Today we’d like to introduce you to Marcus Cooley.
Hi Marcus, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
When I was 17, I was growing up in the small town of Covington, GA working in commercial and residential construction with family and friends. When I turned 18 I started working as a background actor right as the industry really started to get going, and started some on-screen acting with some one-line roles as well.
While I was on stage one day, I found my way into a scenic mill shop on the CW series Vampire Diaries working as a studio utility. A short time later I grew to become a Studio utility on my first big feature Fast & Furious 5, and then immediately onto X-Men First Class.
I continued to work in set construction, plaster and scenic painting for a few years on shows for Universal Studios, ABC and many more.
I soon went on to spend a few years I also spent some time in Rigging Electric while bouncing around work in rigging grip departments and on-set grip on shows like Fast & Furious 7, Devious Maids, Ant-Man, and some others.
It wasn’t long before I found myself settling into Set Dec and then firmly into Propmastering. I spent nearly seven years in Props, prop mastering some of the largest shows in television and some of the coolest independent films. I worked on shows like STAR (season 1, 2 and 3), Mann & Wife, Delilah, and most recently Echo 3 for AppleTv. Over 100 episodes all together and 10+ features.
As the industry changed and marketing changed so did I. I had begun to make a name for myself in design and content creation for by pushing myself into the forefront of Production Design & made a solid name and resume in that space. I took all my collected skills and relationships and began Producing for new media/streaming content and experiential brand marketing design.
I started producing and UPMing commercials and movies for very well-established brands and artists.
In Addition to my working as a Producer/Designer, I started one of the southeast largest Entertainment Transportation rental agencies. We do $2+mm in sales annually. This gave me a lot of new opportunities and contacts within the entertainment space.
My ability to Produce projects gave me a highly competitive edge In the business. With a unique ability to collectively encompass production design, industry experience, industry connections and producing into my work Marcus put himself in a leading role within the entertainment and live event industry. With close working and personal relationships with influential names and brands in the music industry like Dolly Parton, Warner Brothers, Capitol Records, Netflix, DreamCrew, LiveNation and many others, Marcus’ ventures into live entertainment have grown Adventure Coasts offerings with companies like these.
In 2021 I ventured taking Adventure Coast into the Manufacturing industry after seeing a major need for quality equipment after several issues with other manufacturers his company commissioned for custom trucks/trailers. I have major experience when it comes to manufacturing and build processes, also. When I work(ed) as a production designer, my job duties often required an immense amount of planning and prep and budgeting to oversee complex set designs in the millions and tens of millions of dollars for major studios like Disney, Marvel, ESPN, and more. In addition, in 2020, I oversaw the operations of an $8mm FEMA emergency build for COVID-19 Hospitals as manufacturing engineer and manager. We now operate a high-end trailer manufacturing company based in Manchester, TN in addition to my other business and personal ventures. The company does $2+mm in sales.
In 2022 I signed RockstarJt to my new agency/production co. With my experience in film, entertainment, music and business it was a really great step in a fantastic new venture.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Of course! Everything was smooth as glass! Haha…
There have been so many challenges. With all my entertainment companies. But I wouldn’t change any of it! I’ve learned so much from the challenges! Many were personal growth challenges… some were business growth… Some both, haha. But all of the good and bad came with growth and experience. That is something no one could have given me or taught me.
I think my toughest challenge, as It was for MANY business owners was right when COVID hit our industry. The month before COVID I had just signed loan docs to add $700k in new equipment to my rental fleet and 3 weeks later everything shut down. Every show I had equipment on returned every truck and trailer. At the time We had 20+ trucks and trailers sitting and $0 income and weeks before just signed $20k/month in new bills with no way to pay them. The company was only a few months old, the company was so new I didn’t even qualify for most of the covid relief programs that had employee/payroll minimums and years of taxes paid minimums. I found a way to make it, but wow. That was something else.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
I’ve made a name for myself in the music industry as an artist and talent manager, at the forefront of film and television in Production Design & Producing, and most notably in the southeast as a successful entrepreneur being the founder of Adventure Coast Rentals, Adventure Coast Manufacturing and most recently with the launch of my agency.
If you had to, what characteristic of yours would you give the most credit to?
A great question, but I couldn’t just pick one… the entertainment business has to be thought of so holistically and overall is so nuanced it takes many characteristics… I think my adaptability, Business acumen for high-profile clients, networking abilities and great communication are all factors that have aided in my success.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://gasoline-only.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/marcuscooley/
- Facebook: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm4259994/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_0
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marcuscooley/
- Other: www.adventurecoastrentals.com
