Film/Entertainment Industry Jobs?

All of the guys who worked Minnesota made movies,Mighty Ducks,Grumpy Old Men, Beautiful Girls etc, back in the 90s, when the state offered incentives worked regular teamster jobs. UPS, Target, etc and took time off or worked weekends. Not sure that works today due to HOS rules.
Maybe get on PT with UPS or another union outfit. Ask at the local teamster office about movie crew work.

I did entertainment for 6 years late 80s to 92. Country and race teams were their own thing. Same with network or cable broadcasting teams.
Some already mentioned focus solely on music concerts but others do all kinds of entertainment transportation.
From opera to dance troops to Broadway show tours and trade shows.
I started by doing a 1 truck, 1 bus tour and worked my way up by proving myself.
You won't find anyone who can't do the job in the industry.
Reputation is key here and you must get on with everyone!
It used to be good money and hotels every night but that's history.

You can live anywhere to drive tours since you won't be getting home except maybe if there's a show in your town.
Usually 9 plus months at a time, depends on how much work they booked for a season. Low seniority guys go home during winter.

Try Drive for UPSTAGING
in Chicago or
Drive With Roadshow Services LLC out of Nashville and S.F.
Lots of fun with good people but definitely a younger man's game unless you're older and not lost the wanderlust that trucking sometimes beats out of you.

 

This is true. Im leased to Landstar and did a thing in Florida. Mpls to Florida sit for 8 days in a motel and back to Mpls for 18k (5000 pounds in the box). Bobtailed around doing the "tourist thing" while I was there.

 

Yeah, I did one for Universal Studios, Fast and Furious: Hobbs & Shaw when I was with LS.
Had all their promotional Stands, cardboard cutouts of characters and a bunch of equipment, weighted about same 5-7k lbs

 

Entertainment transportation has many meanings. I have several friends that are career production people in film, touring musicians and Broadway stage shows. Each is very different. Touring Broadway are usually non-union drivers, with Clark Transfer one of the biggest providers but they are all owner operator. Music is dominated by companies like Upstaging that does mostly the lighting and sound rigging and Roadshow. Another avenue for entertainment transportation is to get hooked up with a tradeshow company. I know I work about a dozen shows a year as an exhibitor or show promoter and the Teamsters in transportation they are very well paid.

Movie, tv and other video production is mainly Teamsters MP division. If that is the work you really want to do I would find your local Teamsters hall and inquire. Here is their webpage Motion Picture and Theatrical Trade Division

My brother in law is a scenic carpenter, which means he builds tv, stage and movie sets. In his production house they do have a few truck drivers. His union is Home - IATSE, The Union Behind Entertainment so you may also see if they have any transportation openings or can point you in the right direction. They do also allow non-union touring trucks to handle their freight, all depends on the artist or producer and their contract demands.

I will say, I worked as a specialized contractor with Albuquerque Studios using my rotator tow truck on several major movie sets to reposition vehicles and other wheeled objects at the direction of the Set Decorator and it was gravy work. I was able to do the job as a specialist, however they did pay me union scale and took IATSE dues out since I working for the set dressing team so it wasn't technically "transportation" All I know is on my favorite movie set, Transcendence, my boss was a 26 year old Columbian girl named Florencia and she was a sweetheart!

A good friend of mine, who used to work with me in towing, left to work for the studio and now only works one or two productions a year yet gets full time pay and benefits. Gravy once you have put in your time and paid your dues to get high up on the seniority list.
In movie production be prepared to do most anything, the production company arranges for the drivers but you may be driving for several different companies in the same day which is why the MPAA petitioned the FMCSA for an exemption to the ELD rule. My buddy has driven as many as ten trucks for ten different motor carriers in one shift, or some days moved one truck a few feet and got paid to standby the rest of the day. Now he does complain about starting by moving the shower and restroom trailers, kitchen and other dirty, labor intensive jobs, but eventually he landed a sweet gig as a lead and gets to not only pick the shows he works on but also the driving position he personally does.

 

TV and film production are big in Georgia. There is an Atlanta area company called Lightnin' Production Rentals that I have noticed provides all kinds of mobile equipment for shooting locations. I'm not in the industry so can't give you much more info beyond what I've seen, but maybe it's a foot in the door opportunity.

 

I’ve always wanted to pull a production trailer for Monday Night Baseball or ESPN…..
I started out trucking for a dance competition, company named Starquest. Didn’t pay well but was fun and interesting. The tour only lasts 7 months a year though. I figure when I retire I’ll go back and do some sight seeing.
We would unload on a Wednesday or Thursday usually and load back on Sunday night. I would drive to next theatre and stay in hotel. After crew got there, they would throw me a set of rental car keys and say see you in a few days…..

Check around for support companies. I used to see lighting crews that had CDLs and the would drive, set up, produce and wrap up….

 

My buddy who took over for me in the late 80s doing small 1 truck 1 bus shows got on w Feld after and said he could work year round if he wanted to never go home.
He drove Sesame street and Disney on ice tours.
Same deal where you get to venue, set up for weekend show, load out on Sunday/Monday. Rinse and repeat.
Not R&R money but steady, and back then we could still deduct expenses.
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