Television

Let's skip right over last weekend's uneventful (for Boston films anyway) Oscar awards. None of our locally made films were up for any awards. None of our local actors, directors or crew won a prize. Onward.

The air is warming; the Canadian geese are returning. It's the beginning of a new filming season. The location scouts have been quietly eyeing our town, though the big films are waiting to see which way the MA tax credit vote goes. For the lucky employed few, there's the television pilots.

Our local film crews work equally well as television crews. TV pilots are usually lower budget -- so most crew members make a little less on these. The one exception is PAs... we generally get the same as on a film (which is less than everybody else on set, but more than a McDonald's employee, so we aren't complaining).

Last year, we heard that one ABC studios pilot shot in Boston; two shot in Providence, RI. None of them were picked up by the network to be made into full series. This spring has brought us two Boston pilots, one in Providence. Both ABC and CBS are here this year.

Yes, it's almost spring. Start looking for television film crews setting up around town over the next few weeks. Then before you know it, it's the St. Patricks - Opening Day - Patriot's Day trifecta. Spring is finally coming to Boston!