30 Occupational Outlook Quarterly • Fall 2004

On a typical day, Dan Malone might be in the 

Bahamas, recruiting local fishermen to catch a 

10-foot tiger shark. Or he could be in a boat on 

Lake Michigan, helping a camera crew get the perfect 

shot. Or he might be out in the Pacific Ocean, checking 

up on underwater divers and equipment.

Dan is a marine coordinator. His job is to synchronize 

the people and things that make water scenes possible 

in feature films, documentaries, television shows, and 

commercials. “When you’re on set with the actors, you’re 

making it happen,” says Dan. “You’re standing right there 

watching the drama.” 

Marine coordinators are at the heart of the action 

when a water scene is being filmed. But filming is typically the culmination of weeks or months of planning and 

preparation. “Sometimes, what I do is like a corporate 

office job, except that I get to wear shorts and flip-flops,” 

says Dan. Many of a marine coordinator’s tasks are the 

same as those of any planner. Responsibilities might 

include making arrangements over the phone, attending 

meetings, and reviewing documents.

Like many marine coordinators, Dan’s involvement 

in a project begins with a document that is relatively 

unique to show biz: the script. 

The first thing Dan does when he gets a new script is 

to read it, highlighting the parts that pertain to his work. 

He studies these scenes and considers how they might 

be created for filming. Then, he makes a list of everything that will be needed and drafts a budget. The budget 

includes the projected costs of using docks, hiring marine 

workers, and renting boats. 

Marine coordinators also help choose the proper 

spot for filming. To do this, Dan usually visits the area 

where production is scheduled to take place. Once there, 

he examines nearby rivers, creeks, and shorelines to find 

several possible locations. 

Many of Dan’s jobs take place in sun-kissed corners 

of the world. “I like that I get to travel,” he says, “and it’s 

usually in a pretty nice place that we’re filming.” His longest assignment—working on a movie about pirates—required him to spend 9 months in the Caribbean. 

When scouting for the perfect site, Dan isn’t just 

looking for picturesque scenery. He also takes into account several practical considerations. Among these are 

that the water needs to be deep enough to accommodate 

the boats; there must be a dock large enough to support 

the filming company and its equipment, which can include dozens of trucks, actors’ dressing rooms, wardrobe 

trailers, and other vehicles; and the surroundings typically 

cannot be heavily populated with people or buildings.

Dan then collects pictures and information on his 

chosen locations and the boats that will be used. He presents the results of his preliminary work, along with his 

budget proposal and other ideas, to the project’s director. 

Based on the director’s artistic vision, Dan might need to 

revise parts of his plan. 

After his ideas have been approved, Dan begins arranging details, like locating the boats that are used both 

onscreen and off, negotiating the cost of boat rentals, and 

hiring local crews. Such work is usually done on location, 

and it may involve gathering people and equipment not 

intended to be seen onscreen. “When you watch a movie, 

you might see several actors on a boat; you don’t see the 

60 members of the marine crew and 20 support boats that 

are also out there in the water,” says Dan. The offscreen 

backup includes camera, shuttle, and water-safety boats 

and crews—elements that are essential to creating a scene 

on the water. 

Marine coordinators also ensure that everything 

goes smoothly, particularly during filming. Safety often 

becomes a large part of this responsibility. One of the 

biggest obstacles, says Dan, is the weather. “The wind 

can create big waves,” he says. “The director might say 

he wants to keep filming, and I’ll have to tell him it 

isn’t safe.” When that happens, the director, however reluctant, usually must bow to the marine 

coordinator’s expertise.

Dan’s expertise stems from his varied 

practical experience. A former beach 

patrol lifeguard, he is also a certified 

diver. And he knows about the 

ocean’s impact on vessels: he has 

been a boat captain for nearly 20 

years, so he is well attuned to the 

dangers of the sea.

“Most marine coordinators start out as boat captains 

or divers,” says Dan. “But you 

also have to know how to manage people.” Dan gained some 

You’re a 

what?

Marine coordinator

by Elka Jones

Elka Jones is a contributing editor with the OOQ, (202) 691-5719.
Occupational Outlook Quarterly • Fall 2004 31

understanding of management principles when he earned 

a master’s degree in marine affairs from the University 

of Miami. “That isn’t necessary for becoming a marine 

coordinator,” Dan says of his graduate education, “but it 

definitely looks good on a resume.”

Dan honed his management abilities when he owned 

and operated a charter boat business that arranged diving 

trips to the Bahamas. On these trips, Dan began to work 

on wildlife documentaries for a number of sponsors. 

“We’d go out on my charter boat and film things like 

sharks, dolphins, and whales,” says Dan. 

As he started to gain contacts in the film industry, 

Dan learned of additional opportunities. Now, it’s his 

prior work experience that helps him find new jobs. 

Marine coordinators usually freelance, which means 

that they are hired for one job at a time. As a result, they 

may have periods in which they have no jobs at all—or 

stretches in which they are extremely busy. After all, says 

Dan, “You have to work when the work is there.” And 

when Dan works, he works hard, sometimes putting in 

up to 12 hours a day, 7 days a week. 

Not all of Dan’s interests on the high seas have led to 

moneymaking ventures. Fortunately, though, his current 

work is the profitable kind. Dan estimates that an experienced marine coordinator working on a 3-month 

feature film could earn about $80,000. 

Work on commercials, which is 

harder to secure, often 

pays even 

better, he says. 

As with many occupations, however, marine coordinators should expect to earn less when they are getting started in this career. Beginning coordinators may find that 

the allotted budget barely covers expenses, particularly if 

they’re working on a small-scale, low-budget project. Yet 

these jobs offer preparation, experience, and contacts that 

can lead to higher paying work. 

And the importance of such considerations cannot 

be disregarded in the film industry. “It’s competitive, for 

sure,” says Dan. “In this business, a lot of it is who you 

know.” 

Getting to know people is one of the things that Dan 

likes best about his job, in fact. “The chance to meet 

all sorts of very interesting people with different backgrounds is great,” he says. But what Dan enjoys most 

about his work is the excitement and variety that comes 

with riding the tide. “You don’t have any idea what you’ll 

do next,” he says. “And then, all of a sudden, the phone 

rings....”

When onscreen scenes involve water, 

Dan Malone helps keep the production afloat. 

Lights! Camera! Aquatic action!