makeup, hair, lighting, camera, and wardrobe departments, dressing
room trailers, honey wagons, personal trailers for the director, stars, and
others, picture cars, and all rental cars for cast and crew. The coordinator
also hires and manages the transportation captain and drivers.
"Transportation is an art," says transportation coordinator Bob Foster.
"It's the art of putting big trucks in little spaces."
Special Skills
A commercial driver's license and experience driving big trucks are
necessary. Union productions require drivers to be members of the
Teamster's union.
Expanded Job Description
Prior to being put on payroll for an upcoming television series, Foster
will have already arranged for rental cars for the production staff. His
first day on payroll, he sets up his work space within the production
office and meets the various crew members he will be working with.
His next tasks are to read the script and take notes of picture cars and
other vehicle needs, then obtain a list of locations and acclimate himself
to them, making note of potential concerns. For instance, the production
plans to film while traveling down a particular road. Foster's job is to
point out that a certain bridge along the road has an 11-foot clearance,
but all the trucks are 13 feet tall.
When a production is produced by DreamWorks, which requires that
all drivers pass a drug test before being hired, Foster is responsible for
making certain that testing is completed.
Before the rental vehicles are assigned out, he ensures that a purchase
order has been processed for each and that each is insured. "Whether I
get a piece of equipment from Georgia, Florida, or wherever, before that
vehicle leaves to come to me, it has to have insurance on it." Next, Foster
makes a list of the trucks and trailers required by each department, from
property to makeup, camera to wardrobe. He must also determine trailer
requirements for individual cast members, some being predetermined by
contractual obligation.
Foster then concentrates on acquiring the needed equipment and
hiring drivers. In the course of making these arrangements, he will go
with the location manager to scout various locations. "They will be
looking for me to tell them whether we can park all the trucks in a partic-
ular lot or if we need more room." He also goes out with various tech
scouts to determine where the generator and lighting will be set up, and
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