Scott McGuirk is a 2016 graduate of the Children’s Media program. Working as a freelance screenwriter and story consultant, Scott has been working full-time at this role since the end of 2019.
What’s the most interesting thing you’ve done professionally since leaving the School of Communications, Media, Arts and Design?
I landed a Project Manager role for a kids app (Dotopedia) the same month I finished school. It sounds intimidating, but I actually felt extremely prepared going into it because of what I learned in the Children's Media program. I literally applied everything I learned from my digital media courses to complete the project successfully, and a success is exactly what it was - the app got hundreds of thousands of downloads worldwide and won some fun awards.
What’s your favourite memory from your time at the school?
The Children's Media program was an extremely fulfilling and enriching experience, and I have a lot of fond memories from it. Probably the most timeless one was when a trio of us used green screen technology to create a really fun and campy music video promoting the program itself. You may have seen it! It played on the campus TVs in subsequent years, and the school blog even wrote an article about it. Talk about a brush with fame! :D
How did your experience at the school shape your entrepreneurial goals?
I've always been interested in shaping what my own day-to-day looks like, but it's such a nerve-wracking first step to take. Where do you even start? The Children's Media program really showed me the breadth of opportunities that are available in this industry, but also took things one step further by personally introducing me to many of the high-level decision makers out there - introductions which I leveraged after branching out on my own!
What advice can you offer students who have entrepreneurial dreams?
Working in the trenches at first will help you make better, informed decisions later on. It sucks while you're doing it but jumping through the hoops will sharpen your senses and help you focus on achieving personal goals. I suffered from analysis paralysis for a few years and couldn't choose 'what' I wanted to do because 'liked' everything. Some practical experience in a few different sectors showed me that wasn't actually the case and helped me discover what my true interests and skills were.
What's the best piece of advice you received when starting your business?
Prepare to be out of work for a good year or so! Seriously, you need to have some amount of finances saved up to fall back on (especially in a pandemic, yeeeesh). The early days rain more often than they shine, and you can't be distracted from your goal by wondering how you'll pay the rent; otherwise, you'll lose your momentum and won't move forward at all.
In one sentence, what does the School of Communications, Media, Arts and Design mean to you?
This is the cheesiest thing I've ever said in my life, but it's very true - I 100% would not be where I am today without having taken the Centennial College Children's Media program. Hats off to you Story Arts Centre!
How did you come up with the idea or concept for your business?
It was a natural progression for me. I was in a Script Coordinator role and was super jealous of all these writers getting paid big money for doing such fun things, so I simply made it my goal to do the same.
What have the results of your business been?
Not great! lol. 2020 wasn't the year that I - or anybody - hoped it would be. Fortunately, I nabbed a few Story Consulting roles for some development projects, including a 22-minute dramedy series and some kids and preschool shows. Being versatile in my portfolio offerings is another big advantage that gives me a competitive edge in this industry, and I'm finding that more and more companies are searching for authentic storytellers which I can gratefully provide from the LGBTQ+-front.
What's next for your business?
The hustle! The constant, unending hustle! You'll only ever achieve as much as you put out there, so I'm forever creating new content and scheduling new meetings to help my name percolate throughout the industry. The hustle is unyielding, but you really don't mind it so much when it's in service of something that you like doing and want to grow.
It's your call - tell us something interesting, cool, odd, unique etc. about you or your business.
I conduct all of my meetings standing-up because I think it energizes the conversation and boosts my brainpower. Seriously! Try it on your next Zoom call. You'll be surprised by how dominating you feel!
To find out more about Scott, check out his website, which he updates with news about his career and other creative endeavours, such as his popular comic book blogs (@great.xmentations & @animated.xmen on Instagram) and drag persona (@traylapark on Instagram).
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GRAD-preneur is a weekly series that highlights some of the outstanding School of Communications, Media, Arts and Design graduates who have successfully started their own businesses. This series shares the stories of our graduates and their time at our school, as well as provides valuable advice about being an entrepreneur.