Write Brothers
Write Brothers, Inc. is a privately held, bootstrapped Burbank, CA software company that since 1982 has sold desktop screenwriting and story-development software — including Movie Magic Screenwriter and the patented Dramatica suite — to Hollywood professionals, novelists, and film schools via direct e-commerce and resellers.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1982
- HeadquartersBurbank, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingSoftware
What Write Brothers does
Write Brothers, Inc. (formerly Screenplay Systems) is a privately held, bootstrapped software company founded in 1982 in Burbank, California, by Stephen Greenfield and Christopher Huntley. The company develops and sells a suite of five desktop creative-writing software products: Movie Magic Screenwriter (industry-standard formatting for film, television, stage, and comic scripts), Dramatica Pro and Dramatica Story Expert (story development tools built on the patented Dramatica theory of story), Outline 4D (visual outlining with a timeline view), and Writer's DreamKit (entry-level fiction writing). Dramatica theory received a US patent and an Academy Technical Achievement Award for the original Scriptor formatter in 1994; Movie Magic Screenwriter is the preferred file format of the Writers Guild of America, West, and the official software of WGA East.
The business model is a one-time perpetual license sold primarily direct-to-consumer through the screenplay.com e-commerce storefront, supplemented by a US and international reseller program covering certified educational resellers, and supported by free customer service and trial downloads. Pricing is tiered by product depth — Writer's DreamKit at $59.95 entry level, Dramatica Pro at $149.95 intermediate, with higher tiers for advanced products — and free technical support is included for the life of the product. Distribution is augmented by partnerships with WGA, film schools (USC, UCLA, Boston University, Vancouver Film School, NYFA), and screenwriting competitions (Scriptapalooza).
Primary customer segments are Hollywood film and TV professionals (producers, writers, directors), novelists and fiction writers, television writers, film-school students, and playwrights. The company has grown contractedly from a 1990s peak of 40+ staff across three floors to a current 11-50 employee range. In 1999 the company sold its Movie Magic Budgeting and Scheduling product lines to Creative Planet to refocus exclusively on writing and creativity tools, then rebranded from Screenplay Systems to Write Brothers in 2002.
Write Brothers firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Write Brothers
- Legal name
- Write Brothers, Inc.
- Website
- https://write-bros.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1982
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Write Brothers, Inc. is a privately held, bootstrapped Burbank, CA software company that since 1982 has sold desktop screenwriting and story-development software — including Movie Magic Screenwriter and the patented Dramatica suite — to Hollywood professionals, novelists, and film schools via direct e-commerce and resellers.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Write Brothers industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Creative Writing Software
- NAICS
- Software Publishers (5132), Software Publishers (51321), Independent Artists, Writers, and Performers (7115)
- SIC
- Services-Prepackaged Software (7372)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Manuscript Development Services (Coaching, Developmental Editing) (MPAJAJAF)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Creator Tools & Production (Overlays, Alerts, Encoding, Editing, Audio) (MPAFAEAC)
Keywords
Where Write Brothers is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Burbank
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices2 records
Markets served
Write Brothers business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Software
- Cost components
- Technology or R&D, Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Software Licenses: One-time perpetual license sales for desktop software products including Movie Magic Screenwriter, Dramatica Pro, Dramatica Story Expert, Outline 4D, and Writer's DreamKit
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Writer's DreamKit - Entry-level fiction writing software |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Dramatica Pro - Advanced story development software |
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels7 records
Write Brothers product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Write Brothers develops and sells desktop creative writing software for screenwriters, novelists, and playwrights. Its flagship Movie Magic Screenwriter handles industry-standard formatting for film, TV, stage plays, novels, and comic book scripts, while the Dramatica Pro, Dramatica Story Expert, Outline 4D, and Writer's DreamKit products provide story-structure development and visual outlining built around the company's patented Dramatica story theory. Software is sold as one-time perpetual licenses through the company's own e-commerce store and an international reseller network, with free technical support and free trial versions.
Product overview
Write Brothers offers a suite of five integrated creative writing software products. The flagship product is Movie Magic Screenwriter, an industry-standard screenwriting program for formatting film, TV, stage, and comic scripts. Dramatica Pro and its newer counterpart Dramatica Story Expert provide story structure development based on the proprietary Dramatica theory of story. Outline 4D offers visual outlining with timeline and index card views. Writer's DreamKit serves as the beginner-level entry into the Dramatica writing methodology. These five products are designed to work both independently and in combination — story outlines from Dramatica and Writer's DreamKit can be exported to Movie Magic Screenwriter, and the entire suite is promoted as covering all phases of creative writing from brainstorming to final formatted script.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Dramatica: Story development software based on a unique theory of story structure, includes Dramatica Pro and Dramatica Story Expert products.
