It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year

Wait, wasn't that last month? Actually, it's the best and worst time for me at work. I read TV and film scripts for a living, and create character descriptions for the roles being cast so that agents, managers and actors know what to expect during auditions.

January through April is pilot season, the busiest time of the year. This is when all the networks buy pilots for new series, with an eye toward debuting them in the fall or next January. Actors from New York fly out to L.A. to maximize their chances and there's a general sense of excitement and momentum going into the "upfronts," the big demonstrations from networks to advertisers in which they trot out their new programming slates.

The Good:
I love getting the inside scoop on the most buzzed-about new shows.

The Bad:
I can't tell anyone about them!

The Good:
We're insanely busy.

The Bad:
We're insanely busy. It's not like everything else stops for pilot season, it's just added to it, so we're still reading regular episodes of established shows, as well as film scripts.

The Good:
I can play "Who Should They Cast?" in my head and see if I'm right.

The Bad:
Sometimes the pilot scripts that I love the most don't make it to air, and if it ends on a cliffhanger, I NEVER GET TO FIND OUT WHAT HAPPENS. I still remember a pilot I read in 2006 that didn't get a series pick-up, and I STILL think it would've been a great show, and I STILL wonder where they were gonna go with it.

Screenwriting Tips to Influence the Way Your Characters Are Cast

Attention, Screenwriters:

This Saturday, at CBS Radford Studios, Scriptwriters Network is holding a seminar called Influencing the Casting of Your Script.

Two Breakdown staff writers, who read TV and film scripts and create character descriptions for talent reps to view when submitting clients for roles, will be on hand to discuss how best to write your screenplay characters to accurately convey what you're looking for. The president of Breakdown Services will also be providing an insider's look into the casting process.

For more info or to RSVP, head to Scriptwriters Network.

Reading TV

I've got one of those jobs that could only be a job in Los Angeles (sort of like the woman who hangs out in the fish tank in the lobby of The Standard on Sunset Blvd). Basically, I read television and film scripts and write character descriptions of the roles being cast.

When I first started my job, this was a typical scene at the office:

ME: OH MY GOD! Did anyone see [insert TV show] last night?!?

Awkward pause.

CO-WORKERS: We don't watch TV.

ME: Really?? Because I think it would be so cool to see who they cast and how it all looked!

CO-WORKERS: ...Yeah. You'll get over that.

It's true that I watch less TV now than I used to, but I still definitely geek out over certain shows. Although my favorite program this summer is a reality show on BBC America, How Do You Solve a Problem Like Maria?. It perfectly merges two of my obsessions, Top Model and Sound of Music. What more could I ask for?