Adobe has been wooing screenwriters with its free Story online screenwriting software, and now it's pushing to make Story the first step in its pre-production to post-production solution. With the Creative Cloud scheduled to launch May 11th for Adobe Creative Suite 6, Adobe has added new features and functionality to Story, now splitting the product between Story Free and Story Plus. Story Free remains the in-the-cloud version of the screenwriting app that Adobe previously released, while for a subscription of $15/month or as part of a Creative Cloud subscription, CS6 users get access to Story Plus. Advantages of Story Plus over Story Free include:
- offline script editing
- shoot schedule generation from scripts
- schedule and script synchronization
- change tracking
- project sharing
Here's a look at the new Story Plus:
Story Plus appears to be much more of production tool than a screenwriting application. For DIY filmmakers wearing several hats and currently using or considering Premiere Pro, the ability to integrate script elements seamlessly throughout the production process at a relatively low monthly price point should prove enticing. Filmmakers who still prefer industry standards Final Draft or Movie Magic Screenwriting can import scripts into Story to take advantage of its production capabilities as well as export back out to their preferred screenwriting platforms.
Also, Story Free continues to give screenwriters the opportunity to try out Adobe's screenwriting application without the monthly commitment, but also without the production tools available in Plus.
So, has Adobe raised the bar for screenwriting integration with production tools? If so, does the $15/month subscription-only model entice you or turn you off? Tell us what you think.
Links:
- Adobe Story Plus product page
- Adobe Creative Cloud CS6 for $30/month (40% off for any registered Adobe users, CS3 or later)
[via Adobe]
Note: This story was updated on 5.11.12 to correct information about the subscription pricing for Story Plus.
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Your Comment
24 Comments
I think Adobe's approach is great for Independent film makers. But the whole subscription is a turn off, then again Adobe did lower their piracy % with the subscription idea and its not that bad if your a big production with lots work. But the subscription is a tad over price for one man band. I guess the Cloud service is a big deal now. I love what they're doing. I just wonder how Apple and Avid will respond to this.
May 10, 2012 at 7:56PM, Edited September 4, 7:54AM
I don't know. $30 isn't hard to come up with and I'm a freelance filmmaker and student. Seems reasonable to me. Depends on the person though.
May 10, 2012 at 10:11PM, Edited September 4, 7:54AM
Not really. The subscription is well suited for a one man band or a freelancer. It gives you access to all the tools you need at a single easy to manage price. I bought it and I'm currently unemployed looking for a new gig. Not too hard to pay for, compared to something like Nuke or Maya.
May 20, 2012 at 7:13AM, Edited September 4, 7:54AM
Thanks for the post and your comments.
--Anubhav
Anubhav Rohatgi
Sr. Product Manager, Adobe Story
May 10, 2012 at 10:38PM, Edited September 4, 7:54AM
Hi Anubhav,
With the different compatible formats, final draft etc... is Celtx one so I can import my Celtx scripts in?
Also is there any specific storyboarding connectivity within Story/Cs6?
Thanks
Best
Llaim
May 11, 2012 at 8:23AM, Edited September 4, 7:54AM
You can import FinalDraft 7, FD 8, MovieMagic files directly to STory. You can save your CELTX files to TXT format and then import them into Story too.
@Tang - Story only costs $180/year or $25/month.
All creative cloud subscribers have access to STory Plus. A CCM subscription is be best value offering from Adobe.
Thanks for your interest.
--Anubhav
Anubhav Rohatgi
Sr. Product Manager
May 18, 2012 at 2:20AM, Edited September 4, 7:54AM
With story boarding and film creeping into school assessment, this was really helpful. I think I have a new tool to share the next time I give a presentation! Course I need to play with it first.
May 11, 2012 at 4:56AM, Edited September 4, 7:54AM
This article makes it sound like you have to pay $15 on top of the $50 cloud subscription which is not the case. Your CS6 cloud sub of $50 actually includes story plus!
May 11, 2012 at 5:08AM, Edited September 4, 7:54AM
Thanks for catching this, Paul. I've edited the original post to correct the statement about pricing, pointing out that Story Plus is, in fact, included with a Creative Cloud subscription, or available on its own for a $15/month subscription.
May 11, 2012 at 5:49AM, Edited September 4, 7:54AM
No worries. $15 a month would have been ballsy - even for Adobe ;-)
May 11, 2012 at 6:30AM, Edited September 4, 7:54AM
I am a subscriber to Creative Cloud and ADOBE STORY is nowhere to be found. I even talked to one of the Adobe "tech" people who INSISTED that Adobe Story was a) not an application; b) is not part of Creative Cloud; and c) could not see any reference anywhere that stated that Adobe Story was EVER to be part of Creative Cloud. Frankly, I'm disappointed. I was really looking forward to using this tool and was the primary reason for me subscribing to Creative Cloud.
May 12, 2012 at 4:29AM, Edited September 4, 7:54AM
Hey John,
Here's the link to the Adobe Story Plus buying guide that I used as reference to determine Adobe Story Plus was included with Creative Cloud: http://www.adobe.com/products/story-plus/buying-guide.html
Perhaps you can use this as backup when you talk with tech support about your complaint.
