Good day.
I want to thank the members of the committee for having us here. My name is Marc Robitaille. I have been working as a screenwriter in Quebec for the past 12 years. I'm here today to speak to you briefly about the impact that training has had on my work and on my career.
I work primarily for the film industry. I have also written several books that have been published as well as some screenplays for television. Last year, one of my screenplays made its way to the big screen—it's now available on DVD— while another film based on one of my screenplays is scheduled to be released before the end of 2009. In addition to writing screenplays, I work as an advisor on other projects and occasionally, I teach screenwriting, for example, at the Canadian Screen Training Centre.
In a field to which many are called, but where few are chosen, I have been fortunate indeed to have some of my screenplays produced. In this business, timing is everything, but there is another reason why I have had some success in the field of screenwriting. I think it's because I have had an opportunity to meet people in the business who have helped me to understand and learn the ropes. Where did I meet these people? In most cases, I met them while I was taking classes and attending workshops. Between the ages of 30 and 40, I had several opportunities to train with experienced screenwriters who worked in the business and were prepared to share their knowledge of what they had learned along the way. I received this training while attending programs offered by the CSTC, the Canadian Screen Training Centre, as well as from experienced authors from France, the United States and Canada.
The knowledge acquired while attending these workshops still stands me in good stead years later in my career. These individuals taught me the basic principles of screenwriting, and they taught me to strive for excellence. In addition, while learning alongside them for many weeks, I was able to appreciate that screenwriting was indeed a real career and that it was possible to actually become a screenwriter. Of course, I continued to perfect my craft and to work as a writer in the months and years that followed. When my courage would waver or when I lacked motivation and wondered if I would ever succeed, I could always go back and attend classes and in the process, revive my passion for my craft and regain my conviction that I would be successful.
When I first became interested in becoming a screenwriter, I was told that it would take me 10 years to succeed in this business. I convinced myself that I wouldn't need that long to reach my goals. But ultimately, it did take me exactly 10 years. However, I'm convinced that had I not had access to the programs offered by the CSTC which I spoke of earlier, I would not have persevered for 10 years; I would probably have given up on my craft much sooner. Programs such as these are the true reason why people like me continue to be passionate about their work.
Thank you very much.