Going Pro with Adventure Sports - Consulting

Specialty Consulting, Movie & TV Crewing, Expert Witnessing

Feb 4, 2009 David Black

Adventure skills consultants need a high level of competence and work gigs as diverse as solving forensic mysteries, advising foreign governments, and rigging movie sets.

Consulting can be a lucrative business and requires a solid foundation of skills and competence. It's no place for wannabe's and charlatans. In return for the large paycheck, consultants have an ethical responsibility to work hard and a legal one to represent themselves honestly. Often, lives depend on the consultant's ability to analyze or improvise safely under adverse and threatening conditions.

Consulting can be about anything. Among the common consulting gigs are film crewing, expert witnessing, adventure tourism management, and military training. This article focuses on the first two. For more information on Going Pro, see other articles in the series.

Specialty Crewing

Crewing on a movie set is good money. Specialty skills such as rigging at exposed edges and high angles, swiftwater safety, and choreographing and protecting stuntwork can easily bring in 300 to 400 dollars per day or more plus expenses. Sometimes the expert is incorporated into the cast, often as a stunt person or with a minor speaking role. Typically these jobs last less than a week but ocassionally more than a month and possibly, in the case of a successful series, months or years.

Getting a foot in the door is not easy. The first jobs are usually the result of a production company being referred by others who know the skills and reputation of the expert. In this business, reputation is supremely important and one of the best marketing tools.

Another way to get started is to register with the State and local film commissions. This puts the expert on a list for production companies to refer to, and the commission will often send out announcements for jobs and training opportunities. Experts can also use these lists to make contact with other experts who need assistants. Finally, there are a number of commercial websites that provide listings of opportunities and contact information.

Specialty crewing is often needed by other types of employers. Individuals with high-angle and rope skills are often recruited in high-rise and tower construction or maintenance. Getting one of these jobs again is often a result of the expert’s reputation, but some employers will list opportunities at the local State job offices and on websites like Craig’s List.

Specialty crewing is enjoyable but intense. On a movie project 7-day work weeks and 12 or 14-hour days are common.

Expert Witnessing

An expert witness is a witness who due to a combination of knowledge, skill, training, education, and experience is believed to have knowledge and authority in a particular subject beyond that of the average person. A lawyer, the judge, and a jury rely on the expert's opinion about facts or evidence regarding technical matters, accident analysis, and standards of care. An experts witness often makes or breaks a case.

Again, this is where reputation and years of experience in the sport become the expert's greatest marketing tool. Establishment as an expert through verifiable and reliable certifications and through authorship of authoritative books or articles also help make an expert attractive. The legal system likes witnesses who are well versed in medical issues and trial procedures. A paralegal or paramedical (EMT or Paramedic) background is a bonus.

They pay is good. It's not unusual to get $400 or more per hour plus expenses. Asking for less will make both sides question the validity of the expert's qualifications.

It sounds easy, but there are some very important points to remember about expert witnessing:

Experts are sometimes hired to provide junk opinions and even fraudulent testimony. Once an expert has a reputation as a 'hired gun", his value becomes limited.
The goal of the opposing side is to destroy the expert's credibility. An expert may be severely rebutted by the other side's attorneys, resulting in severe damage to a reputation. Old climbing partners or river mates can find themselves witnessing for opposite sides and aggresively criticizing each other.
An expert must have enough confidence in his or her own knowledge and experience to be able to maintain a position during aggressive questioning under oath.
Perjury by an expert is a crime, punishable by imprisonment and fines.
If the expert has to testify, the case can be won or lost depending on how articulate he or she is in court. An expert must be able to speak to the judge and jury convincingly and with authority to simply and clearly make a point.
An expert must be able to work from memory. Most lawyers will tell their experts to avoid taking notes because notes end up in court.
The legal system moves like cold molasses. An expert can be involved in a case for years.

Going Pro in an adventure sport is difficult but with a little serious effort it can be accomplished. Readers can refer to Going Pro in Adventure Sports for an overview of professional options.

The copyright of the article Going Pro with Adventure Sports - Consulting in Rock Climbing is owned by David Black. Permission to republish Going Pro with Adventure Sports - Consulting in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.