Story Discontinued...

[glaustin]

Hi guys

I just saw that Sy has been discontinued and is going the way of OnLocation. It's a shame, but I'm not surprised. It seems Adobe wanted this one to die for a long time. I tried to use it several times, but the support and guidance was almost non-existent. It could have been a valuable part of the Adobe's so called creative process for video and related work. The fact it did not tie into other products isn't Story's fault...

[Rameez_Khan]

Hey glaustin,

I feel your disappointment!

I assume you have already read this document. In case you haven't, please check out this FAQ for answers: End of service for Adobe Story

Thanks,

Rameez

[glaustin]

Thanks, Rameez. Yes, I read that page. It could have been so different...

[BBH91]

Hi Rameez,

I work for a major broadcaster in LA. I primarily use Adobe Story for my drafts. This development is disappointing and I hope you can pass that on. I hope Adobe tries its hand at script software again, and figures out how to integrate with Premiere (a la script sync) or a line producing organizer - so many parts of the industry benefit from easy script access, and easily organizable script software. Even our all Adobe marketing team in Atlanta could benefit from having the software to cut scripts up in pitching or tracking changes to a promo, since it's not as technical as cutting promos from dailies.

Thanks and tell the Story Team they did a great job. Gonna miss it.

[Neil_Meffan]

It's a shame that Adobe have taken this decision. To be honest it makes no sense to me. Despite the claims it wasn't used by many CC users I've personally used it for my day to day work for over four years and now I'm forced to find (and pay an additional cost) for another package.

It leads me to wonder if our CC subscriptions will be reduced? Now that a £9.99 a month previously packaged software has been removed. CC was supposed to facilitate adding new features or fixing issues more swiftly. Not removing tools which are vital to many people's creative work.

Regards,
Neil

[Screenway_Media]

is anyone else happy to share their opinions?

[Screenway_Media]

I too share concern that Adobe Story is being discontinued having used the software since day one. The software upgrade started off well but was abandoned almost immediately. The facilities that Adobe Story classic version)had were excellent and comparable with what is available elsewhere. I am now researching other screenwriting writing alternatives as an immediate replacement and in doing so reminding myself of the worth of Adobe Story. For the filmmakers who use Adobe products this is a backward step which could be reassessed if enough people ask. Judging by what is available elsewhere you could have a market winner leaving other subscription based software well behind provided you bring Adobe Story CC up to the standard (and then beyond) of its predecessor Adobe Story Classic. Can you reconsider?

[glaustin]

I agree. I think the biggest problem is Sy was so poorly promoted and user support was almost non-existent, many simply didn't know it existed or couldn't unlock its undoubted potential. So it wold be difficult to get a groundswell of support for its reintroduction. With the Pr dolby issue, it makes me anxious the company are sliding towards the consumer market with its video editing software, instead of pro users. Be great if Adobe did start offering refunds when the cut a product, but I somehow doubt it...

[PonderingMedia]

I'm surprised and disappointed by this. Given the diversity of the work we do in our office (and I'm sure a lot of CC users are in the same boat) packaging a script editing tool with video and graphic editing software was a key part of why we invested in CC in the first place. Given how big the market is for script editing software, I'm shocked that Adobe hasn't bothered to use it as a vehicle to upsell consumer friendly video-making tools to the enthusiast class.

But Adobe have only themselves to blame. I remember seeing a post on this forum about how the product needed a more sensible scene numbering tool so that different production departments could make notes on either side of the printed page with the scene numbers at the top of both margins. A developer replied by basically saying 'why would anyone want that?' - well, because it's how art departments work and have worked for a very long time in this part of the world (the UK and Ireland). Others chimed in to agree with the OP based on their own practical experience within the industry. The feature never materialised of course, and there are plenty more examples of developers not being particularly aware of how script-level work is done in the business and resisting making simple changes as recommended by professionals, long-present in their competitors' kits.

This is a huge pain in the ass, it makes CC substantially less attractive for us as we get close to renewing, and I see no reason for a company this size, with this level of market penetration on so many other areas of production, to throw in the towel after not even trying.

[glaustin]

Well said. Adobe have a terrible track record engaging with customers. Just look at the posts on removing the Dolby license from PrCC2018. It seems they just want to give us what they want and not what we need or ask for!

It is such a shame. With better customer engagement they would be unbeatable. But, looking at the Pr boards alone, Adobe are now looking at key professionals giving up their subscriptions...

[zyrlu]

Although I wasn't completely surprised, I was really disappointed to find out that Adobe is cancelling Story.  I took to it immediately and never looked back.  I really like the simplicity of being able to remain in the Adobe world for all of my film-making needs.  It had room for improvement but I already found it simpler and more intuitive then other screenplay writing programs I had previously used.

Having grown with and supported Adobe products over the last 25 years (even when others claimed only After Effects was their only valuable product) , and happily settling into the CC creative suite , I felt Adobe had my back.  Having Adobe manage all of my creative software, made it easy for me to focus on film production.

I convinced others that I worked with to abandon their screenwriting programs and move to Story.  Now we are all scrambling to save our many scripts and look for another platform that offers a comparable cloud sharing program.  Losing this vital component of my film-making process, I feel adobe is cutting corners at my expense.    I find it an untrustworthy move and I feel forced to keep my eyes peeled for other editing/pre and post-production software.

[brendanwals]

I use this program literally every day. How much is it to ask that they simply don't delete it. Like, what? I'm not going to keep paying for CC if they're just going to take things out of the bundle without reason. Super disappointed.

Is there a way to speak to the people who made this decision?  Adobe Story​

[skellyfilms3942]

I use it. I like it. I don't like this. Boo.

