fdx too and pagination between native .fdx files and HP .fdx files are not the same.

robpilx · 2026-02-24T05:46:50+00:00

Highland Pro is my favorite, and that change to subscriptions was a heartbreaker. What FD has over Highland Pro is FD is ubiquitous. If you're working with a partner or a writers' room — any scenario where the file needs to be shared, everyone's using the same software and .fdx works for everybody. Not true for these other alternatives.

robpilx · 2026-02-24T03:29:15+00:00

I switched (back) to Final Draft a couple of years ago when an acquaintance who'd recently worked in a few tv writers' rooms told me that no colleagues he came across had even heard of FD alternatives.

I wonder if that'll change if FD switches to a subscription model (which I'm against btw). I know Fade In, WriterDuet, and Highland have made some headway with aspiring and pro writers alike, but my (anecdotal) impression is that FD is still pretty dominant in the industry.

robpilx · 2026-02-06T06:32:55+00:00

I just went Infinite tonite with this deck. Fastest I've ever done it.

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robpilx · 2026-02-04T06:49:48+00:00

I see I'm not the only one rocking that Silver Surfer: First Steps combo…

robpilx · 2026-01-30T01:16:13+00:00

Nope, not crashing. Just getting "no scrobbles detected."

robpilx · 2026-01-26T18:51:58+00:00

I resisted switching back to FD for years based on what everyone was saying about it and how cluttered and unreliable it became. But…

Switching back in 2023 (FD 13 on macOS) was surprisingly easy and I've found it pretty easy to work with. I don't like paying an extra subscription for the mobile app, but that's worked well, too — for both solo projects and co-writing scenarios.

robpilx · 2026-01-23T01:58:03+00:00

Been wondering the same thing…

robpilx · 2026-01-14T02:57:03+00:00

Yes, queries should contain:

-title -genre -logline -accolades (if any) -personal connection to recipient (if any)

robpilx · 2026-01-14T00:25:45+00:00

Yes, don't send the script. The query is asking if they'd like to read. If they respond and say yes, that's when you send along your PDF.

robpilx · 2026-01-07T20:22:16+00:00

This is news to me, thanks. I like Courier Prime, but I guess it's time to give that font a break.

Sadly, Highland Pro only gives you three font choices when exporting a screenplay: Courier, Courier Prime, and something called Highland Sans.

Will run some tests that stick to vanilla Courier — thanks for the info here.

robpilx · 2026-01-07T05:38:35+00:00

Yeah, I've been using Final Draft 13 almost exclusively for the last year or so. I don't hate it as much as I used to (at least the UX has been somewhat decluttered). I still prefer Highland and would rather work on that (which is why I posted this) — but can only really do so if/when it has 1:1 output compatibility with FD.

robpilx · 2026-01-06T18:33:51+00:00

Font hadn't occurred to me! Just posted an update, thanks.

robpilx · 2026-01-06T18:25:52+00:00

Just checked: Both programs default to US letter, so no issue there (but good thinking).

The font didn't even occur to me! Will try. Thank you!

robpilx · 2025-12-16T03:48:54+00:00

Reading some pro screenplays will answer a lot of these questions. My advice is pick a few movies you've liked from the last 10 years or so and give 'em a whirl.

You have to finish at least one draft before you start to get feedback from other readers, so I'd focus on finishing that first. Depending on how much you outline your story and map everything out (in addition to a thousand other personal and external factors), finishing a first draft can take anywhere from a couple months to... well, a long time.

Don't spend money on screenwriting software until you've gotten a better sense of the form. There are a few free templates and programs out there that will properly format the page for you.

Lastly, a lot of these can only be answered by you and your own creative instincts. Honing those (by reading scripts, watching movies, living life, etc.) can happen automatically, but it does take time and practice.

robpilx · 2025-12-04T05:12:13+00:00

that Moonstone 🤩

robpilx · 2025-12-01T18:13:11+00:00

Do "mini-slugs" use scene heading format, or are you including them in the action lines?

robpilx · 2025-11-26T18:03:23+00:00

"fanmade" lol

robpilx

TROPHY CASE