Many screenwriters use modern tools as a substitute of traditional PDFs when creating their pilot movies or television series. SoCreatethe most recent entrant within the screenwriting software space, challenges established players like Final Draft and Celtx with its recent approach to storytelling. And specifically, generative AI images are involved.
SoCreate offers lots of the same features as most screenwriting programs, corresponding to templates to simply create an industry-standard screenplay with correct formatting. However, Justin Couto, founder and CEO of SoCreate, believes there remains to be an absence of popular platforms, especially with regards to visual and artistic tools.
“When I made a decision to go to varsity, I discovered that I used to be drawn to film, which meant I needed to immerse myself within the art of screenwriting. I immediately found the method boring and uninspired. It was like we were writing for a visible medium for movies and tv, but I actually have to make use of this archaic black and white document with outdated formatting based on the typewriter? I knew there needed to be a greater way – a more visual, more entertaining and more creative way,” Couto told TechCrunch.
SoCreate believes that one in all its big selling points is its image upload tool, which allows screenwriters to integrate visual concepts into their scripts, including characters, settings and motion moments. Users have the choice to upload their very own images or select from SoCreate's illustration gallery.
Soon, users will have the ability to make use of an AI-powered image generator to create images based on a mixture of models including OpenAI, Stable Diffusion, and others. It is vital to notice that SoCreate has no plans to supply AI-generated writing tools. The sole purpose of the image generator is to encourage users while writing and make the method less monotonous.
Another standout feature is “Storyteller,” which the platform launched earlier this week. Storyteller is a dedicated hub where users can share their stories in a public library for others to read. This recent feature is harking back to Wattpad and allows a community of readers to access scripts written by each established and emerging authors without cost.
The company believes Storyteller will help aspiring screenwriters market their work more effectively and construct a public, “visually stunning” portfolio without the necessity for Hollywood connections that aren't available.
However, some screenwriters may prefer to not publish their scripts because they fear they will probably be plagiarized. Users have the choice to maintain their work on SoCreate private, and the platform uses encryption. Additionally, there may be a strict policy against plagiarism. It is all the time advisable to register your work with organizations corresponding to the Writers Guild of America or the US Copyright Office.
“My personal theory, and this shouldn’t be legal advice, is that publicly publishing your work online protects you from plagiarism in some ways; You have time-stamped proof that you just were the unique creator of the work, and tons of or 1000’s of eyes on the work that first saw it on SoCreate. A PDF doesn’t really offer that,” argues Couto.
Couto envisions Storyteller becoming greater than only a reading experience. In the long run there will probably be the opportunity of incorporating AI-generated character voices, sound effects and background music. Final draftThe latest update of includes an option that enables users to assign voices to characters to read out the script.
Additionally, readers can leave comments under the scripts, providing easy feedback, whereas previously screenwriters were used to exporting them as PDFs and sending them via email. Users can share a link to any a part of their story, from a single dialogue to all the story, and readers can write their notes or suggestions without having a SoCreate account.
Another standout feature is reading statistics, which allows screenwriters to see whether someone actually read their story, where they stopped reading, how long they spent reading, and where they left comments.
The platform is primarily aimed toward individuals who write movies, TV shows and short movies. However, the corporate can be exploring templates for articles, novels and short stories, expanding its reach to more creatives.
“Once we nail narrative storytelling, we’ll move into recent verticals including business, education, journalism, lifestyle and research. As readership grows, we’ll add subscriptions to access the SoCreate library, and creators can have a brand new approach to earn revenue from their work through revenue sharing with SoCreate,” said Couto.
SoCreate launched last May and has gained over 1,200 subscribers. According to the platform, a number of the users are authors who’ve produced works for Amazon, Disney, Marvel and Netflix. Additionally, pilot and other programs will probably be conducted with select high schools in California and Illinois.
The platform is free for all users. However, in the event that they need to access the custom image tool and reviewer statistics, they’ll must spend $10 per 30 days for the Professional subscription. There's also a private tier for $5/month that features unlimited projects and access to SoCreate's image gallery.
The company closed a $3 million pre-seed round last 12 months and is currently raising a $5 million seed round, which will probably be used for development and marketing.
