Personal Computers / Laptops:
It is highly recommended that students in the Writing for Film, Television, and Emerging Media program have their own laptops. The laptops may be either Macs or PCs, but a laptop computer is recommended over a tablet or smartphone for coursework and class activities.
Personal laptops are useful for numerous course projects, including in-class writing exercises and course presentations. Students will also use their laptops for writing screenplays and for participating in class workshop critiques, where they will read and share notes on the work of their peers.
Additionally, students will be expected to watch media content (films, videos, television programs, etc.) for several of their courses outside of class. This content will typically be available via each course’s online learning site, called Canvas, which students can access via their personal computer. A student’s laptop should therefore be capable of connecting to the campus’s Wi-Fi network and should be able to play streaming media content via a web browser.
Students who are considering buying a new laptop for school may wish to wait until they arrive on campus since educational student discounts are available with an official Ithaca College ID.
Screenwriting Software and Format Guide:
Students in the Writing for Film, Television, and Emerging Media program are expected to own a copy of Final Draft, the industry-standard professional screenwriting software. An educational version of this software is available at a lower price than the standard version, which may be purchased with an official student ID.
All students will be required to write screenplays in their classes, which must adhere to proper industry-standard screenplay format. Screenwriting software will aid with this, but students should also purchase a copy of The Hollywood Standard by Christopher Riley, which is a reference guide for proper screenplay format. This book, along with Final Draft, will be utilized during each student’s first semester courses.