How to Import a Script
Goal: Get your existing screenplay into ACT3 AI so it becomes a structured project with acts, scenes, and shots ready to work with.
ACT3 AI accepts Final Draft exports (.fdx), PDF scripts, and plain text. The importer reads standard screenplay format and parses scene headings, action lines, character cues, and dialogue automatically.
Steps
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Open your project. From the Projects dashboard, open an existing project or create a new one.
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Go to Import. In the top menu, select Project → Import → Script. The import dialog opens.
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Choose your file. Drag your
.fdx,.pdf, or.txtfile into the upload zone, or click Browse to select it. You can also paste raw script text directly into the text box. -
Review the parse preview. ACT3 AI shows you how it has read your script — scene headings become scenes, action lines become shot descriptions, dialogue lines are tagged to characters. Scan for any misread formatting.
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Fix any formatting issues. If a scene heading wasn't recognized, click it in the preview and manually mark it. This is rare with properly formatted Final Draft exports.
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Confirm the import. Click Import Script. ACT3 AI builds your project structure: Acts → Scenes → Shots. This usually takes a few seconds.
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Review your project tree. Open the left navigation and confirm your scenes are organized correctly. Scenes appear under their acts; each scene has a placeholder shot list ready to develop.
Next steps
- Use the script editor to make edits after importing
- Link script characters to actors to connect cast to dialogue
- Set up a shot to start building your shot list