reply to u/pricklypearssoda at https://reddit.com/r/Screenwriting/comments/1u3hp5q/should_i_drop_99_on_student_discounted_access_to/
Should I drop $99 on student discounted access to Final Draft for industry standard formatting?
Why buy into a "system", much less one with recurring costs? Formatting a script is the lowest bar in the space. A third grader could easily do this.
Even a vintage typewriter with a pica typeface will allow you to set margins, a few tabs, and you're on your way. It's the writing that's the tough part. Spend your time and energy on this part where it really belongs. Software isn't going to suddenly add creativity, emotion, or verve to your work. The "industry standard" of unsold and unproduced screenplays is the one you really want to worry about.
Preston Sturges, Billy Wilder, Charlie Chaplin, Orson Welles, William Golding, Woody Allen, Francis Ford Coppola, Paddy Chayefsky, Robert Towne, Frank Pierson, and Steve Tesich all have something in common: they won Academy Awards for best original screenplay without using screenplay software. Why couldn't you? Why shouldn't you?!?