For The Future

Speaking on the Sheridan College "Industry Day" alumni panel, I was asked why I create and pitch shows? Why bother?

I answered that it was simply a matter of "that's what you do". You pick yourself up and keep going - what other choice is there?

But the question was answered every eloquently by Bruce Springsteen last night, on the Season 2 finale of "Elvis Costello's Spectacle" - when he spoke about his reason for writing songs: They're for the future.

That sums it all up. You create songs or TV shows or any type of art - for the future. You do this in the hopes that your efforts today will lead to a better future for you and your family tomorrow.

What's that old saying? Better to have loved and lost - than never to have loved at all? It's the same thing in show business. There are millions of people who say, "I could have, would have, should have..." but never do. Who's better off?

Creating/pitching shows are like playing the lottery - but with much better odds. In the year that I sold Freaky Stories to YTV, they had 500 pitches from independent producers - and bought 2. That's a 1 in 250 shot of having your dreams come true. Those are amazing odds.

With the internet and the multitude of channels looking for content, the odds are now even better than that.