I was talking with a friend of mine who knows/knew someone who was on the crew of Survivor a while ago. According to the FOAF, it was a horrible job. Lots of heat, lots of insects, lots of work. Having gripped on a few small projects, I know how hot, dirty, sweaty and fatiguing crew positions can be. But hey, I worked on a film in New Orleans one August doing continuity and schlepping gear for no pay. (Actually, I did get $50 ten years later.) Yeah, it was harsh; but I’d do it again.
So how does one get on the crew of Survivor? I can operate a broadcast camera, I can schlep gear, and I’m not above being a PA. Even given the second-hand report of the harsh conditions, I think it would be a great experience. (And I collect experiences.)
Going to cbs.com, there was a link in the lower left for corporate info at Viacom.com. That site had a Jobs link on it, and that might be a good place to start.
But, yes, to quote a paraphrase of that old line about Ginger Rogers, Survivor camera operators do everything the Survivors do, backwards, carrying a camera. Not easy work. They probably get fed, though.
Not that Thomas has any kind of pull or influence (ha ha! – sorry, honey), but if you think it would be at all helpful to have an internal reference/recommendation, let us know, since Thomas works for Paramount Pictures, which is owned by Viacom.
That could be good. I don’t have to work on Survivor. It would be cool just to work in production. I wouldn’t mind finding temporary digs down there, as long as I had a job that would let me keep my wonderful PNW house-by-the-beach! (Although my friend Jerry, who’s looking at a lot of work coming up, may be disappointed if I’m not around to crew for him.)
Film crews are heavily unionized. The son of friends of ours got himself a kind of internship on a George Romero movie (he dated his daughter) but getting paying work would have been very difficult. I seem to remember an extensive apprenticeship was needed before you got to join the union - and this film shot in Toronto. Good luck, but I bet the crew is Hollywood based, and people wanting to do this work are not in short supply.
Don’t forget about “it’s who you know”. I spent a summer in L.A. and contacted a producer from my hometown. A FOAF situation. I had recommendations from folks who knew my work so he was willing to give me a go on a new reality show set out in the wilderness somewhere. I ended having to come home pre-maturely and guess what I find out later it was Survivor.
And don’t forget the downside of being on the crew. Interns on Fear Factor, for example, are required to test all of the stunts before the players do, including test-eating anything that will be used on the show.
