Testing for a network pilot...

Ah, pilot season.  The time when TV networks, studios, and production companies are all scrambling to produce their next big hits and find the next big talent with only the low expectation of capturing lightning in a bottle and having a massive hit on their hands…Er, or at least they’ll settle with making something that tests well in focus groups (more on my personal opinions on focus testing in a later post) with enough promise to get picked up to series. We, at the networks, choose what we think to be our most promising scripts, green light them, hire a director, and get the wheels in motion to make TV magic.  After assembling a dream team of director, producers, studio execs, production crew, etc. eventually, it comes time to find the perfect cast.  These days, it seems a lot more pilots end up on the “cast contingent” slate, meaning that if we don’t find the perfect players for the show, there might not be ever a pilot shoot.  Fortunately, with hard working casting directors and enough effort, the right group usually comes together.

But what does it mean to search for the “perfect” cast?  Is there any such thing in the network’s eyes?  How do we really know better than anyone else what’s going to work and what’s not, because after all, aren’t most things in the creative world subjective anyhow?  Good news for hungry actors is that sometimes finding that perfect male lead with talent and star power to boot doesn’t always mean it has to be someone with a lot of experience.  Sure, experience helps and, whether you’ve cut your teeth on an Australian soap opera or on off-Broadway shows, sometimes doesn’t matter if the powers-that-be are feeling what you’ve got to offer for the character.

Sometimes getting a big piece of talent is exactly what the network (or shall I say the president of the network) wants because it helps get advertisers and publicity, two key elements towards launching a show.  But often times, it doesn’t really matter and trying to find a “breakout” piece of talent or a fresh face can be just as rewarding and beneficial to the long term life of a show.

Ultimately, it will come down to getting the vision of the show runner and the vision of the network in sync as to who this lead is exactly.  For actors in their 30s, it seems many cable networks are looking to cast older, more interesting choices than say the CW or MTV.  They want someone who those in key demographics can relate to, and fortunately for many talented people, this doesn’t always mean it’s the 22-year-old bombshell that America wants to watch on TV each week.

My best advice when testing for pilots – give it your damnedest effort, but remember that at the end of the day, it’s not always about how good you are or how you look, but whether you were the type of person originally envisioned when the pilot really stood out to the powers that be.  We almost always see actors that test, and while different reads are different, there is usually not a “bad” choice.  It just comes down to who that person is and what kind of vibe they’re giving off.  Often times, someone will just come across as too dark or too light for whatever mood the director is trying to create. 

This might not always be what the talent wants to hear --- that it doesn’t matter how good you are, you just might not get the job.  But, hey it’s show biz after all and we all chose to be here because we love it, right?  Eventually, the cards will start to turn out in your favor so just keep doing what you do best and don’t give up.  And saying the occasional prayer might help, too…

Linda Mason