- Movie Magic Screenwriter
- Outline 4D
- Writer's DreamKit
Products and services
- Movie Magic Screenwriter Award-winning screenwriting software that formats movies, television, stage plays, novels, and comic book scripts to industry standards. Features NaviDoc integrated navigation (script, outline, scene cards, notes, bookmarks), revision tracking, production breakdown reports with industry-standard color codes, and tagging for export to scheduling software. It is the preferred file format of the Writers Guild of America, West, and is targeted at professional screenwriters, TV writers, film students, and playwrights.
- Dramatica Pro Story development software that guides writers through character creation, plot planning, and thematic layering using a 3-level interactive StoryGuide and the patented Dramatica Story Engine, which predicts implied story elements the writer did not explicitly set. Includes 27 story reports, a query system, storypoints, plot progression tracking, and a theme browser. Built for intermediate-to-advanced screenwriters, novelists, and playwrights. Windows only.
- Dramatica Story Expert The latest Dramatica-based story development software, built around a Master Story Engine with 56 story points for controlling the storyform with interactive feedback. Provides customizable 'gists' terminology, an Overview window showing four throughlines, and advanced scene generation capabilities. Available for Mac (Intel, OS X 10.10–10.14).
- Outline 4D Visual outlining software for writers that combines a traditional vertical outline with a horizontal Timeline View, virtual index cards with unlimited text, and a Tracking feature that shows connections between events, characters, and keywords. Designed for writers who plan and organize story ideas before writing. Windows only.
- Writer's DreamKit Entry-level fiction writing software designed as the beginner's version of Dramatica Pro. Provides a 1-level step-by-step StoryGuide that takes writers from initial idea to a completed narrative treatment, with a simple story engine, 9 reports, and 68 example stories. Priced at $59.95 retail for beginner-to-intermediate writers. Available for Windows and older Mac OS X versions.
Quantifiable outcome
- Over 90% of films in the last decade used software developed by Write Brothers
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use Write Brothers
Customer profileNamed customers12 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Write Brothers technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
AI capability4 records
Feature6 records
Write Brothers partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
18 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- ScriptapaloozacoreSince 2000, Screenplay.com and Scriptapalooza have joined forces to create the ultimate screenwriting competition. Winners receive recognition and their scripts get read by production companies and literary representatives.
- Great American Screenwriting Conference & PitchFestcoreTwo-day conference with one-day pitchfest created by writers for writers. Helps writers find agents, managers, option material, or get hired for writing assignments.
- Writers Guild of America WestcoreMovie Magic Screenwriter is a preferred file format of WGA West online screenplay registration service. WGA is the labor union for thousands of writers.
- UCLA School of Theater, Film and TelevisionminorWrite Brothers donated $725K in software to USC School of Cinematic Arts in January 2010. UCLA Online offers graduate-level non-degree programs using industry-standard tools.
- New York Film Academy (NYFA)minorNYFA offers screenwriting programs that prepare students with professional-caliber spec scripts and pitch skills using industry-standard software.
- Vancouver Film SchoolminorVancouver Film School uses Movie Magic Screenwriter in their writing labs because most local shows and production companies use it, supporting professional transition.
- Boston UniversityminorScreenwriter is the choice of writing program for all film students at Boston University.
- Dr. Format / The Screenwriting Center (Dave Trottier)minorDave Trottier is a produced screenwriter, award-winning teacher, and script consultant who helps writers through his community.
- The Writers StoreminorLeading resource for specialized software, books, supplies and reference materials for writers and filmmakers.
- InkTipminorPlatform connecting writers with industry professionals looking for writers to hire, scripts to produce, and writers to represent.
- BookBabyminorEBook publisher for independent authors, making it easy to sell through major retailers including Amazon Kindle and Apple iBooks.
- Michael Hague's Story MasteryminorStory and script consultant who has coached writers on projects for Will Smith, Julia Roberts, and major studios.
- The Scriptwriters NetworkminorEducational non-profit organization created by writers for writers and industry professionals.
- The International Screenwriters' AssociationminorInformational resource for screenwriters worldwide and source for film and TV producers seeking screenwriters.
- NATPEminorGlobal non-profit organization dedicated to creation, development and distribution of televised programming.
- Dramatists Guild of AmericaminorProfessional association advancing interests of playwrights, composers, lyricists and librettists with 6,000+ members.
- ScriptSharkminorLeading site for professional and affordable screenplay coverage and manuscript analysis.
