How to back up your work like a pro May 14, 2009
Posted by James D Hartland in Backups Backing Up, Computer, Dropbox, File Sharing, File Syncing.add a comment
What with both Final Draft and Celtx coming out with new versions in recent weeks, plus me getting a new computer, I have blogged quite a bit about computer stuff lately while not really blogging so much about screenwriting. Well today I’ve got another computer post, but the information is so useful that you lot should shut up and take it.
How to back up your work like a pro
Basically there are two types of people in the world, those who back up their data and those who don’t. Those who don’t are just waiting for something bad to happen to their most important files. Something that can only ever end in tears.
Manually backing up your files is a pain the butt though, so thankfully automatic data back up is a feature built into new versions of Windows and Macs these days. The problem though, even if you one of the people making use of this feature (most don’t I’m sure) all you are doing is copying the data to another harddrive/thumbdrive in your house which could just as easily be destroyed in a house fire as your PC itself. To be truly 100% sure your data is never gunna be lost you need to have more than one back up and to have at least one of those backups be “off site”.
So the solution…
Dropbox is an online web service that everyone raves about. I have been using it for a while now and it totally lives up to the hype. In a nutshell, its 2GB* of free storage online that syncs with a folder on your computer. So anything you save in that folder on your computer automatically gets uploaded to your Dropbox account online. (*More storage is available if you need it).
Primarily Dropbox is described as a method of syncing multiple PCs to have the same files available, since if you install Dropbox on multiple computers as soon as a change is made to a file on one computer it is uploaded to the dropbox site then redownloaded by all your other PCs, completely automatically.
The way I use Dropbox however is as a backup solution. I have my Screenwriting folder on my computer inside of the Dropbox folder. That means every single time I hit Save on a Screenplay it is instantly, automatically uploading that file to the web while I carry on working. Now I know even if my house burns down I can simply go on any other computer in the world and using a web browser, log on to the Dropbox website and download my screenplay again.
What is especially awesome though is Dropbox tracks revisions, which basically means every single time you save your file Dropbox makes a record of that particular version of the file, it doesn’t simply save over the old version. So say I accidentally saved over my amazing screenplay on my computer, or I wanted to go back to a version from 6 months ago, I can go on the Dropbox website and go download the version I uploaded 10 versions ago or 6 months ago or whatever.
In this respect it is a boat load better than the crude thumbdrive backup method most people probably use. Personally though I use both. I have automatic backups to Dropbox every single time I hit Save and then at the end of each day I’ll save it to a thumbdrive manually.
Other Uses
Aside from being the best way to sync your files across multiple computers and an awesome easy way to back up your files, Dropbox has other uses to. You will never have to worry about file attachment sizes ever again as you can simply drag big files into your dropbox folder and rightclick on the file to get a link which you can then give to your friends to download the massive file from. If the other person has Dropbox installed you can even set up a shared folder where anything you drop in that folder gets sent over to the mirror version on your friends PC and vice versa. This feature is particularly awesome for collaborating film makers who wanna share project materials.
Download it already!
So yeah, Dropbox is awesome. If you are reading this and know you are kinda lax about backing up your scrips, please in the name of all that is holy install dropbox right now. Automated, Offsite, Revision Tracking backup for the sake of 3 minutes of installing a tiny application is a life choice you should be making.
If any of this doesn’t make sense then watch this video tour of what Dropbox is.
Get Dropbox from here and we both get extra storage space for freeeee.
Screenwriting with parental guidance – How to write without distractions April 8, 2009
Posted by James D Hartland in Computer, Parental Controls, Procrastination, Writer's Hangups, Writer's Lifestyle.4 comments
I got a new computer a few weeks back, and now that I’ve got everything set up how I want it I have turned it into the ultimate screenwriting machine. What makes it better than any other computer for writing? Well I’ve set up a second user account with the Parental Controls turned on to block everything not work related.
