WWDC25 Swift Student Challenge Winner
Screenplay Genie
by Alessio Rubicini
An educational iPad app designed to guide users through the fundamentals of screenwriting in an interactive and engaging way.
The Idea.
Ever dreamed of writing a movie? Many aspiring writers are intimidated by the complex formatting rules and structure required for professional screenplays. Traditional screenwriting software can be overwhelming and difficult to learn.
Screenplay Genie was designed to solve this problem by creating an educational experience that makes learning screenwriting fundamentals accessible, interactive, and enjoyable for everyone.
Powerful features.
Effortless learning.
Screenplay Genie is an iPad app that combines educational content with interactive tools to make learning screenwriting accessible and enjoyable.
Interactive Lessons
Learn screenplay formatting and structure step by step through engaging mini-lessons focused on key screenplay elements.
Live Preview
See your script transform into a properly formatted screenplay in real-time, helping you understand professional styling.
Free Playground
Apply what you've learned in an unrestricted writing environment where you can create scenes and develop dialogue.
Fountain Markdown
Use the industry-standard lightweight markup language for screenwriting that's both powerful and easy to learn.
The application.
Screenplay Genie guides users through a series of mini-lessons, each focusing on a key screenplay element. After a quick explanation, users put their knowledge into practice by writing in Fountain Markdown.
As users type, the Live Preview feature instantly transforms their text into a properly formatted screenplay with professional styling—just like in Hollywood. This real-time feedback helps users understand the connection between the markdown they write and the final formatted output.
Once all lessons are completed, users unlock the Playground where they can write without restrictions, creating their own scenes, developing engaging dialogue, and bringing their stories to life using all the skills they've learned.
See it in action.
Watch Screenplay Genie in action as it guides users through the screenwriting process, from learning the basics to creating their own scenes.
A demonstration of Screenplay Genie's usage on iPad Pro 11-inch.
Removing barriers to creativity.
Screenplay Genie was created with the belief that creative skills should be accessible to everyone. By breaking down the complex rules of screenwriting into manageable, interactive lessons, the app empowers aspiring writers to focus on storytelling rather than getting lost in formatting details. This project represents educational technology removing barriers to creative expression and helps users build confidence in their abilities through guided practice and immediate feedback.
The story behind the magic.
Behind every project is a story. I created Screenplay Genie for the Swift Student Challenge to combine my passion for coding with the one for cinema. The project allowed me to explore how technology can make creative skills more accessible to beginners. Read about my journey creating Screenplay Genie and my experience with the Swift Student Challenge.
Explore the code.
Screenplay Genie is built with Swift and SwiftUI, the latest native technologies from Apple. Check out the source code on GitHub to learn more about how it works.