Marc Madnick, co-founder and CEO of Final Draft, Inc., moved to Los Angeles in 1986 to follow his dream of being a screenwriter. Like many aspiring and professional screenwriters of the time, he found the process of writing a script trying and time-consuming.  The problem was not a lack of ideas, but rather the lack of any word-processor capable of automatically formatting a script to Hollywood’s stringent standards. This experience led Madnick and former partner Ben Cahan to the creation of Final Draft, a fully dedicated scriptwriting software application that automatically formats your script to Hollywood’s industry standards.  A very strategic marketer, Madnick knew that if he could convince Hollywood’s heaviest hitters (Tom Hanks, Oliver Stone, and Lawrence Kasdan, to name a few) that Final Draft software will save them time and money, he’d have a chance at success. Just five years after its inception and Madnick’s aggressive marketing campaign, Final Draft scriptwriting software had become the entertainment industry standard for scriptwriting and the market leader among its competitors worldwide. With the company now in its 20th year and the eighth version of the software, Final Draft, the application and its brand, continues to grow in popularity and into new markets throughout the world.
 
In 2001, Final Draft, Inc. released Final Draft AV, the first software application specifically designed for writers of documentaries, reality TV, and commercials written in the two-column script format. Final Draft AV was developed using the Final Draft philosophy of freeing the writer to write completely uninhibited by formatting constraints. In the same year, Final Draft, Inc. launched its Big Break Contest as a way to help aspiring screenwriters reach success. Today, the contest continues to flourish and is recognized as one of the most prestigious contests of its kind.

In 2006, Final Draft, Inc. acquired Script magazine, a bi-monthly publication comprised of writing tips, in-depth writer interviews, and articles about breaking into the business. Script is available in digital format, along with blogs, video podcasts, and 15 years of back issues on the magazine website. Final Draft, Inc. is positioning www.scriptmag.com as the “go to” place for anyone already in or trying to break into this market.

Today, Final Draft, Inc. employs 38 people and hosts offices on both coasts, with the corporate headquarters in Calabasas, CA.