Once you are reasonably satisfied with a scene, or have, for example, written the dialogue, but not yet selected the images, as well as saving the project, it is also worth 'saving as' under a name such as 'project-2', then continuing to work in the newly saved version. The various working versions of your project are then available for review and can be reopened.

This may be particularly useful if you intend to send your version to other people, or to swap versions with a collaborator.

Project structure: BPC Screenplay is designed to work scene by scene, however, it is worth taking into account the length of your production, when starting a project in BPC Screenplay Debut Edition. It may be useful to follow these suggestions:

TV Commercials, Spots and Interstitials - Single Scene

Short Films - Create additional scenes for sequences with and without dialogue.

TV Production - for programmes which will be segmented by breaks for advertising, create a new PROJECT for each segment.

Cinema Films - for each Act, or major sequence, create a new PROJECT. This will help reveal the dramatic development of the movie and whether it really has the beginning, middle and end that you envisage and the balance you are seeking.

2. BUILDING UP YOUR IMAGE LIBRARY.

Users will want to use their own images in their projects and the IMAGE LIBRARY folders are within Screenplay, so that images to be used in a project can be shared easily among users, or when working on different computers.

When you begin a project, or want to add more pictures, create a new folder within the Image Library and save your pictures there. If you intend to save a lot of images, it may be useful to create subfolders referring either to locations, characters, or dramatic situations.

3. MANAGING YOUR IMAGES

Before using your own images, it may be useful to follow these guidelines.

Use a recognised graphics programme to resize your pictures to 640pixels by 360pixels.

Save your images using a file name that you will remember easily. As projects grow they may contain several hundred separate images and the system you devise should be easy to recognise in the alphabetic listing in the Project Media Library.

The system we use has three components - the character/s-context (either on screen position, costume or location)-closeness of shot (ws, ms, mcu, cu with ra as reverse angle).

example: 'm+w-lr-ms.jpeg' means 'man plus woman, left to right - mid-shot',

4. PREPARING YOUR IMAGES.

If you are making photos for use in BPC-Screenplay at a particular location, try to take as many shots as practical from the potential camera positions you can envisage.

You may consider using images from a variety of sources:

a) DIGITAL CAMERAS - Using a good graphics programme, trim your images to 16:9 format (best 640 x 360pixels), flatten and save that smaller image as a j-peg in the Image Library under a new name.

b) SCANNING A SKETCH - Scan the image, save, then trim and resize, then save as a j-peg under a new name, as required for your scene.

c) INTERNET DOWNLOADS - Respect copyright and be careful you are not downloading unwanted trojan horses, or other malware that may be secreted within graphics files.

d) FROM VIDEO - BPC Screenplay Debut Edition is designed to work with still images, not video, so make a freeze frame within your video edit programme and save this as a 640x360 j-peg, then save in the IMAGE LIBRARY.

5. ADDING FIGURES TO IMAGES

Method 1: Using a graphics programme, copy a figure from the IMAGE LIBRARY, resize and add it as a new layer to the background image. Then flatten the image, resize to 640x360 and save under a new name in your folder in the IMAGE LIBRARY. This takes a little practice, but the results can be impressive.

If you create new outline figures, which may be of interest to other BPC Screenplay users, please send them to us and we will consider including them in the IMAGE LIBRARY online updates.

Method 2: In your graphics programme, sketch your figures as a new layer. Keep this as a reference. Then as you want to place figures in different locations, add a photo of your location as a new background. Then save a copy of your work, resize, flatten and save under a new name in the IMAGE LIBRARY.

6. PREPARING YOUR AUDIO

Audio should be imported as a .WAV file using IMPORT in the MEDIA LIBRARY.

Audio cannot be edited within BPC-Screenplay, so once you have established the character of your scene, use an audio edit programme to amend volume, fades and trim your audio. Replace the original music with your revised .WAV file.

7. REVISION

8.CRASHES AND ERRORS

Please report crashes to us by email and we will seek to make the updates required to avoid them in the future.

9. What BPC SCREENPLAY is not!

There are all kinds of programmes cluttering up computers by duplicating the same functions many times over .

When BPC Screenplay was being designed, it was decided to avoid adding to this unnecessary duplication.

It was also assumed that users have established preferences and habits based on working with their favourite graphics, or word processing programmes and it was decided not to interfere.

The designers wanted to create a programme with a small 'footprint' that can be used on laptops and PC's without taking up a lot of space on the hard disc. So, we have assumed that scriptwriters can write and have their own stories to explore and tell. BPC Screenplay does not attempt to duplicate the kinds of features found on a standard word processing programme, nor has any kind of story engine been included. This is a deliberate ommission, as is the decision to suggest you use established programmes to prepare images and audio.

10. What BPC SCREENPLAY will become!

The current DEBUT Edition is a straightforward working tool, as easy for professionals to use, as it is for children as soon as they have learned to read and write.

Future Editions are already being developed which will not only extend the existing features, for example, by enabling multiple voices for difference characters, or the use of video on the timeline, but will also introduce a set of innovative features of particular interest to professionals and specialists in different sectors of the media.

Existing users will be offered these future versions at an attractive discount, so to save money in the future, buy the BPC Screenplay Debut Edition now!