Parent settings are designed to stop your kids from downloading pr0n or spending all night on the computer, but they are also great for stopping you from getting distracted. I’ve set up my work account so basically every website I’d ever want to visit is blocked. No facebook, no digg, no nothing. I could have gone further and just blocked the internet entirely, but I like googling stuff to inform my writing so I’ve left that option open.
Aside from blocking intenet sites I’ve also turned off my ability to open all but a handful of the applications on my computer. Basically if it aint Final Draft or a PDF viewer then I can’t open it. This is particularly important as part of the reason for me getting a new computer was so I can do music production stuff. It would be incredibly easy for me to say “I’ll just record this riff so I don’t forget it” and then find 3 hours of my time have gone, so by blocking all that stuff I’m safe from the distractions.
I could have gone even further and limited the number of hours I can log into my “Play” account, like saying I can only log into it between 5-11 but I’ve not gone quite that far yet. Hopefully this won’t end in tears! So long as I don’t log into anything but my Work account I should be able to get my head down.
If you are using an older operating system like Windows XP then you are going to have to download 3rd party software in order to do all this parental blocking, but if you have Vista or the latest version of Mac OSX then all this stuff is super easy to set up. If like me you find it really easy to do nothing during writing time then think about setting this stuff up. 30 minutes spent setting up the parental controls could save you 100s of hours over the coming years!
Incidentally, I’m logged into my Play account to write this. Blogging doesn’t count as work! I’m off to my Work account now. Catch you laters.
Final Draft 8 coming in May!! February 28, 2009
Posted by James D Hartland in Computer, Final Draft, Software.add a comment
Yet more software news…
I happened to be on the Final Draft website today and I saw that anyone who buys FD after Feburary 1st gets a free upgrade to Final Draft 8 when it comes out in May. Holy mother of god. In a few weeks time we ain’t going to be forced to use a crusty old version Final Draft that’s from the stone ages.
I’d say that it will be interesting to see what new features it brings out, but in reality it’s probably pretty obvious what a new version would bring. Mostly I’m just excited about the possibility of using a version that isn’t super old and buggy.
Really though, what I need is a new computer. My current one is practically steam powered what with it having state of the art components circa 2002. If anyone wants to send me donations via Paypal for my new computer please contact me 
Top 5 Screenwriting Christmas Gifts November 28, 2008
Posted by James D Hartland in Alternative Scriptwriting, Anatomy of Story, Blockbuster, Books, Christmas, Computer, David Allen, Derek Rydall, Gifts, I Could've Written a Better Movie, Ken Dancyger, Lovefilm, Macs, Movie Magic, Online Rental, Poundland, Presents, Printers, The Writer's Handbook.1 comment so far
It seems every site out there is publishing some sort of Christmas shopping guide so I thought I would get in on the act. I did think about doing a summary of all the book reviews I’ve done thus far, but that seemed kinda pointless since you can read them in full all by just clicking on the ‘Book’ tag over there ———->
Instead what I’m going to do is the top 5 books I want off my Amazon wish list. This might have the effect of giving you some ideas of what to ask for from your loved ones, but really it is more about me being egocentric while also increasing the chances that I actually get these books from someone.
But if you really don’t want to ask for a book, or don’t want to give a book then there is a second list below with some other ideas.
Top 5 books selected from my Amazon wish list
Since I already own all popular books these are some of the more obscure ones. If you don’t own many screenwriting books you probably wanna consult this post first.
The Writer’s Handbook 2009 – A book that each year compiles a new up to date list of all the agents out there in the UK. If you are like me are have aims of getting an agent in the near future then this book should hopefully make your life a lot easier. That’s what I’m hoping at least.
The Anatomy of Story by John Truby – As I say each time I write a post about John Truby, I do think his theories have something to offer (even if I don’t agree with his salesmanship). One of these days I will get around to reading his book. I hope it will manage to be a great read and make me forget about my issues with him in the past.
