Whilst the number of people turning up as hopeful Hobbit extras was grabbing the headlines recently, The Hobbit had quietly been providing a different group of people with the chance of a job reports the Waikato Times.
The logistics company contracted to move the equipment between film locations for The Hobbit had 170 drivers but needed 30 more. So the owner of the company, Jake Shaw, contacted Workwise and asked if they could help and help they did. Workwise aims to get people with mental health conditions including depression and stress, into paid employment. They found him 30 trained, licensed and experienced drivers who were able to do the job at short notice. The drivers had to transport millions of dollars of equipment in convoys of up to 110 vehicles between locations such as Wellington to Matamata and Wellington to Queenstown.
“We needed professional drivers with high grade licences to drive semi-articulated trucks, big rigs and tractor units,” Shaw said.
“Getting the right drivers is really important because if one vehicle doesn’t turn up or there’s a mishap, it could affect the film shoot for the day and that’s millions of dollars down the drain.”
“I can’t speak highly enough of the drivers and of Workwise. I wouldn’t hesitate to use them again.” he added.
Jackson’s Production Video #5 shows us what a huge job logistics is when out on location and certainly makes us respect the work these guys do.
