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Live Truck Companies

8 replies [Last post]
Sun, 01/04/2009 - 19:29
bobtvp
User offline. Last seen 12 years 1 week ago. Offline
Joined: 4 Jan 2009

Hey everyone! I've been lurking this site for quite sometime. I have some questions and I was hoping to get some advice on those questions. I am 25 years old and I have only been in TV for two and a half years. I just recently started directing the 10:00pm news and i've been Technical Directing for 2 years now. I punch on a 4 ME Kahuna switcher. I have used only one other switcher before the kahuna and that was a 3 ME ampex board. I do not remember what the exact model it was. To get to the point I'm intersted in gaining live truck experience. I would like to hopefully one day become a freelance technical director but for now I'm content with just gathering information. I found this live truck company called "The Mobile Television Group" and they do live shoots in Florida. Has anyone worked for this company or know anything else about them? What would you guys suggest I do about contacting the crewer or someone in the company other than the crewer?

Looking forward to hearing what people have to say.

bobtvp.

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Thu, 01/29/2009 - 08:21
#1
Mongo
User offline. Last seen 9 years 40 weeks ago. Offline
Joined: 24 Jan 2007
At my station, the production manager and half of the producers freelance. It was a question I brought up in the interview, and they actually encourage it, as long as it doesn't interfere with your regular job. I've found that freelancing has made me a better TD on my regular job remotes. I'm a lot more relaxed, and I make fewer errors.
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Thu, 01/29/2009 - 00:26
#2
Matt Saplin
User offline. Last seen 2 years 41 weeks ago. Offline
Joined: 29 Oct 2005
I've seen both extremes. On the one hand, I've had employers that think it's a value to have people that are out in the world doing other jobs and other types of shows ... they saw it as an opportunity for me to see different ideas and equipment, without them having me travel around on their dime to see demos and such. On the other hand, I've seen what Mike and Curt brought up. The worst I've encountered is that I wasn't allowed to work for the competition ... understandable, but they meant it on a larger scale. Basically, it wasn't that I'd work for an affiliate across town, but for their group ownership in another town ... they saw that as competition.
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Wed, 01/28/2009 - 23:53
#3
Mike Cumbo
User offline. Last seen 3 years 22 weeks ago. Offline
Joined: 18 Aug 2005
Stephan, I know several folks who have had issues because of freelancing. One operation was a PBS outfit who had a station manager who thought your ideas were owned by the company. The sight of an individual walking around wearing hats and a baggy coat are still fresh in my mind. I know two people who were fired for freelancing. The company they worked for was non union, one venue required union membership. Some genus at the station thought these two people would bring pro union ideas into the shop. They never did. What was funny was that a few years later the staff at that station voted a union in anyways. I can understand management telling a commercial producer not to work at a competing production house, but if ESPN calls how does that really compete with a news operation?
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Wed, 01/28/2009 - 20:03
#4
sahonen
User offline. Last seen 15 years 2 weeks ago. Offline
Joined: 18 Aug 2005
[quote="Curt"]Try to get friendly with people in the market you are in who do sports...not necessarily TD's...camera ops etc....ask who crews them. Be aware that some employers frown upon freelancing so just becareful w/ that...don't want to have issues w/ your main employer.[/quote] Why should any employer care about what you do in the 128 hours a week you're not working for them? If it doesn't affect their bottom line it's none of their damn business. Oh right, the economy, you should be happy you have a job, blah blah. I'm glad I got out of 9-5 work, even if I am making less as a freelancer. Rather be a poor freelancer than a rich office slave.
- Stephan Ahonen
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Wed, 01/28/2009 - 19:25
#5
Curt
Curt's picture
User offline. Last seen 11 years 32 weeks ago. Offline
Joined: 30 Sep 2005
Bob, Try to get friendly with people in the market you are in who do sports...not necessarily TD's...camera ops etc....ask who crews them. Be aware that some employers frown upon freelancing so just becareful w/ that...don't want to have issues w/ your main employer. Curt
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Mon, 01/05/2009 - 20:24
#6
bobtvp
User offline. Last seen 12 years 1 week ago. Offline
Joined: 4 Jan 2009
Thanks guys for your speedy responses. I've checked out the mobile tv website and they do have the links for the crewers and a bunch of other people. My question is should I call any one of those numbers and tell them who I am and where I live? I'm not really sure how to go about doing this. Any advice is greatly appreciated. :)
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Sun, 01/04/2009 - 22:00
#7
Anonymous
MTVG doesn't usually hire TDs directly, they just supply the trucks and EIC.
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Sun, 01/04/2009 - 20:20
#8
Mike Cumbo
User offline. Last seen 3 years 22 weeks ago. Offline
Joined: 18 Aug 2005
MTVG has become the 800lb gorilla in local sports due to Fox Sports being a part owner of the company. By using their trucks, Fox is saving $$ compared to when they must use trucks from other companies. Most of their trucks are built to do two shows, home and away out of the one unit. They are called "dual feeds". The Kahuna has not made inroads into the remote world yet. The switchers you are likely to see are either the Kalypso or the Kayak. There are people who visit here who work on a regular basis for them, doing either the home or second feed. As far as getting an "in", I don't know. I don't know the crewers down there.
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