[FAQ] Electronic Prompt Copies

[Dre2387]

Hey, I'm new to this site, but I have SMed about 2 shows, working on 2 more, and might have another one coming up soon.  I read about an OCR program.  Which one is the best to download and also free?  thanks!

[hbelden]

I don't even think the expensive $300+ programs do a great job with OCR.  Mine ends up with ten or fourteen mistakes per page.  I'd like to see the free one that had fewer than forty mistakes per page.

[johnmurdock]

i did this recently with my production of Annie Get Your Gun at Baylor University . It worked very well!  I got the example from Matthew Shiner.

Thanks,

John Murdock

[dramabrit58]

OK so I am a little confused.  Do you retype the entire script in Word or do you scan the pages in to a specific program?  When I have scanned in text into word I am unable to do any editing at all.  Unless you can just add the comment points etc.  I would be very interested in learning how you guys do all this.  I have stage managed quite a few shows and I general photo copy the script and then write in the cues and blocking by hand.  Doing it so it is legible for anyone to read would be wonderful.  Any advice will be accepted.

Thanks

Dramabrit58 otherwise known as Tamara

[MatthewShiner]

Three ways . . .

1) Retype the script

2) Scan it with a scanner and OCR, creating a word document.  (This takes awhile, and there is editting involved.)

3) Just be lucky.  My theater types and formats all the scripts in word documents.

[Mac Calder]

In the interests of clarity, I have removed all script requests from this thread (excepting those that 'value added')

I would prefer all requests were made via Private Message (click the button under the persons avatar) - or if the people offering samples are willing, provided it is only a small sample (ie not likely to violate copyright), post it as an attachment

Rgds

Mac

[dramabrit58]

Please refresh my memory, I know what scanning is but what is OCR.  I am still in the learning mode here and would like to streamline the way I do things. 

I am calling a show at the moment but there is the possibility I might have to drop everything and go and attend to a sick relative.  I would like to be able to give my replacement an easy transition.  By the way, I really enjoy the information everyone shares on this web site.  Keep up the good work everyone.

[Mac Calder]

Optical Charactor Recognition - basically, image to text

[MatthewShiner]

Optical Character Recognition (I think)

What it does is read the document and convert the image of a letter to actual editable text - usually for input into a word processing program.

[dramabrit58]

Thank you, thank you, thank you.  I discovered that there is already an OCR program within the Microsoft Office Suite at least in the XP edition.  I have yet to install it bubt when I do I will let you know how it works.  I am really excited by this system cos it will mean I don't have to photocopy, cut the script, glue it onto cardstock and place it in a ring binder    times two because I do one for blocking and one for calling the show.

I am all for streamlining work if I can but I still want to be efficient.

[KMC]

dramabrit, let me know your findings - it will be interesting.  I've always thought it would take just as long to proofread and format the script once it's scanned into a word document as it would to type it in yourself (depending on your typing skills).  And when you type it yourself, you've got the benefit of learning the show inside out.

[MatthewShiner]

From my experience, either proofin at OCR document or typing it yourself; you end up learning the script inside and out.  I actually find tht typing it is a wee-bit faster, but I am a pretty quick typist - although, as everyone here can attest to, not the most acurate. 

I am lucky now, my script is typed for me by the artistic department.

[Fireguy551]

I tried to find Callout in Word and couldn't find it. What is callout?

Fireguy: I tried to do what you were doing but it didn't work. I protected the document but then it either made it a comment which put a date and the work COMMENT in the box OR it just highlighted it in the text. Is there something that I'm missing.

The only way that I can do cues in word is text boxes. They work really well but it is a complicated procedure. It takes awhile.

in Word 2003 you have to select Original showing Markup in the review toolbar and unfortunatly it says "Inserted: JHKJH"  I believe there was a previous post that said how to remove this.

[MatthewShiner]

Call Outs are located in drawing tools . . . it is basically a text box attached to a line, you place the line where ever you wish, and then place the text box.

[dramabrit58]

I've always thought it would take just as long to proofread and format the script once it's scanned into a word document as it would to type it in yourself (depending on your typing skills).  And when you type it yourself, you've got the benefit of learning the show inside out.

OK, so I tried to scan in a page of a script using the Microsoft Office tools for OCR it did a gret job until I tried to open it in Word.  All I got was symbols and unrecognizable characters.  I think you may be right about typing it oneself.  I am a fast typist so it wouldn't be a problem.  Yes I also agree that it would benefit me in as much I would know the show.  So I am thinking in the long run scanning is not optimum.  Thank you all for your various tips and advice.  I may have to go the old route of handwriting.  Luckily my handwriting is legible.