Passion and perseverance is what kept Adam Horowitz and Edward Kitsis driven in the beginning, and it resonates with them today as writers and supervising producers of the award-winning cultural obsession, “Lost.” In an exclusive interview with The Badger Herald, Kitsis jokingly described the obsession as “TV crack.” This television show has captivated and triumphed due to the fantastic characters, exceptional writing, intriguing setting, and the suspense aspect that keeps viewers constantly thinking, analyzing and wanting more. Horowitz and Kitsis jumped into the show mid-season in 2004 and are known in the writing room as “one person.”

As a part of the Jewish Entertainment Spotlight series presented by the Jewish Cultural Collective and University of Wisconsin-Hillel, these UW-Madison alums came back into town for the first time in 12 years to share the magic behind the hit series and their stories of pursuing their dream jobs.

The duo screened the “Everybody Hates Hugo” episode and answered questions from audience members. Their humorous and down-to-earth personalities illuminated through the crowd as they responded to each question. They are on the writing squad, constantly contributing to the show. Besides writing for the show, they are also supervising producers.

The magic of the Horowitz/Kitsis genius began in the VILAS editing rooms when the two were working on their film projects for their Media Production class. They were doing some final touches, and Kitsis realized that his film was playing upside down and could not figure out why. The two bonded in the editing room as Horowitz stepped in to help; this was the beginning for the hit-duo.

The two began to make side films outside of class, and the more they created, the more they realized this was what they wanted to do with their lives. Kitsis became an assistant to the well-respected producers Scott Rudin and Joel Silver, while Horowitz worked a small Beverly Hills talent agency. The two respectively did everything from serving coffee to dropping off wives of producers at the airport. They both agreed that every experience allowed them to understand Hollywood and gave them a solid foundation for what was to come.

“Lost” has surfaced in a time when television really needed a makeover. After the exhaustive explosion of reality shows, the death of quality sitcoms such as “Seinfeld,” “Sex and the City,” “Six Feet Under,” “Friends” (the list goes on for quite a while), and the confusion that Americans were only interested in absorbing themselves into Paris Hilton, makeovers and dating disasters, it is extremely refreshing to see a show like “Lost” finally helped rescue quality television.

Although it seems slightly psychotic that a show with a simple initial plot of people stranded on an island trying to survive after their plane crashes would be able to conceive such brilliance, “Lost” does it. Not only is this achieved, but “Lost” goes beyond plot; what has driven the shows success is the complexity of the characters.

Kitsis and Rudin credit the flexibility of the format — the fact that you “never know what you’re getting into,” the “brilliant characters” and the flashbacks as an amazing palate for them to be creative with. This creative paradise has been an amazing experience thus far.

So, for all of the cineophilles and aspiring writers, or anyone who wants to enter the world of entertainment, Horowitz and Kitsis summed up five suggestions on how to succeed.

1. Get in and start somewhere. Whether it be serving coffee your entire summer at a production agency or filling papers all day, get in and do something. You will learn about the business and make connections.

2. Be prepared to do nothing that you learned in college and have intelligence belittled. If you want to make it, you are going to have to do some dirty work before you can start applying your academic and creative intelligence.

3. Perseverance. Do not give up; you will be rejected nine out of ten times. Horowitz described Hollywood as “one of the last meritocracies of America,” so keep working hard and someone will eventually see your talent and pick up you. Develop a tough skin, it is a competitive business, and you have to be prepared.

4. Get lucky. Create opportunities for yourself, get discovered, do anything to pursue your dream and you might be lucky enough to get paid to be creative and say, “Wouldn’t it be cool if … ” all day long.

5. Remember, you do not know everything. Hollywood is a collaborative business, and you have to learn to get along with co-workers.

The two agree that the flashbacks are a major contributing factor of why the show is great to write for and why something new is always popping up that the viewers would hardly expect. Clearly illustrated in the episode “Everybody Hates Hugo,” it is revealed in a flashback how Hugo “Hurly” Reyes won the lottery and quit his job at Mr. Clucks, paralleling why he is so unsteady about change. It was not a pleasant experience, and he does not want the newly discovered food to create pandemonium and change. The intricate writing and explanation draws in the audience not only in this episode, but all, as each character continues to be revealed.

After the Q & A session, they pulled out a surprise, much like “Lost” seems to do every episode, with a signed copy of a script and some “Lost” T-shirts. Dedicated fans answered trivia questions to win.