I Could’ve Written a Better Movie: How to Make Six Figures as a Script Consultant Even If You’re Not a Screenwriter by Derek Rydall – I admit it, I want this book just because the title intrigues me. It might suck, but come on, with a title like that are you not intrigued as to what it might have to say? It is rated 5 out of 5 on Amazons US site from 23 reviews, although Amazon’s feedback system is notoriously inaccurate and it may be reviews by 23 of the author’s friends for all we know! Aside from the sensationalist title, it seems like it might well be a good book on script reading/feedback writing.
Alternative Scriptwriting: Successfully Breaking the Rules by Ken Dancyger – This is another book I’ve promoted to the top 5 list off my Amazon wish list because of it having an intriguing title. For all I know the other less intriguingly named books on my list like Writing a Great Movie: Key Tools for Successful Screenwriting or Screenplay: Writing the Picture might be must reads. I just feel like with this book I might be getting something a bit different. As the cover picture of Run Lola Run suggests, this book will deal with films that break that traditional 3 act structure and all the other clichés of screenwriting books.
Getting Things Done: How to Achieve Stress-free Productivity by David Allen - This is not a screenwriting book but rather a very well endorsed book about improving productivity in your daily life. What writer wouldn’t love to discover the secrets to stamp out procrastination and to get themselves in a productive, healthy frame of mind ready to work?
What if you are the kind of person who already owns every single screenwriting book ever printed or just hates reading them. Well here is a hastly compiled list of some other things you might wanna ask Santa to leave under your tree.
Top 5 gifts for a screenwriter that aren’t a book
Blockbuster Subscription – If you are serious about writing you will probably want to watch a lot of movies and TV shows. I know when I start a new project I spend ages watching previous examples of similar things (as much to procrastinate as it is to help me!). Blockbuster or Lovefilm postal rental service is the most cost effective, best way to watch a lot of DVDs. The only downside is still having to walk to the nearest post box to return the films!
Final Draft or Movie Magic – Since Final Draft has not been updated in a bajillion years it is getting harder for me to recommend it as the defacto screenwriting application, but it is the application I personally use and more or less the industry standard these days. Since Movie Magic was updated in the past few months this is definitely something to consider, although I must admit I have not used the new Movie Magic yet. I keep meaning to try the demo but I’m always sidetracked. Of course there is always the free app Celtx, which should be moving to version 1.1 any day now.
Laser Printer – Ahhh, the dreaded printer. I hate printers. They always screw up and try their hardest to give you a nervous breakdown. That said these new fangled ones that do photocopying are pretty sweet. I’d like to recommend a specific model but I don’t have a clue about these things. My current one is a Samsung and that seems to get the job done OK.
Apple Macbook – Some people just don’t get the whole ‘Mac thing’. They wonder why Mac users get so zealous over Apple products when it’s just another computer right? Well wrong. The best way to sum it up is to quote the factoid that Apple’s retail stores have dummy power outlets just so the walls look symmetrical. The point being Apple is a company of super anal, super zealous monks who worship to the gods of good design. Every screw on a Mac has been agonised over, every font choice and menu option used in the software has been agonised over. If you want to show someone you truly love them then you buy them a Mac, and not that generic Dell.
Staples Gift Vouchers – Actually I’m not sure that Staples do gift vouchers, but point is, aside from computer stuff what else does a screenwriter need? Stationary! Be it paper, notebooks, index cards, a writer needs a bunch of it. I’ll let you in on a secret though, I get most of my stationary bits and bobs from Poundland. They have some pretty cool bargains so long as you are prepared to buy stuff and put it away for later rather than expecting them to have a mega bargain on the specific product you are after. Case in point, I went in there to get something else and I ended up coming out with 4 boxes of these lovely Bic Ultra Round Stic Grip pens which are surely the nicest disposable pens I’ve ever used. Had I gone in there on a different day looking for cheap pens I probably wouldn’t have found anything worth buying.
If you have any other suggestions leave a comment.
