You hold in your hands the 25th issue of the LMGI Compass magazine! Long a dream of ours, the fi rst issue showcasing the work of supervising location manager Janice Polley made its appearance in Fall 2013. Six years later, with hectic work schedules and family life competing with unrelenting magazine deadlines, we have learned as much about ourselves as our amazing LMGI members in producing the Compass magazine.
Our commitment to providing this forum to tell your stories keeps us going. The members we have gotten to know over the years through stories—either as the writer or the subject has been a tremendous gift to us. It has reinforced the value of being a part of our global tribe and the importance of having our stories told. We also want to thank our publishing partners, IngleDodd Media. Their patience and encouragement in helping novices put out a quarterly magazine is deeply appreciated. We’d love to hear how we are doing. Please reach out with your comments to compass@locationmanagers.org.
—JIMMY NEIL SMITH
Almost 30 years ago, co-editor Lori Balton had the pleasure of scouting and managing locations on Robert Redford’s A River Runs Through It. More than two decades later, fly fishermen and travelers the world over still make the pilgrimage to Montana seeking the bounty and solace of the river … as location professionals, we see firsthand how our work can positively impact tourism and local economies. Judy Schultz’s cover story “Set-Jetting” is a definitive look at the big business of film tourism.
We enjoyed meeting so many of you at the LMGI Awards and hearing firsthand your thoughts about our Guild. For those unable to attend, this issue features our awards show coverage of the festivities. As a precursor to the Emmys, our show celebrates the Platinum Age of Television … we had so many great submissions, we actually added a nominee to each TV subcategory. Awards Committee member Jill Naumann offers a sidebar on our honorable mentions for your future viewing pleasure. We are similarly in tune with the Academy, with so many of our submissions being brilliant international works. This year, a record-breaking number (more than 85) of fi lms were submitted to the Oscar race for Best International Film, the new name for what until now has been known as the Best Foreign-Language Film category.
Our global tribe is clearly in sync with a changing industry that has become increasingly international. Our columns include “In My City: Łódz,” Poland from location manager and LMGI Award nominee Michal Sliwkiewicz; fast-moving up and comer Miles Beal-Ampah in “The Next Generation” and the “Career Focus” of the illustrious Robert Foulkes. “In the News” recaps our SRO adventures at Comic-Con, the New Mexico State Senate candidacy of location manager Rebecca Puck Stair, aspiring director Mike Reft at the Crete fi lm festival, changes in the LMGI Board of Directors and Kent Matsuoka in Chile.
A final note of thanks to our sponsors for making the awards, the Compass and our many regional events possible. We are grateful to our many business partners. The Guild proudly exists to support location professionals and the international fi lm community—to connect you, elevate you and advocate for you. No matter where in the world you work and what your union affi liation is, if you are dedicated to our craft—you belong in the LMGI. And we are happy to have you in our tribe.
Always a pleasure, never too busy.
Ken Haber, Lori Balton, Stevie Nelson and Paul Messana