An In-depth Look at Pilots and What They Can Mean to Your Career
By Aaron Starmer
It's the beginning of the year. Networks are evaluating ratings. They're monitoring trends. And they're starting to shoot sample television shows better known as pilots. This is "pilot season," and for an actor, it's the most important time to land a big role. Be prepared, however, to be a little frustrated and maybe even a little disappointed. Acting in a pilot can be a fantastic opportunity, but it does not guarantee television stardom
It's the beginning of the year. Networks are evaluating ratings. They're monitoring trends. And they're starting to shoot sample television shows better known as pilots. This is "pilot season," and for an actor, it's the most important time to land a big role. Be prepared, however, to be a little frustrated and maybe even a little disappointed. Acting in a pilot can be a fantastic opportunity, but it does not guarantee television stardom.
Television typically works on a one-year cycle. While new shows are premiering in the fall, writers and producers are pitching show ideas to networks for the following fall. "It's CSI in a kindergarten class," or "We've got Rosie O'Donnell as the voice of a time-traveling pug." Of the hundreds of pitches a network hears, only a handful are developed into pilots, which are single episodes, that are meant to introduce a show. With so many cable networks there are a large number of pilots being filmed every year.
Pilots are usually cast and filmed between January and April. February and March are hotbeds of activity, with casting directors looking for the best talent. Actors scramble to find roles in what could be the next television hit. Competition is fierce! But if you're serious about breaking into television, this is the time to do it.
The key is to get your name and headshot to casting directors. If you have an agent, they will handle this for you. For someone just starting out, scour the net (including InstantCast.com!) for open casting calls or attend one of the many casting workshops held in places like Los Angeles and New York. We're sorry, but it's unlikely you'll be discovered just walking down the street. Pound the pavement at the beginning of the year, and hopefully someone will notice.
Landing a role on a pilot is a great accomplishment, but it doesn't mean you should uncross your fingers. Most pilots never get beyond the pilot stage. They are filmed very quickly and without high quality music tracks or special effects. Then producers will screen them to network representatives. If they like what they see, the network will bring in a test audience and ask for feedback. Comments from test audiences like "Lose the fat guy!" or "It needs a fat guy!" can change the show before it even goes to air. If the screenings are unsuccessful, the pilot may be shopped around to other networks, but usually it's dead in the water.
If the pilot is deemed promising, it will be "picked up," which is to say the network will agree to fund a certain number of episodes, usually around 13. The network will then announce its new fall schedule in May at "Up-Fronts," a media event where actors are paraded around and advertisers are wooed with promises of new hit shows.
If you're acting in a "picked up" pilot, you are almost, but not quite, there. The important thing to remember about a pilot is, it isn't necessarily the first episode of a television show. It's usually a rough sketch, or an audition tape more than anything. It displays the show's potential, fills in the back-story, and introduces characters.
A network may choose to rework and recast a show before filming actual episodes. They may, in other words, "lose the fat guy." While some pilots serve as a show's premiere episode, many never see the light of a television screen. For instance, the pilot episode of 30 Rock had comic actress Rachel Dratch in one of the leading roles. When the premiere episode aired, the pilot was shelved and Jane Krakowski had taken Dratch's place. Dratch was relegated to playing bit parts.
Don't become discouraged if a pilot you've starred in doesn't get picked up, or if you find your role recast. Besides providing valuable acting experience (and a little money), a pilot has put your face in front of influential people in the business. You're likely to be given another chance. Matt LeBlanc acted in numerous failed pilots before becoming Joey on Friends. No one can say his persistence didn't pay off. So stick with it. Be persistent. Maybe we'll see you on TV next fall!
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