What is the life of a Mariner?

HELLO ALL!! I’m currently developing a new series for CMT that will focus on jobs with rotational schedules and the effects they have on families and relationships…think “Deadliest Catch” or “Ice Road Truckers” with a family twist. We are interested in how these professions affect the FAMILY unit and how each side deals with the long periods of time apart, not just the rigors of the profession itself. I’m looking for teams, individuals and couples who are currently in the industry to share their experiences with life on the road and how it affects both sides. With how important this industry is to the American economy, it is equally important to highlight everyone that helps make it go, including the support or lack there of from family at home.

I would love to speak with anyone interested in knowing more about this project and hopefully we can work something out! I am very green on the life of a mariner and am hoping that people in this forum can help me get a better understanding of the different positions, duties and challenges involved. Please shoot me an email and we can go from there! Thanks for your assistance.

Gabe Griggs
Casting Coordinator
495 Productions
(818) 840-2750
castingproducer3@gmail.com

Here we go again.

One suggestion would be to film this down in some of the inland areas of Mississippi and Louisiana, now that would make for entertaining TV. LMAO.

or sit outside a bar in dutch by the payphones and film the drunk guys calling home. Eventually one of them will call their house and Sancho will answer. You can show the world why payphones get destroyed.

Sad but true. No thanks to the “here comes Honey Boo Boo” crap, I don’t see much future for reality TV shows.

This is actually to focus on the lives of Mariners and the effects of these types of jobs on the family dynamic not your typical run of the mill “honey boo-boo” type show…there are MANY different types of reality TV its unfortunate that the only ones people remember are the ones that DO sensationalize people’s lives. I am looking for an ACCURATE account of what this lifestyle is like along with many other guys who work rotational schedules as well…

Lizard lick towing… Authentic. The schedule is 28/7 so very little time at home.

[QUOTE=Tugs;147897]Here we go again.

One suggestion would be to film this down in some of the inland areas of Mississippi and Louisiana, now that would make for entertaining TV. LMAO.[/QUOTE]

Unfortunately, subtitled movies and TV are doomed to financial failure in America.

Perhaps success at a foreign film festival though?

and it would be like a so called “silent film” watching a top notch crew operate elsewhere.

[QUOTE=CastingProducer;147909]This is actually to focus on the lives of Mariners and the effects of these types of jobs on the family dynamic not your typical run of the mill “honey boo-boo” type show…there are MANY different types of reality TV its unfortunate that the only ones people remember are the ones that DO sensationalize people’s lives. I am looking for an ACCURATE account of what this lifestyle is like along with many other guys who work rotational schedules as well…[/QUOTE]

The problem is, the accurate account is really quite boring and wouldn’t really garner much viewership. Unless, of course, Jodie comes to visit. . . .

[QUOTE=cmakin;147965]The problem is, the accurate account is really quite boring and wouldn’t really garner much viewership. Unless, of course, Jodie comes to visit. . . .[/QUOTE]

Ha well thats what we’re trying to figure out…what that lifestyle is like. Like I mentioned before I’m looking for the FAMILY dynamic so that doesn’t mean the focus is on the everyday tasks of a mariner per se, but how that time away affects home life. The focus isn’t how many containers come in or watching a captain steering a cargo ship, etc. its more about the effects of these jobs, whats going on at home, how they handle missing holidays, birthdays, etc. Trust me this stuff is NOT boring…But without anyone willing to actually share what it is they go through, the general public will never know. It also allows people who may not know about this career or do know and never really knew what in encompasses to see what they’re getting involved with should this be the field thats chosen.

I don’t think it’s really a big deal. For the most part kids are born into families where a parent already goes away on a boat, it’s all they know from day one. Kids cry and bitch but that’s what they do. Most people have more time at home to spend with family than 9-5 people. Example is my wife (with a flexible schedule also) and I ski weekdays, go out to drink on weeknights, and when we have kids can take Them to do activities that would otherwise be crowded and chaotic on weekdays rather than weekends. My experience is its a better lifestyle, we don’t annoy the shit out of each other every day of the year.

If there’s an issue with the house, car, whatever the wife calls me for advice, if she can’t get ahold of me she has a father, father in law, brothers Etc close to home to help out. I return the favor when I am around. Don’t personally see tv material, just decent human beings.

I get a sense that CastingDirector is for real and a bit of cooperation may be in order.

You guys see your day-to-day out on the water as routine and not all that exciting. But there are a zillion 9-5ers that drive to the city, grab a snack at the coffee shop, go to their windowless cubical and stare at a PC monitor all day long, They think your lives are AWESOME. They want to know what’s it really like work a job outside, on the water, where shit actually get done. They also long for a way to free themselves of their white collar bondage and follow a suppressed dream.

Hell yeah, there’s an audience for a show like this.

It would also get mariners a bit more recognition and respect.

Hey Casting guy, I’ve heard there are freighters with extra rooms that will permit paying passengers a ride along. Maybe you should use that venue. You mix with the crew, bring along a camera and you have your first episode.

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He doesn’t give a shit about what we do for a living, he just wants to put a couple families misery on the screen for ratings

[QUOTE=Traitor Yankee;147989]He doesn’t give a shit about what we do for a living, he just wants to put a couple families misery on the screen for ratings[/QUOTE]

Or that…

Misery gets ratings…Drama gets ratings… Fishing for a story that just isn’t there.

Yeah…thinking about this some more, reality TV is to entertain, not to inform. ( Except Dirty Jobs and Mythbusters of course)

No matter how noble the concept, they typically devolve to personal drama. .

[QUOTE=Jetryder223;148022]personal drama. .[/QUOTE]

And this guys has been upfront specifically looking for personal drama.

Still sounds pretty boring. . . .

This is for CMT which brought you:
[video=youtube_share;hzXajVc8QW8]http://youtu.be/hzXajVc8QW8[/video]

A show where like half the cast has been arrested for stupid shit that makes Cops such a success.

Yea this guys really interested in showing the “Human” side of things.

Plus I doubt any boat company with an ounce of sense is going to allow a camera crew on it’s boats to film for a “reality” TV show. To much dam liability.

Although Shane might give it a try, he does love NASCAR and I’m sure Party Down South’s core audience are all NASCAR guys too. But it does come back to that ounce of common sense thing…

Also look where this is posted. In the TAMMA section. Why here? I think to help perpetuate the myth that IQ’s drop once one goes south of the Mason Dixon Line.

Actually, I never asked for personal drama, I asked for accounts of what it is like being on the sea for long periods of time and how it affects families. Every one has an “idea” of what they think I do as a producer but in fact you do not. Not to be offensive to anyone in this forum but the same way people have no idea what it is you guys do, the same goes for my profession. There’s a lot of research and development that go into all of the ideas you see on television no matter what the content is and its not just putting people in front of a camera to look dumb as you may see it. If you think this lifestyle sucks and its boring then fine, but why troll this post when all I am asking for is information. IF you do not want to help, thats fine, don’t. But there was a time when if you wanted information from someone about something, YOU ASK. That’s the school I come from. JetRyder23…I am in fact asking for information and no TraitorYankee I am not looking to put a couple of families through misery!!! And just so I know how is it that I would be responsible for something completely voluntary? The people you see on TV CHOOSE to be there, no one is drafting you to be on a show and on one MAKES you act a certain way. We are all adults and make decisions for ourselves everyday, man that’s pretty unfair. This is to determine whether this is a industry that would even be followed for a television show, its totally up in the air whether this will ever even come to fruition. Either way thank you to those who have responded either personally or publicly, there have been some willing to allow me into this unique world and I appreciate the information. God Speed.