|
|---|
 ID: 228669 Posts: 87 | Date: 2008-01-29 21:35 An In-depth Look at Pilots and What They Can Mean to Your Career
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 onemodelessencelimited.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!http://www.onemodelessencelimited.com |
|---|
Announcement |
|---|
| From now on 50 activity points will turn into 1 credit, so you may earn credits as easy as never before !!!
All models and photographers are able to moderate photos! We will save a lot of time for moderators this way. Please read the short instruction on how to moderate and earn points very quickly.
Also, models and photographers can moderate part of the profiles as well! This is a fast way to earn some action points and credits! |
|---|
