Is Pilot Season Dead? And if not, is it on life support?
This is a guest post by Alex Collins
No. Yes. Sort of.
That's the short and completely confusing answer. So, before we talk about where the industry is today, let's talk a little bit about pilot season (and episodic season).
Typically, pilot season runs from early January to the end of March/mid-April. It is the time when the scripts that had been optioned/purchased/approved by various networks would shoot their pilot. A pilot is just ONE episode of a show. You all know that. In some cases, those pilots are then shown to focus groups and on the basis of the responses, it dies on the vine and never goes anywhere, or it gets picked up and either a full season is ordered, or a set number of episodes might be ordered. In some cases, a pilot is shot but it already has a pick up, meaning it doesn't have to be shopped around or approved, more episodes are already getting made.
When pilot season winds down in April, sometimes agents go through their add/drop period where they drop actors who perhaps have underperformed in previous months/years, and they add new talent to their roster. Then, in LA/NY, things go on “hiatus” and the summer experiences a slow down. After the July 4th holiday, production/casting offices staff up and episodic season begins, where shows are shot through the Christmas break, including many of those pilots that were picked up.
That brings us to today, where things are a little bit different:
While pilot season does still very much exist, pilots are being shot a)all year, and b)all over the country, especially in production hubs like Atlanta, New Orleans, and Chicago.
Because of this, there isn't the industry wide hiatus that there used to be. There's 500+ channels clamoring for content and 500+ scripted shows being made each year. So, the calendar is full pretty much all year. In Atlanta, for example, there's no discernible drop off for audition volume or production shooting at any time of the year.
A lot of these platforms are creating, producing, and airing their own content, so they don't need to pitch the pilot in hopes that someone will buy it and ultimately air it.
Because many shows on premium cable and streaming networks are limited series, these shows may already be green lit before shooting a pilot, so they may shoot their entire series at once, pilot included, which is really just the first episode of five, seven, eight, or ten.
Speaking of pilot season, so many actors think they have to be in LA/NY to participate in pilot season, or book a pilot, and here's two things that are very important to consider:
Just because you are in LA, does not mean that you'll get to participate in pilot season, even if you have representation. Leads in pilots go to a)names, b)names that get a pilot picked up, and c)actors who are already known by CDs around town and have a great reputation and/or resume. As such, if you're brand new to town, have a limited resume, or aren't well known by CDs, don't put any pressure on yourself or you'll likely be disappointed.
It is possible to book pilots that shoot outside of LA/NY. In Atlanta, actors book pilots every month of the year. Some then don't get picked up, others do get picked up, return to Atlanta, and shoot their season, and others have a full season pick up having been green lit before shooting ever began.
So, the long and the short of it is don't think you need to rush to LA right away. Go if and when it's the right time for you.
For a little additional reading on where we were and where we are, including a list of all current projects, here you go:
Here's where we were at the beginning of 2021 after almost a year of Covid:
https://deadline.com/2021/01/pilot-season-2021-what-to-expect-covid-pandemic-status-2020-broadcast-pilots-1234666959/
And another, similar article, entering 2021:
https://variety.com/2021/tv/news/pilot-season-2021-strategies-1234951752/
Here's the current situation for pilots and episodics:
https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-news/tv-pilots-2022-broadcast-guide-1235047974/
Things are ever changing, and just like your career, flexibility is a key to success.
