"Sons of Anarchy" Pilot (2008)

Directors:

Allen Coulter
Michael Dinner

Writers:

Kurt Sutter (creator)
Kurt Sutter (written by)

TV Series:

"Sons of Anarchy" (2008)

Original Air Date:

3 September 2008 (Season 1, Episode 1)

Genre:

Crime | Drama | Thriller

Plot:

A rival gang steals the Sons' stockpile of assault rifles, while Jax's ex-wife's drug overdose leads to an emergency c-section and life-threatening surgery for their baby. |

Plot Keywords:

Motorcycle Gang | Motorcycle | Gun Running | Fictional Town | California

Cast

Charlie Hunnam	...	Jackson 'Jax' Teller
Katey Sagal	...	Gemma Teller Morrow
Mark Boone Junior	...	Bobby Munson
Kim Coates	...	Alex 'Tig' Trager
Tommy Flanagan	...	Filip 'Chibs' Telford
Johnny Lewis	...	Kip 'Half Sack' Epps
Maggie Siff	...	Tara Knowles
Ron Perlman	...	Clarence 'Clay' Morrow
Drea de Matteo	...	Wendy Teller
Ryan Hurst	...	Harry 'Opie' Winston
Theo Rossi	...	Juan Carlos 'Juice' Ortiz
William Lucking	...	Piermont 'Piney' Winston
Sprague Grayden	...	Donna Lerner
Dendrie Taylor	...	Luanne
Mitch Pileggi	...	Ernest Darby
Glenn Plummer	...	Sheriff Vic Trammel
Emilio Rivera	...	Marcus Alvarez
Tory Kittles	...	Laroy
David Labrava	...	Happy
Nicholas Guest	...	John Teller (voice) (as Nick Guest)
Michael Potter	...	Simon
Stevie Long	...	Long John
Jon Jon Briones	...	Asian Elvis
Cameron Goodman	...	Louise Hoffman
James Geralden	...	Male Back-Up Singer
Wandah Kay	...	Female Back-Up Singer
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Thomas H. Adisi	...	Young Jackson Teller (uncredited)
Patrick Clement	...	Poolhall Skinhead (uncredited)
Johnny Drocco	...	Dude seated at bar (uncredited)
Alan Mueting	...	Hospital Visitor (uncredited)
Joda Pyle	...	Nurse (uncredited)
Tony Sagastizado I	...	Mechanic (uncredited)
Jeff Vican	...	Bar Room Brawler (uncredited)

Directed by
Allen Coulter
Michael Dinner

Writing credits
Kurt Sutter		(creator)
Kurt Sutter		(written by)

Produced by
Kevin G. Cremin	....	producer
Michael Lannan	....	assistant producer
Art Linson	....	executive producer
John Linson	....	executive producer
Kelly A. Manners	....	producer (as Kelly Manners)
Skip Schoolnik	....	associate producer
Kurt Sutter	....	executive producer
Craig Yahata	....	associate producer

Cinematography by
Jonathan Freeman		(director of photography)
Edward J. Pei		(director of photography) (as Edward Pei)

Film Editing by
Hunter M. Via
Sidney Wolinsky

Casting by
Wendy O'Brien

Production Design by
Anthony Medina
Scott P. Murphy

Art Direction by
Lori Agostino
Jeffrey Mossa		(as Jeff Mossa)

Set Decoration by
Dena Allen
Sandy Struth

Costume Design by
Melissa Desrosiers
Kelli Jones

Makeup Department
David Abbott	....	makeup artist
Jessica Anderson Crocker	....	makeup department head (as Jessica Anderson-Abbott)
Jeri Baker	....	hair department head
Michelle Garbin	....	special makeup effects artist
Tracey Henton	....	makeup artist
Erma Kent	....	hair department head
James MacKinnon	....	makeup department head (as James Mackinnon)
Natalie Thimm	....	makeup artist

Production Management
Kevin Corcoran	....	unit production manager (as Kevin A. Corcoran)
Kelly A. Manners	....	unit production manager (as Kelly Manners)
Grace Whitehouse	....	post-production supervisor

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Chamonix Bosch	....	second assistant director (as Chamonix G. Bosch)
Cas Donovan	....	first assistant director
James Epstein	....	second assistant director: b unit
Nicholas Fitzgerald	....	second second assistant director (as Nick Fitzgerald)
Craig Harris	....	second assistant director
Tye Lombardi	....	second second assistant director (as R. Tye Lombardi)
Handel Whitmore	....	first assistant director
Phil DeSanti	....	dga trainee (uncredited)