-c
May 12, 2012 at 8:39AM, Edited September 4, 7:54AM
Sign into your account at https://creative.adobe.com
Up at the top you will see your account name on a drop down menu. In that menu, click account.
That will open a window showing your account. They call it "My Adobe" At the bottom there are a bunch of services. Click the Adobe Story Plus.
This will take you to the service where you can sign in with your creative cloud account.
I hope this helps you.
May 17, 2012 at 12:17PM, Edited September 4, 7:54AM
Looks great. Scheduling interaction and sync will be a huge time saver. Stoked.
CS6 is an absolutely stellar release. And subscription? I'm in Adobe. Well played.
May 11, 2012 at 8:26AM, Edited September 4, 7:54AM
I have upgraded my Master Collection licenses to CS 6. I've spent thousands of dollars over the years keeping all of these licenses up-to-date. Story should be included.
May 11, 2012 at 9:53AM, Edited September 4, 7:54AM
Anyone know if you have a license to install two PCs? Having the ability to install on my desktop and laptop would be awesome...
May 11, 2012 at 11:28AM, Edited September 4, 7:54AM
@Fahnon: From Adobe's web site: Can I use my software on two computers?
If you own, or are the primary user of, a single-user or volume license Adobe product that is installed on a computer at work, you can also install and use the software on one secondary computer of the same platform at home or on a portable computer. However, you may not run the software simultaneously on both the primary and secondary computers.
No more than one user can use a single-user license Adobe product.
http://helpx.adobe.com/x-productkb/policy-pricing/end-user-license-agree...
May 11, 2012 at 2:18PM, Edited September 4, 7:54AM
I like Adobe Story but I'm not a writer. Good luck getting writers to switch from whatever they're using. You couldn't pay some of the writers I know to switch from whatever software (typewriter or pen & paper) they're using. It becomes part of their writing process.
May 11, 2012 at 2:22PM, Edited September 4, 7:54AM
$15 per month for Story Plus is ridiculous. OK that's just my opinion but view it against this backdrop:
I have the entire Master Collection CS6 for $29.99 a month (and next year it will go up to $50) which is just unbelievable value. I mean beat my head against the wall "are you kidding me?" level of value. (I hope that the model works for Adobe's bottom line because it works phenomenally for mine.) I'm willing to stay on board at that price for the next decade and beyond. Granted over a year, this is the cost of an upgrade for most of us who are willing to pay that anyways. But the brilliance is as stated above: Everybody (including pirates) can afford this software now.
So now look at that Master Collection at $30 compared to one single App at $15 a month. At one year that puts me over the cost of most writing packages out there and there are even promising new writing Apps on the webstore costing $15 or less which have the features that most writers care about.
I get that it has scheduling and metadata and all that. So why the heck isn't it included in Production Premium? Or the Master Collection? Prelude is.
Don't get me wrong, I'm a super-supporter of Adobe. Nobody makes products for creatives across the broad spectrum of the creative marketplace as brilliantly as they do. I really respect them and love their work. But this is a program that should've been included in the other CS6 bundles and raise the price MAXIMUM $5 per bundle.
It's a simple formula. You want people happy with the cloud because you want that auto-renew on the credit card to come off on a very specfic date: NEVER. So, the more bang for the buck you give us the happier we are. When you have something like this we kind of just go..."what?"
May 17, 2012 at 12:37PM, Edited September 4, 7:54AM
I saw someone mention earlier that Story Plus is included with the Cloud Subscription which would make sense to me and would make me feel appropriately like an asshat for the above comment, but I don't find it anywhere amongst my downloaded apps from the subscription... checking into this
May 17, 2012 at 12:41PM, Edited September 4, 7:54AM
Ok. I'm an asshat. It is part of the CS 6 Subscription.
Oddly enough the CS6 download didn't include Story when I downloaded everything but when I opened Story Free which I already had on my computer and signed in, it recognized my subscription and updated it to Story Plus.
To anyone who's thinking about paying $15 a month for it as a solo app, cough up the extra $15 and get the whole package of 20+apps.
May 17, 2012 at 12:52PM, Edited September 4, 7:54AM
I used Story when they opened the site, but I received notice this year it will cost $100 plus a month to keep using it. So, I dumped it and am happy to use my Celtx. Not going back to Story or anything on-line like this.
It was very buggy program and constantly froze and lost the screen in the early days. I think they fixed it by now. The help team was SUPERB for receiving bug report and fixing it the same day. I got to say that much for Adobe.
I may have kept it if they charged $20 a year. It's not like a video sever, data stream is very low for this type of service and no need to charge that much money.
May 17, 2012 at 3:11PM, Edited September 4, 7:54AM
The$15/month subscription makes it significantly more than FD, which updates every year or two for $79 or something. I can't imagine changing. If I did post, though, it looks like a good deal bundled w/ CS6.
May 18, 2012 at 2:24PM, Edited September 4, 7:54AM
$360/year (at $30/m) to have PERMISSION to access YOUR scripts on an UNKOWN server admined by UNKNOWN people? Are you insane or inane?
I just cid the site and the price as of today, June 15 2012, is $24/m ($288/yr). Why would ANYONE do this?
If you think that having your work in the cloud means you won’t lose it; then you are clueless about computers, servers, and networks.
June 15, 2012 at 10:18AM, Edited September 4, 7:54AM