Research- NEED HELP

[MrPbG3]

Hello, all my name is Philip and I could really use some help from all of you. First off I'm a screenwriter/ independent filmmaker and I'm currently working on my first feature-length screenplay which I plan on producing myself in the near future. It's a horror story and to me, the best horror stories are the ones where the main character(s) are isolated from civilization. Movies like The Thing, The Shining, The Strangers, etc, and I want mine to have that same feeling of isolation to it so I thought it would make sense to give my main character a job where he's forced to be away from his family and be, more or less, on his own. I finally landed on the logging business and thought it would work really well with this type of story given the inherent danger involved with the job plus the fact that loggers often work miles away from the closest town/ populated area. Now, comes my problem, I don't know jack [I have typed a profane word that is automatically changed by the forum censored words program I should know better] about the logging business and unfortunately, I don't know anyone who's in this line of work. Well, my grandfather worked the woods years ago but he's dead now so I can't talk to him.

Now my story is going to take place in the '90s (this is mainly to avoid having to deal with all the present day technology such as cell phones) so I'm looking for people who worked in the logging industry back then and I'm really just looking for insight on what a "typical day" was like for you. What time did you usually have to get up? How many people worked on a typical job with you? What were the different duties that each person did? and really any other little tidbits you could share that would help me make my characters more believable would be great.

Thank you all in advance! 

[TKehl]

Would not have to set it in the 90's to drop technology like cell phones.  There are a LOT of woodlands where there is no cell signal.  Even the Missouri Ozarks has miles of busy highway where there is no signal which get's worse of on state highways and county roads.  Really, you could set Deliverance today and update very little...  Now think about places more sparsely populated than that... like the western forests.  Or Alaska.  You're talking radio or satellite phones at best.

Can't help with the logging side.  Just a farmer that does a little logging on the weekends.  I'm only 7 miles from a town of 20k and still only get cell signal on the hilltops, but not in the valleys.  However, if I were you, for a horror movie, I'd go with stero type over reality.  14-16 hour days.  Behind schedule or hurrying because of __ weather event.  Up before dawn and at it into the night via headlamps.  

[MrPbG3]

I don't know my sister and brother in-law just hiked the Appalachian Trail and we were able to facetime from some pretty remote place along the trail.

That being said there is another reason why I want to set it in the 90's as opposed to the present day. There's been a huge influx of movies and show's being set in the 80's and 90's as well as movies and show's from that those decades being brought back with sequel's, spin-offs, and reboots. It seems like 80's and 90's nostalgia is a trend that's going to continue for a while so I  figured I could use that as well. 

[wisconsitom]

YouTube videos are what I'd recommend.  Use some logging terms in your search, things like skidder gets stuck, loading logs on pony trailer, haul roads, felling, bucking, blocking, forwarder, you get the idea.

Might be thousands of vids.  I haven't had the time yet to be sure, lol!

tom

[MrPbG3]

Been looking through vid's as well and some have been pretty helpful but I'd still like to actually talk to someone who works the job and pick their brain a little to get a better understanding of everything.

[wisconsitom]

Get a subscription to.....uh...Northern Logger magazine.  Look at stories detailing work of individual loggers, truckers, etc...that are often featured in that mag.  Then, try to track down.  I think this could work for you.

tom

PS...I'm sure there are other magazines.  This is just one I happen to know about.

[Old Greenhorn]

Maybe it's not obvious, but probably the easiest thing you can do is start reading the posts here over a period of time. Building your character profile as you go. Then when you get some face time with the folks you seek, you will have better questions to refine your work.
For instance you will note that generally, the folks you find here are very hard working self motivated individuals who are unusually self-reliant. They are used to being on their own when disaster strikes and have gotten pretty good at figuring out solutions to their problems. Anybody that has ever been on the dark side of a machine that rolled over can tell you how important this skill can be. They worry and/or focus on the basics, like the weather, having heat and food for their families, keeping their equipment running. Fixing equipment, getting better equipment or making what they already have run better, just so that they can get their jobs done and make a living. Their pleasures likewise are usually more simple, but sometimes not. Most know or can do things that would really surprise you. Most work long hours at work and more hours at home each night. All of us worry about getting hurt badly. Many of us have lost friends or family to accidents.
I am stereotyping a bit here, but the point is that you can learn a lot just by reading the conversations and how they we interact with each other. As with anything, the more time and effort you put in, the better your result. Good Luck.

[MrPbG3]

Thanks for that. I've been reading other posts here as well and will continue to do so. 

Also, thank you to the person who suggested logging magazines. Not sure why I didn't think about that before but I'll start digging into those ASAP

[Old Greenhorn]

I hesitate to add this, but you had said you are looking at you tube videos. There are some crazy 'hold my beer' types out there posting videos and wanna be 'professionals'. Take it with a grain of salt. Just as there are several groups on Facebook posting their day to day lives, some are a little off. I suspsect what you need to find is more of a middle ground between all these. Don't be afraid to ask questions here too, nobody bites. You are likely to come across things that are confusing, I do all the time with things outside my area. 

[SawyerTed]

Try a call to a lumber mill near you.  Ask to talk to one or more of the timber buyers.  You might offer to buy lunch (basically 45minutes to an hour of their time).  Start with them, if you are forthright with them, they will help you contact real timber cutters and maybe some that worked 30 years ago.  

Again, offer to buy them lunch.  You might have to carry lunch to the whole crew at their shop on a rainy day.

Another approach is to talk to a forester with the United States Forest Service.  They will also know loggers.  Our forest service office maintains an online list of loggers, timber buyers and sawmills.

[Old Greenhorn]

Ted has a good idea there. Actually now that I am thinking about it Phillip, you might want to fill in a little of your profile info. If everyone has an idea of where you are, they might be in a better position to steer you in the right direction. For instance if you were in my area, even though I am not a pro and don't make my living in the logging world, I spend a lot of time there and live in an area where the kids I watched grow up have created successful logging businesses. They know me, and I think they respect me, for sure I could make some introductions. The same could be true for others in what ever area you are in. Also, you should know that there are some differences between major geographic areas. East Coast logging is very different from West Coast, southern US is very different from northern Canada, Australia is different from all of them, as is most of Europe, but they all have common connections. The skill sets vary but overlap quite a bit, the methods vary but overlap and hence, the culture varies. The basic plot you layout kind of lends itself to either the Northeast US, the Northwest US, northern Canada, or Alaska. More remote areas, so focusing on those for geography, climate, timber market, crop types, regional issues, Environmental laws (which have a big effect on the industry) would likely be your best bet.
I think I should shut up now, but your project has me a bit intrigued from a writers point of view. (I'll bet a nickel you didn't expect to encounter a writer here, now did you? But yes, in a previous life I have had some stuff published here and there and we shall say no more about that.) As I said, it's a diverse group.

[Southside]

Things could be very different according to the region of the country.  For example in the extreme north western part of Maine back in the '90's it was a three hour drive to town, still is, but you have never eaten a better meal than out of a logging camp.  Still some hand crews around but guys were cutting with mechanical equipment for a while then too.  We had cell CB radios, marine band radios, private VHF radios, and cell phones even then.  Some permanent camps had a "radio phone" that would use a series of repeaters to communicate to the "regular" grid.  You had to know which hills and or river valleys would get service, and not be roaming into Canada, but it didn't feel like it was the end of the world.  I can still smell the bread and pies in the evening.   digin1

Did I mention just how good the food was?