- The Writers StoreminorLeading resource for specialized software, books, supplies and reference materials for writers and filmmakers.
Scale indicators4 records
Recent moves10 records
Expansion highlights4 records
Write Brothers competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Celtx: Celtx is a screenwriting and pre-production platform that expanded from scriptwriting into storyboarding, scheduling, and production management. It competes directly with Write Brothers' Movie Magic Screenwriter on script formatting while also offering the broader production workflow that Write Brothers exited in 1999.
- Fade In: Fade In is professional screenwriting software marketed as a lower-cost alternative to Movie Magic Screenwriter and Final Draft. It targets the same screenwriter persona with industry-standard formatting and is commonly cited alongside Write Brothers in head-to-head screenwriting-software comparisons.
- WriterDuet: WriterDuet is a cloud-based, real-time collaborative screenwriting platform used by professional and aspiring screenwriters. It competes with Movie Magic Screenwriter on script formatting while differentiating through collaboration and a subscription model — the SaaS direction Write Brothers has not yet pursued.
- Highland: Highland (and Highland 2) is a Markdown-based screenwriting app created by screenwriter John August. It targets the same screenwriter persona with streamlined, modern UX and Fountain-format output, positioning as a contemporary alternative to Movie Magic Screenwriter and Final Draft.
- Scrivener: Scrivener is a long-form writing application widely used by novelists, screenwriters, and playwrights for organizing large manuscripts via an outliner/corkboard model. It competes with Write Brothers' Dramatica Pro and Outline 4D on story development and outline-driven long-form writing, particularly in the fiction/novel use case.
- Final Draft: Final Draft is the long-standing category leader in professional screenwriting software, used across Hollywood studios and TV writers' rooms. It is the most direct competitor to Movie Magic Screenwriter, sharing the same end users (professional and aspiring screenwriters) and the same core use case (industry-standard screenplay formatting).
- Storyist: Storyist is a macOS/iOS screenwriting and manuscript-development app for novelists and screenwriters, combining outlining, storyboarding, and manuscript writing. It overlaps directly with Write Brothers' Dramatica Story Expert (also macOS-targeted) on the novelist/screenwriter workflow.
Emerging players
- Arc Studio Pro: Arc Studio Pro is a newer screenwriting platform with cloud collaboration, outlining, and production tools aimed at professional screenwriters and TV writers' rooms. It overlaps with Movie Magic Screenwriter on script formatting while pursuing the same cloud/SaaS migration that threatens Write Brothers' desktop model.
- Plottr: Plottr is a visual story outlining and timeline tool used by novelists and screenwriters for plot and beat structure. It competes with Write Brothers' Outline 4D on the visual outlining use case, with a more modern SaaS interface and frequent release cadence.
Broad incumbents
- StudioBinder: StudioBinder is a broader production-management platform covering script breakdowns, shot lists, call sheets, and scheduling for film/TV productions. It is a broad incumbent in the same Hollywood pre-production workflow that Write Brothers' original Movie Magic Budgeting and Scheduling products once dominated before being sold to Creative Planet in 1999.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Write Brothers social profiles
Digital presenceWrite Brothers financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Write Brothers leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles3 records
Write Brothers funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Write Brothers M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Write Brothers
What does Write Brothers do?
Write Brothers develops and sells desktop creative writing software for screenwriters, novelists, and playwrights. Its flagship Movie Magic Screenwriter handles industry-standard formatting for film, TV, stage plays, novels, and comic book scripts, while the Dramatica Pro, Dramatica Story Expert, Outline 4D, and Writer's DreamKit products provide story-structure development and visual outlining built around the company's patented Dramatica story theory. Software is sold as one-time perpetual licenses through the company's own e-commerce store and an international reseller network, with free technical support and free trial versions.
Is Write Brothers a public or private company?
Write Brothers is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Write Brothers founded?
Write Brothers was founded in 1982. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Write Brothers based?
Write Brothers is headquartered in Burbank, United States, in the North America region.
How does Write Brothers make money?
One revenue line is on record: software Licenses.
Who are Write Brothers's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Celtx, Fade In, WriterDuet, Highland, Scrivener, Final Draft and Storyist. Emerging players are Arc Studio Pro and Plottr. StudioBinder is listed as a broad incumbent.
Does Write Brothers have an API?
No public API is recorded for Write Brothers.
What industry is Write Brothers in?
Write Brothers's product category is Creative Writing Software. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPAJAJAF, Manuscript Development Services (Coaching, Developmental Editing), with a secondary code of MPAFAEAC, Creator Tools & Production (Overlays, Alerts, Encoding, Editing, Audio). Its NAICS code is 5132 and its SIC code is 7372.