Pilot season is underway, and… What's that? You're not going on five auditions a day like you're supposed to!?
I'll tell you a big ol' secret… Neither are 99% of working actors. And it's totally ok.
Most of pilot season is a mad scramble by producers to get 'names' attached to their projects, because 'names' have fans, and fans translate to ratings, which is what they want. (Of course fans don't really translate to ratings, which is why so few pilots make it, so it's a little ridiculous that we make such a big deal out of the whole thing, but that's a different post.)
Once the celebrity feeding frenzy is over, the focus shifts to filling in the supporting roles, and that's where working actors come in. How do you get in on that action? Same way you do the rest of the year… Through your relationships, by doing one thing every day, and by focusing on the things you can control. And that's good news, because it means you already have everything you need to join the pilot season party.
It takes time, because building a career is a marathon, not a sprint. We want to fast-forward past all the relationship-building and one-thing-every-day-doing and just GET THERE ALREADY - but that's not how it works. Take it from someone who just won the pilot season jackpot:
I have gotten into baseball recently, and whenever I have trouble... I think about the pace of baseball. It’s slow. You strike out a lot, even if you’re great... My desktop picture is of the Red Sox during the World Series. They aren’t winning; they’re just grinding out another play.
- Greta Gerwig, working actor since 2006, just cast in CBS pilot & 'How I Met Your Mother' spinoff, 'How I Met Your Dad'
So this week, find an image that helps you remember you're playing the long game. Over my desk, I've got this framed photograph of a 'sailing stone' in Death Valley; It reminds me that anything is possible with work, luck, and time. The Grand Canyon is another good one; a REALLY big hole that all started with a tiny, steady trickle of water.
I'd love to hear what you choose.