Frequently Asked Questions

What are you looking for in my writing sample submission?
Your submission should be as close to 500 words in length as you can get it. Write a letter, an essay, a monologue — choose your form, but write about why this program interests you, what you hope to learn from the program, and where you hope to go from here. We want to make sure that you can write well, but most of all we want to know that this program is right for you and that you’re right for the program.

Somebody told me you go on a pitching trip to Toronto in the spring? What’s that about?
The Toronto Pitch Trip (AKA “The Journey to the Centre of the Universe”) is one of the outstanding experiences in this program. Our students go to Toronto at the end of March and meet with executives at major broadcasters and production companies to pitch their film or TV series ideas. We also meet agents, distributors, accomplished screenwriters and, if possible, attend industry events during our three-day stay. It is a fabulous opportunity to get to meet important players in the industry and get their excellent feedback on your projects. In the past, we have pitched to HBO, The Movie Network, CBC Drama and Comedy, CTV/Comedy/Space, Corus Entertainment (Global/Showcase/YTV), Entertainment One, TVO, Temple Street Productions, a Toronto agent and the Mongrel Media. A number of students follow up with meetings with our pitchees after they finished the program to help them move forward on their projects.

What will I do on my Field Placement?
You’ll spend 40 hours at one or more placements that are the best fit for your abilities, career plans and personality. Scriptwriting students work on film sets as PA’s, in television production, theatre, with local scriptwriters, and sometimes game companies. We try to get you into non-writing positions so you can learn more about how the production process works, make contacts, and broaden your skill set.

What’s the “Hothouse Play Reading series”?
In the winter term, we have three evenings in which students’ ten-minute plays or part of their one-act plays are read by professional actors in front of a paying audience. At intermission and the end of the evening, we have a Q&A led by the Hothouse Artistic Director, which permits audience members to ask questions and offer constructive criticism of the scripts. It’s a very rich learning opportunity, and part of the reason so many of our students are bitten by the “playwriting bug” and continue creating for theatre long after they finish the program.

Will my placement get me a job?
Maybe, directly or indirectly. Many of our graduates get contract work and writing work from their mentors, or are recommended by them to other producers who need writing or production help. Most students love their placements and, with the right attitude, help themselves move up the “food chain” in our growing local industries.

Do I need my own computer?
Yes, this is a “mobile learning program”, so all students are expected to have a laptop. One of the great things about being a writer is that we don’t need huge, powerful, fancy computers. You do need an operating system to run Adobe Premier, the editing software we will use. Good news: the College will supply with you with thousands of dollars’ worth of software e.g. Windows, Microsoft Office, Adobe CS, Corel software and more. See http://www7.algonquincollege.com/byod/device.htm for more information. If you need to buy a new laptop, we strongly suggest you purchase it through Connections – The Campus Store, as they can give you a warranty and offer service that you won’t get elsewhere.

You will have to purchase an educational version of Final Draft, which is industry standard scriptwriting software. You can either download it once you’ve paid your fees and can prove you’re a student at http://www.finaldraft.com/products/final-draft-edu/index.php.

Can’t I just use a tablet or an iPad?
Probably not the best idea. You’ll be doing a lot of writing – so unless you have an external keyboard and can tolerate hours of reading off a small screen, you’ll need a laptop with at least a 15-inch display. Also, Final Draft doesn’t work on most tablets.

I’m a Mac user and don’t want to go over to The Dark Side – is that okay?
Absolutely – many of our faculty work on Macs, the other half on PCs. The College leans more to PCs in its access labs and short-term laptop loaners, though. Final Draft and Adobe CS work fine on both platforms.

Do I need a printer?
Not necessarily. You should be able to do most of your printing on campus, the cost of which is covered by your ITS fees.

I need to work while I am in school. How many hours can I spend at my job?
We know that many students work to help to support themselves and to pay for their education. However, if you work more than 20 hours per week, you may find your workload overwhelming. You’ll have about 20 hours of classes, either face-to-face or online, and you’ll need to allocate another 15-20 hours per week for assignments, research, rewriting, etc. Make success in the program your priority – this may be the only year in your life you can completely devote to writing, being creative, being part of a writing community. I see too many fine writers struggle because their energies are sucked away by jobs, particularly night shifts.

Can I take the program part-time, or maybe just the Screenwriting course?
The program is designed so courses complement each other. For example, the Screenwriting course goes into character development in depth and you transfer that knowledge to writing for TV and video. Dialogue and how actors “use” a script is explored in Writing for Actors, Writing to a specific audience in New Media and Non-Broadcast video, etc. It is possible to do the program over two consecutive years, but far from ideal. If you only want to take one course, e.g. Screenwriting, you’re probably better off to take a night or weekend course in your area of interest.