SceneMason
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Run the SceneMason Windows installer and follow its steps. Launch SceneMason, connect to the internet and enter the license key from your purchase email. Successful activation opens the start screen.

A first-time installation must be activated before you can open or create screenplays. If you need help obtaining the installer or finding your key, contact support.

Choose Create screenplay on the start screen and enter your title-page details. To return to an existing draft, choose Open screenplay or use Recent. Recovery copies are available from the Recovery tab.

From an open workspace, File → New screenplay brings back the start screen. Back to workspace returns to your current document.

Press Ctrl + S or choose Save. On the first save, choose a name and folder for your .sm file. Use File → Save As to save a separate copy.

After a successful manual save, the status shows Last saved and the time. Further edits show unsaved changes alongside that timestamp.

Choose Export PDF from the writing bar or File menu. Select the available page-numbering and watermark options, then save your PDF. Exporting a PDF does not replace saving your editable .sm screenplay.

The controls above the page and their keyboard shortcuts create screenplay elements:

Scene

Alt + S

Action

Alt + A

Character

Alt + C

Transition

Alt + T

Use Up and Down to choose in a popup, Enter to confirm, and Escape to cancel.

Press Alt+S, choose INT. or EXT., and type the location. Location autocomplete can help with places you have already used. Type - to choose DAY or NIGHT.

SceneMason numbers scene headings automatically, including the matching number at the end of a completed heading. Screenplay → Renumber scenes is also available.

Press Alt+C and type a character name. Character cues use uppercase and offer character-name autocomplete. Enter begins dialogue. Dialogue uses its own formatting and does not offer character-name autocomplete.

Enter on an empty dialogue line starts another Character cue. Enter on an empty Character line returns to Action. Alt+A also creates Action directly.

On a Character cue, type ( to open the suffix menu. Choose V.O., O.S., O.C., CONT'D, ON RADIO, ON TV or FILTERED with the arrow keys and Enter.

These are manual suffixes. Automatic page-break MORE or repeated CHARACTER (CONT'D) is not part of the current product.

Press F11 for editable Focus Writing, which hides the Navigator and writing bar. Ctrl + Shift + R enters fullscreen, read-only Read mode. Escape returns to Draft; an open selection popup is cancelled first.

The View menu includes light/dark appearance, Writing Help and optional typewriter scrolling. Typewriter scrolling follows writing keys, not mouse clicks or text selection.

The Navigator has Scenes, Characters and Locations tabs. Search or filter scenes and navigate directly to a scene. Select a character to see appearance counts and use Previous/Next to visit their cues.

You can resize, move or hide the Navigator. Reopen it through View → Navigator or Ctrl + Shift + N.

Select a character in the Characters tab and choose Rename character. The new name appears in uppercase as you type. Review the occurrence count and any merge warning before confirming.

Renaming can replace occurrences throughout the screenplay, including action and dialogue. The replacement is one undo step.

Press Ctrl + F for Find or Ctrl + H for Find & Replace. Case-sensitive and whole-word options help narrow the matches. Review the confirmation before Replace All; the operation can be undone in one step.

Manual save commits the screenplay to your chosen .sm file. Previous-save backups retain earlier saved versions locally. Recovery copies quietly protect unsaved content in the background.

Recovery normally checks modified work about every 30 seconds and avoids rewriting unchanged content. Successful recovery does not change Last saved; a recovery failure is shown so you can save manually.

Use the start screen’s Recovery tab or File → Recover local copy. File → Open a previous save lets you select an earlier backup of the current screenplay.

With an active license, recovery and previous-save copies open as separate unsaved documents. Use Save As to choose a destination; their source copies remain available. In restricted mode, you can read and export existing copies without editing them.

SceneMason’s backups and recovery copies live on the same computer. Copy important .sm files to another device as well, especially before changing computers or making major revisions. Local recovery cannot protect against losing the whole drive.

Monthly is $2.99 per month for 1 device. Annual is $24.99 per year for 2 devices. Both include all SceneMason updates while subscribed. Annual saves $10.89 compared with twelve monthly payments.

Compare the two plans →

Activate with the SceneMason license key from your purchase email. Initial activation requires internet access. After activation, normal writing works offline for up to five days since the last successful subscription verification. SceneMason checks periodically when online.

Use Help → License → Check license now if verification is overdue or you have renewed. Licensing is separate from your local screenplay content; verification does not upload your screenplay.

A previously activated installation switches to read/export-only mode when its license becomes inactive or online verification is overdue. You can still open, read and navigate existing .sm files and export PDFs. Editing and creation require an active license.

Connect to the internet and use Help → License → Check license now. You can also renew or activate another license through that dialog. Cancelling a subscription does not remove access before the paid entitlement ends while the license remains valid.

On the activated computer, open Help → License and choose Deactivate this device. Connect to the internet and wait for confirmation before activating elsewhere. Monthly supports 1 device; Annual supports 2. If deactivation fails or the old computer is unavailable, contact support.

Lemon Squeezy handles checkout, recurring billing and subscription management. Use the subscription-management link in your purchase or billing email. If you cannot find it, contact support. All updates are included while subscribed.

Make sure your license is active and you are in an editable mode: both Read mode and subscription restrictions prevent editing. Press Escape to leave Read, or to close a popup that is already open. Click in the screenplay and try the appropriate Quick Create shortcut again. If the subscription is restricted, use Help → License to verify or reactivate it; Escape does not remove that restriction.

Keep SceneMason open with your edits. Use File → Save As to save to another writable folder or a new filename. Check that the destination drive is connected and has free space.

If another application changed the file, SceneMason protects it from being overwritten. Save your current version separately so you can compare the copies.

Reopen SceneMason and check the Recovery tab before continuing. Open the relevant copy, inspect it and use Save As. A recovery copy may not include changes made just before the interruption.