I’m talking about Celtx from Celtx.com. I have been using Celtx Pre-Production software for for over a year now and I have to say that it is the only one I will ever use for the foreseeable future. I am currently using Celtx for six screenplays and two films that are in production and cannot imagine what it would be like without it. This suite is far too feature rich to list in this post and my time is far too poor. Here is a link for your reading pleasure.

Celtx Overview

Awesome right? For the people who are too lazy to click on the link, you know who you are, here is a quick screenshot of the screenplay environment but it’s all I’m givin’ ya.

One thing you won’t read about in the Overview link above is the community. The Celtx community is full of people who are always willing to help in all aspects of your project whether it be in screenwriting, film-making, legalities, reviews, and on and on. These people are either doing it or have done it and can give you advice from personal experience. Hell, even the developers hang out there and are always on top of any issues you may have. Don’t get me wrong though. It’s not filled with flowers and butterflies. If you don’t take criticism as constructive then you may need to purchase some harden skin from your local psychopathic skin collector. “It puts the lotion on the skin!” Don’t let that scare you though. It’s the type of criticism we all want and need.

You don’t have to just take my word for it. Here is what a few Celtx users who frequent the forums have to say:

Glen Tickle – Filmkid.com

I started using Celtx a few years and many versions ago originally just because it was a free alternative to software like Final Draft. I’ve kept using it because not only does it work great for screenwriting, but I can also use it to format my comic scripts as well. Once everything is scripted out Celtx’s pre-production tools are great for getting from script to screen, or page in the case of the comics.

Outside of the software itself there is a whole community based around the Celtx.com website. Other Celtx users are available for suggestions, feedback, or just general commiseration.

I’ve recommended Celtx to every writer I know, and will continue to do so in perpetuity.

Nick Taylor – Student

I find it’s absolutely wonderful for collaboration and pre-production work. If I make a change to the project; a colleague will know, if I need to breakdown a script to find out what I’ll need in props, it’s easy to do. And of course the scriptwriting editor is fantastic at the price point: free. I’d strongly recommend it to anyone who works in pre-production or is a writer.

Last but not least. Ladies & Gentlemen. I give you Sharkey.

Sharkey

Celtx is like self-gratification, only better!

Ever since I discovered Celtx, it has only gotten better. Each new release is a significant improvement on the previous one. Staff support is fast, helpful and friendly. The community spirit within Celtx creates a sacred bond between user and developer which supercedes family, friends and quite possibly; God.

The Celtx script editor creates a user environment which emulates a type of WYSIKWYMG (what you see is kinda what you might get) in the editor and thus emulates the user-friendliness of the mainstream word processor model. Celtx then converts this, through TypeSet, into WYGIWYWAN (what you get is what you want and need) which results in a perfectly formatted script typesetted by the industry standard of all publishing – LaTeX. This isn’t just good; this is pretty damn awesome.

Celtx is much, much better than a typewriter.

Celtx is an intuitive pre-production suite which isn’t just a simple script editor. That’s just the beginning. Celtx provides you with all the requirements to plan for and create a production workflow for your next film, radio drama, documentary, comic book or stage play. It is the ultimate tool for a production team. And what’s more, it’s under active development, it’s cross-platform and it’s as pretty damn close to free as you’ll get for such an ingenious piece of software.

Celtx comes out twice a year – it’s always Christmas and my birthday on those days.

I recommend Celtx to anybody and everybody who even gives an aura of being interested in writing for media.

See what I mean? And it’s free? Are you kidding me? Nope, but I know what your thinking. This guy has to be getting something out of this. What’s the catch? No catch, and no I’m not getting anything out of this. I just want to show my appreciation for this program, for the developers and the community it has created. Maybe more importantly I hope someone will find this gem and realize it’s what they’ve been looking for all along.