After creating and producing a video series on gourmet cooking, Jacqueline Forster felt that media production had lost all of its appeal. How, she wondered, could she start developing programs that allowed her to express herself more? With this question in mind, Jacqueline joined Vancouver Film School ’s Writing program in pursuit of her dream.

“It was exciting to be with a group of creative writers and passionate instructors,” Jacqueline said of her experience at VFS. “The instructors had a wealth of experience they were willing to share. We all need that kind of support.”

Confidence for an Elevator Pitch

This support encouraged Jacqueline to enter the film industry with newfound confidence. Once, when she ran into a producer named Paddy Moore, she even got up the nerve to do an “elevator pitch,” refusing to waste an opportunity to run her latest idea by an industry insider.

“Paddy eventually became my mentor,” says Jacqueline. Indeed, Jacqueline finally hooked Moore on an idea for a one hour television show called Sequins. Moore signed on as executive producer and took Sequins to MIPTV in Cannes, where it was picked up by Michelle S. Import Export Inc. for distribution in the French Territories.

“Sequins is a world filled with greed and corruption,” says Jacqueline. “Yet within it there are a few bright lights who shine and bring enlightenment to the other characters, and to us.”

Breaking the LA Market

With Paddy Moore selling the project in France and Canada, Jacqueline took it upon herself to get Los Angeles involved, doing everything she could, including asking strangers for contacts. “Out of sheer desperation to get an LA producer, I would shamelessly hit up all my friends and acquaintances,” says Jacqueline.

And Jacqueline’s shamelessness and desperation paid off when Deborah Davis of Worldwide Media Group bit on the project and signed on as the show’s executive producer.

A Little Rejection, An Even Brighter Future

Of course, not all of Jacqueline’s experiences have yielded as much fruit. With the help of Paddy Moore, Jacqueline pitched Sequins to a Canadian broadcaster who rejected her flat out. For a time, she felt embarrassed and defeated, but she quickly recovered and now offers some good advice when it comes to rejection. “The people along the way who believe in your work keep your spirits buoyed. Look for the champions of your work. Without them, nothing happens.”

And Jacqueline’s future certainly is bright. She is currently at work on a feature screenplay; is supervising a TV pilot rewrite; and is preparing a sitcom pilot for LA. She also gives back to her fellow writers through her website www.life101scripts.com.

“I’d love to see Sequins on the small screen,” Jacqueline says of her aspirations for the near future. “I’d like my business to make a profit, one sale and I’m in the black. I can dream.”