[Niamke1025]

It's ridiculous! I chose Adobe Story over other software and now I'm (we're) left scrambling. I should've seen the writing on the wall when we could no longer save files in a Final Draft format. Don't get rid of it; instead correct some of the issues previously mentioned and advertise it as an alternative for other writers. It was great product that was never given the fair shot.

[davidp14071832]

Yes I am appalled that as a paying Creative Cloud  Adobe customer we have been dumped. Terrible customer service too along the way. Why would I want to keep Adobe cloud given all of this if Story stops?

The whole way this has been dealt with by Adobe is nothing short of scandalous.

It is making me look at alternatives for all areas if Story is not reinstated as if they can do this to Story they can do it to anything else in the creative suite - which is way too expensive anyway!

Adobe please wake up, and provide a solution.

[Screenway_Media]

Could I maybe ask each of those who have contributed to this thread if they know of others who use Adobe Story could they contact them and invite them to make comment here to (if they are so minded)?  I hope Glaustin thats okay with you seeing as how it was you who started the thread?

Having now researched many other scriptwriting software packages I have concluded that Adobe Story is the best value with the most valued facilities. I know FD now has Story Maps and Beat Boards which look good but its online collaboration seems antiquated and time consuming. Adobe Story could become the market leader with a bit of resource and commitment from Adobe.

[Screenway_Media]

Sorry Everyone.

I have sent a message to many of the members who have contributed to threads on this forum. If you get several copies in your mail box apologies but what I put in the message I firmly believe.  Adobe Story could be reshaped into what was available in Adobe Story Classic and become the best screenwriting software available. Adobe could also look at Story Mapping and Beat Boards and start leading the field rather than giving up.

[Omar_Cruz]

It really is a shame to see it gone. I seem to remember an Adobe representative talking about aiming for a complete pre-to-post solution some time ago, but it looks like they are shying away from the idea. I used Story for a while, but when the updates stopped flowing and as time passed and I saw it was still not available as a standard CC app, I pulled away, worrying that my work would be lost.

The application was not perfect. But it was also very new, and if it had been incorporated into the pipeline better, I would've stuck to it for sure. I fear this is a case of Adobe not believing in their own products.

For what it's worth, if Adobe was willing to stand by it's product, I'd give it another shot.

[lehestro]

I'm a daily user of many adobe products (premiere, after effects, photoshop, illustrator, lightroom, audition, story) and was really sad to hear about this. I can't say I'm surprised, but I do think they should reconsider. As I've started script writing again in the last few months I have engaged with a lot of people unhappy with final draft and other options, and when I show them story they're really intrigued.

Please Adobe, keep Story alive!

[ProDesignTools]

Hi everyone,

Here is the official channel to express feedback to Adobe:

Feature Request/Bug Report Form

Just select "Adobe Story" in the product dropdown menu.

Sending your comments directly to Adobe (perhaps also with a link to this Forums thread) would be recommended in addition to posting here alone. Spread the word, as well, to other Story customers you know.

[davidp14071832]

Thanks.

On 25 February 2018 at 15:25, ProDesignTools <forums_noreply@adobe.com>

[Winthrod]

Very disappointed they are killing Story. It is a great program and needs to stay!

[chillyche]

In a different thread, I wrote about some of the ways the product COULD have tied into the video production suite, honestly, ways I assumed it would eventually.  I'm just gonna do a little copy and paste action here:

• I, for one, was hoping Story would find integration into the post workflow, through Prelude (if I ever figure out what that's for), Premiere, and After Effects.  At one point in time Avid Media Composer allowed you to tag clips in a bin to a script, so you could literally look through a script and see, "these 2/8th of a page are covered by all these clips here, and the reaction covers this stuff over here."  That's a great integration that one might hope for.
• What about A/V scripts with cells?  You could use a cell like a bin, tossing clips/sequences into cells.  Hell, why not let a script actually assemble a multiclip sequence for you?
• Also, imagine looking at a script in your screenwriting software, and it's dynamic-linked to Premiere, so you can scrub through the current cut by reading the script.  You can see where holes in the sequence are.  This would be pretty sweet in an animation workflow, where sequences are assembled in all sorts of orders.

I'm not a software engineer.  My coding expertise is limited to the long-defunct lingo language of macromedia Director, some light actionScript and MAXscript, so, grains of salt, but I can't imagine that Story could have been as deeply complex a program to maintain as Premiere.  The HTML5 roll-out was so bungled, I think we all sort of realized that Adobe was going to abandon a frankly pretty solid tool. 

In my own work, I use Story because I can access my scripts anywhere, I don't have to worry about google Drive's directory structure and my own folder structure on laptops and desktops and on client computers.  No worrying about uploading or downloading.  And most importantly, my collaborators can also access and edit and comment on scripts, without the constant file-attachment ping-pong that happens with an .fdx.  I'm a professional cinematographer and editor, but I write my own stuff from time to time.  I'm not going to pay for a subscription to Celtx because I'm not getting paid to write, nine times out of ten.  And as mentioned, emailing fdx docs back and forth, or constantly uploading or downloading the docs is a mess. 

I guess what I'm saying is: if Adobe doesn't want to continue Story, will y'all sell it to me, and I'll be the publisher or whatever?

[Screenway_Media]

For information of Pro Design Tools Member.

Clicked on the link you supplied namely http://www.adobe.com/go/wish and it took me back to the Adobe Story Forum window. Selecting either "File a Bug Report" or "Submit a Feature" has a redirect to the original page. The functionality works for other products but not for Adobe Story.

So how could Adobe see this thread? 

Any ideas??

[ProDesignTools]

Hmm. It looks like Adobe Support has circled back the prior feedback mechanism to return to the Forums instead.

Kevin-Monahan​, would you please be so kind as to address these Adobe customers' questions, and/or make a recommendation for them? Thank you!