Firefox for the win July 5, 2008
Posted by James D Hartland in Computer, Firefox, Internet Explorer, Site News.add a comment
I noticed a bug today that is making this blog appear funny looking under certain circumstances if viewed with Microsoft’s Internet Explorer (making some parts of the text way bigger than they should be). While I await for a reply from the support team at WordPress I thought I would take the opportunity to tell anyone who use is using Internet Explorer that really you should switch to Firefox.
Internet Explorer is famous for:
- Being totally insecure and leaving you open to loads of viruses and spyware
- Being really slow to load websites
- Not implementing the open web standards meaning sites don’t display properly in it.
- Taking forever to add the features that have been available in other web browsers for several years.
- Generally being the worst web browser you can possibly use, and the only reason anyone still does use it is because it’s what came pre-installed with Windows.
Firefox on the other hand is famous for:
- Being very secure and protecting you from spyware, phishing attacks, viruses, the lot.
- Having a huge eco-system of free plugins that let you customise the browser exactly how you want it. (I couldnt live without some of the plugins I’ve got installed, going without would be like surfing the web in the stone age)
- Supporting web standards so all websites display perfectly.
- Loading web pages faster than IE.
- Being open source, meaning other programs can use it’s code to make their applications (Yes, Celtx is based on Firefox code!)
- Basically being the browser that anyone in the know uses.
Firefox 3 came out last week which a bunch of new features and improvements, and doing so set the world record for the most downloads of something in a single day. Unless you are using a work PC and you can’t install your own apps onto it you have no excuse to be using Internet Explorer. Firefox is just faster, more secure, more powerful, and thanks to the plugins you can customise it to do amazing time saving things that make browsing your favourite sites such an easier, more productive experience
Update: I’ve discovered the cause of the bug. A stray piece of text formatting code had managed to get inside of the tag to embed youtube videos. The advice still stands though. Use Firefox.
Annotate and comment on PDF files for free on Windows March 7, 2008
Posted by James D Hartland in Computer, Feedback, PDF, Software.7 comments
Someone asked me today about a solution for annotating PDF files, that way people could annotate her scripts with feedback. I did a quick google of the subject and came across what seems to her the perfect solution for her.
PDF Xchange will allow you to put comments on a PDF and have them be visible when viewing the PDF with any other application.
Since this is a great thing to be able to do when sending PDFs of scripts I thought I would blog it here so other people can use it as well.
This is a windows app but there are also similar apps for Mac and Linux, just google the subject and I’m sure you will find something. Point being, it is possible to annotate PDF files if you have the right software installed.
Of course, since Celtx is free to download and allows for online script collaboration as well as a built in note making tool, that might be another option to consider.
PS. If anyone actually uses the bloated and slow Adobe Acrobat Reader for PDFs you are doing yourself a disservice. Foxit reader is the PDF app of choice for those in the know. So now you know. (Although PDF Xchange will also act as a default PDF viewing app if you want it to, although I’d be surprised if its as good as Foxit for viewing large PDFs.)
Arg! Noooooo! I lost my work! December 2, 2007
Posted by James D Hartland in Backup, Backups, Computer, Macs, Romcom, Writer's Hangups, Writer's nightmares.add a comment
This just happened to me:
Except it was self inflicted.
I’m paranoid when it comes to data loss so I back everything up regularly to several different places and feeling tired after an epic screenwriting stint last night I guess I must have mistakenly copied the backup over my original rather than the original over the backup, cause when I loaded up the file none of my changes were there!
Arg!!!! A screenwriters worst nightmare!!
Lucky for me it wasn’t anything super creative. I had been essentially cleaning up what was already there and I had a hard copy with all the changes needed denoted, so really it was just a case of looking at the notes and cleaning it all up again.
But there is still a feeling at the back of my mind that what I’ve done this second time round isn’t as good because I’ve rushed it.
I don’t even wanna think about what would of happened if I had lost something really creative that you could never get back again. Especially knowing it was your own backup paranoia that nuked it. Gah!
I’m going to be a lot more careful in backing up from now on.
I’ve just got 1 week left to get this screenplay finished. I’ve still got shit loads to do on it as well. It sucks. Who would be a writer eh?
