by Lee LaMarche

Whenever I have a new idea or a compulsion to try something new, I often find myself seeking out individuals to make that idea happen.  It’s a simple process of sitting down, writing out a list of people I know, their industries, our connections to each other, and how I might be able to establish or even reestablish a common ground to help develop my idea.  However, I seem to have found a project that has a few more gatekeepers than I am used to.

Over the past year, I have been writing and refining the first season of a new half-hour sitcom.  It’s a light comedy that I think will appeal to many people.  Although the season has been fully drafted, the pilot script is now ready to go.  I have a pitch, a personal story behind it, and anything else that might be necessary to move it along.  The problem is that the next step is quite a ways higher than the one I currently occupy.

When I ask people about what they would do next I often get the response that I need representation.  However, many representatives do not want to see or hear from you unless you’ve previously had a project accepted, sold, or produced.  It’s the classic “entry-level requires five years of experience” conundrum.  And so the problem remains.  It’s also a field that has been kicked in the gut by a recent strike and has quite a number of fascinating loopholes and hidden doorways if you can find them, which I have yet to do.

The thing is, I value tenacity.  I value it in myself and in others.  Because of this, I have been putting in the hours to try and develop interest and even just get my name on people’s minds.  The goal is to become a forethought rather than an afterthought.  For someone like me, someone who does not like the idea of sitting around and waiting for things to happen, this process is frustratingly stop-and-start.  People will give advice but are reticent about sharing contacts.

Let’s face it, most of us get our jobs because we know someone on the inside who is willing to hand our resume to the HR representative.  So far, I’m still trying to figure out the name of the company.  But here’s the thing: I believe persistence is difficult to learn but easy to use.  I come from a family where, even though we never had a pool, my mother always knew who did have one and how to get us invited over for a swim.  It’s in my blood.