Art Department
Berj Daniel Bedrosian	....	prop maker
Justin Freibrun	....	set dresser
Ethan Goodwin	....	set decoration buyer
Randy Gunter	....	property master
Greg Hamlin	....	construction coordinator (as Greg 'Tiny' Hamlin)
Karl J. Martin	....	set designer (as Karl Martin)
John McHugh	....	construction coordinator
Thomas Moffitt	....	paint foreman/sign writer
Graham Robertson	....	set dresser
Bryan Rodgers	....	property master
A.J. Chatem	....	propmaker (uncredited)
Jamie Collelo	....	property production assistant (uncredited)

Sound Department
Gail Carroll-Coe	....	second boom operator: cable man
Tim Chilton	....	foley artist
Tim Cooney	....	production sound mixer
Bob Costanza	....	sound effects editor
Mark Friedgen	....	supervising sound editor
Erich Gann	....	supervising sound editor
Brian Harman	....	sound re-recording mixer
Sherry Klein	....	sound re-recording mixer
Walt Martin	....	production sound mixer
Ric Schnupp	....	adr recordist
Deron Street	....	first assistant sound editor
David Torres	....	foley mixer

Special Effects by
William Dawson	....	special effects coordinator
Josh Hakian	....	special effects foreman

Visual Effects by
Levi Ahmu	....	visual effects artist
David C.P. Chan	....	digital effects artist
Eroc Moralls	....	inferno artist
Chris Wright	....	visual effects producer
Roy Yang	....	digital compositor (uncredited)
Dave Zeevalk	....	digital effects artist: Zoic Studios (uncredited)

Stunts
Dan Bell	....	stunt double: Bobby
Tim A. Davison	....	stunt coordinator (as Tim Davison)
Toby Holguin	....	stunts
Norman Mora	....	stunt performer
Jean Paul Ruggiero	....	stunts
Ray Siegle	....	stunt man

Camera and Electrical Department
Anthony Anderson	....	chief lighting technician
Anthony Anderson	....	gaffer
Jake Avignone	....	second assistant camera: "a" camera
Danny Brazen	....	key grip
Bill Brummond	....	camera operator: "a" camera
David Carreira	....	best boy electric
Lance Dickinson	....	lighting console programmer
Bryan Fletchall	....	libra operator
Steven G. Fracol	....	b camera / steadicam operator
Josh Greer	....	assistant camera
Darin Krask	....	second assistant camera
Jeff Levy	....	chief lighting technician
Emily Mackley	....	first assistant camera
David Mun	....	first assistant camera
Frank Orozco	....	best boy grip
Michael Rintoul	....	camera operator: "a" camera (as Mike Rintoul)
Bobby Thomas	....	key grip
Ramian E. Williams	....	set lighting technician
Daniel Applegate	....	digital imaging technician (uncredited)
Anthony Lee Beverly	....	rigging key grip (uncredited)
Prashant Gupta	....	still photographer (uncredited)
Tamas Mack	....	assistant camera (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Jean Bone	....	costumer
Tom Bronson	....	costume supervisor
Steve Hicke	....	set costumer

Editorial Department
Todd Bochner	....	colorist
Greg Faluszczak	....	on-line editor
Lauren Pendergrass	....	assistant editor
Kenneth Requa	....	post-production coordinator
Richard J. Rossi	....	assistant editor
Jeff Winston	....	on-line editor
Travis Jackson	....	post-production assistant (uncredited)

Music Department
Dave Kushner	....	composer: theme music
Michelle Kuznetsky	....	music supervisor (as Michelle Silverman)
Charles Sydnor	....	music editor
Bob Thiele Jr.	....	music supervisor (as Bob Thiele)

Transportation Department
Glen Enzen	....	transportation coordinator (as Glenn Enzen)
Chris Gorden	....	picture car coordinator
Cyril O'Neil	....	picture car consultant
Tony Peralta	....	transportation captain
Joey Soriano	....	transportation coordinator

