Compass Fall 2023
“There is immense power when a group of people with similar interests gets together to work toward the same goals.”
–Idowu Koyenikan
This fall issue is a very special one, marking the Guild’s 20th anniversary, the 10th anniversary of the LMGI Compass magazine and the 10th Annual LMGI Awards!
In 2003, a determined group of Los Angeles location managers and scouts, disenchanted with a perceived lack of professional respect and recognition, decided it was time to raise awareness within the industry for their contribution to the creative process of film, television and commercial production. They realized that if change were to happen, then the location community was going to have to come together and create the change themselves.
This committed group of people formed the LMGA (Location Managers Guild of America) with the hope that “if we build it, they will come.” And build it they did! As co-founder and 2023 Trailblazer Award recipient Beth Tate said, “What I really love about the Guild is that it’s a group of people who are all pulling together its resources, setting the stage for members who have ideas to do something. We are all sharing this company together and the company’s mission is to be a publicity arm for what we do.”
Twenty years after its founding, the LMGI is a global organization embracing 40 countries; and the “company” continues to raise awareness of what we do and expand as a platform bringing members’ ideas for projects and events to life.
In this issue, our feature stories celebrate the Guild as a global community, documenting in one place, the many voices and ideas that make up Guild history.
In our cover story,“Oh, What a Night!” Stevie Nelson covers this year’s exuberant 10th Annual LMGI Awards. Nominees, honorees, members, sponsors and friends from across the US, Canada, UK, Europe, Africa and the Middle East gathered to party in style and celebrate their colleagues and excellence on location worldwide.
In “The LMGI Is 20!” Diane Friedman engages fellow founding members to take a deep dive into the Guild’s origin story, tracing the very beginning of the organization created by, for and about us!
Out-of-town award nominees, LMGI members and guests were hosted at The Pre-Awards Show Party photo event the night before the awards show. The theme, “Through Our Lens,” showcased member photographs selected from 10 years of Compass magazines.
The gathering provided the perfect occasion for LA locals to meet and mingle with fellow location professionals and film commissioners from across the United States and around the world who flew in to attend the LMGI Awards gala the following evening.
“In the News” reports on the LMGI presence at Comic-Con, the wildly successful LMGI New York City event, our annual LMGI Awards’ “Meet the Nominees” Zoom panels, the educational panel at the Select Oklahoma Conference and a Fam Tour to Smithers, BC.
In our “Martini Shot,” LM Jill Naumann captures a perfect fall moment in California’s Sierra Nevada Mountains.
Until next time,
Stevie Nelson, Diane Friedman, Paul Messana, Edward Mazurek, Dodd Vickers