Other crew
John Barcheski	....	production assistant
Brian Beneker	....	script coordinator
Gena Bravos	....	script supervisor
Meghan Burchfield	....	set production assistant
Billy K. Campbell	....	location manager (as Bill Campbell)
Christopher Campbell	....	location manager (as Chris Campbell)
Amy Chaffee	....	dialect coach
Rob Coll	....	production assistant
Zack Kibbee	....	key set production assistant
Donna Nitti	....	production coordinator
Jeff Paduchowski	....	sales promotion manager
Susan Polmanski	....	key accountant (as Sue Polmanski)
Lynnet Price	....	production coordinator
Susie Schelling	....	medical consultant
Tracy Scott	....	script supervisor
James E. Williams	....	key accountant (as James Williams)
Sharif Crawford	....	assistant: line producer (uncredited)
Brandice Lawson	....	set production assistant (uncredited)
Boone Narr	....	animal supplier (uncredited)
Oscar Sosa	....	first assistant accountant (uncredited)
Vincent Tsu	....	title designer (uncredited)

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Kurt Sutter		creator

Makeup Department
Cool Benson	....	makeup artist
Elizabeth Hoel	....	key makeup artist
Rick Stratton	....	tattoo artist (2008)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Jessica Faires	....	dga trainee

Art Department
Kama Hayes	....	art department coordinator

Sound Department
Thierry J. Couturier	....	supervising sound editor
William Jacobs	....	sound effects editor

Visual Effects by
Kristen Branan	....	head of production: Zoic Studios
Michael D. Leone	....	visual effects supervisor

Stunts
Joe Ordaz	....	stuntman
Jeff Podgurski	....	stunt double (2008)
Samuel Reynolds	....	stunt double
Richard C. Taylor	....	stunt driver

Camera and Electrical Department
Darrick Akey	....	second assistant camera (2008)
Thomas Bango	....	first assistant camera (2008)
Mike Cahoon	....	second assistant camera (2008)
Patriq Luo	....	electrician
Dara Norman	....	lighting technician
Steve Peterson	....	first assistant camera (2008)
Bruce Sharp	....	rigging gaffer
Shawn Stone	....	dolly grip (2008)

Other crew
Toby Burge	....	production assistant
Joy Ellison	....	dialect coach
Christian Krieger	....	key assistant location manager
Benji Smith	....	production assistant

Production Companies

• SutterInk
• Linson Entertainment
• Fox 21 (in association with)
• FX Productions (in association with)

Distributors

• FX Network (2008) (USA) (TV)
• 2BE (2010) (Belgium) (TV)
• Cool TV (2012) (Hungary) (TV)
• FX (2009) (Italy) (TV)
• Hrvatska Radiotelevizija (HRT) (2010) (Croatia) (TV)
• M6 Métropole Télévision (2009) (France) (TV)
• RTL Entertainment (2010) (Netherlands) (TV) (RTL7)
• Radio Telefís Éireann (RTÉ) (2010) (Ireland) (TV) (RTÉ2)
• Showtime Australia (2009) (Australia) (TV)
• Super Channel (2008) (Canada) (TV)
• TV2 Danmark (2010) (Denmark) (TV)
• Télévision Suisse-Romande (TSR) (2009) (Switzerland) (TV) (TSR1)

Runtime:

USA:56 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Netherlands:12

Company:

SutterInk

Trivia:

The show takes place in the town of Charming, which has a population of 14,679.

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: Originally, Scott Glenn was supposed to play Clay Morrow, and filmed several scenes of the pilot. After Ron Perlman replaced him, most of the scenes were re-shot, but in several scenes (mostly scenes where the characters are on their motorcycles), it's obvious that it's Scott Glen, and not Perlman.

Quotes:

Clarence 'Clay' Morrow:Two in the back of the head. Quick and painless.
Jackson 'Jax' Teller:It ain't easy being king.
Clarence 'Clay' Morrow:Yeah, you just remember that.

Movie Connections:

References "The Shield" (2002)

Soundtrack:

Plenty Strong, Plenty Wrong

the best pilot in a long time!

This single episode sums up the entire show, gang wars, bike journeys and brawls. Truly one of the greatest shows of all time. The acting in this program is phenomenal. I wasn't expecting much from Katey Segal if i'm honest, because after her comedy roll in 8 SIMPLE RULES, i didn't think she could have pulled of the whole drama thing, but i was pleasantly surprised with a hard-hitting, Golden Globe winning performance. Charlie Hunnam plays the vice president of a biker gang, a part which was brilliantly written. My Favourite character, CHIBS, played by Tommy Flanagan, is a hilarious part well casted. Not forgetting Ron Pearlman's worryingly convincing roll as the gangs president. So a good opening for a good show ;)