Summer 2017

“Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry and narrow-mindedness, and many of our people need it sorely on these accounts. Broad, wholesome, charitable views of men and things cannot be acquired by vegetating in one little corner of the earth all one’s lifetime.” —MARK TWAIN

Traveling for the summer? We are fortunate to count members of the AFCI (Association of Film Commissioners International) among our friends. They open doors and support our role of world ambassadors. We are especially grateful for their continued partnership in the success of the LMGI Awards. Longtime fans of their Beyond Cinema magazine, we were flattered to note that their “Beyond Your Horizon” image has been including our popular “Martini Shot” trademark latitude and longitude coordinates. Great minds think alike!

In “Carpe Tahitian Diem,” location manager Edward Mazurek recaps the rewards of stepping up and engaging our location community as he chronicles his efforts to work with the Tahitian Film Commission to encourage more filming in paradise. Additionally, the ghost city of Belchite hosted location manager Bob Craft, who relates his visit to these historic, haunted ruins in the Zaragoza Region of Eastern Spain.

Please contact our Regional/International Committee at regional international@locationmanagers.org to make sure you are included on the list that goes to inquiring Fam Tour coordinators. Any interested members are encouraged to write three sentences explaining why you should be included on these adventures.

In our cover story, “Out of Africa: The Dark Tower Odyssey,” reporter Nancy Mills takes us on a journey to South Africa with location manager Deon du Preez. Du Preez provides a front-row seat to the perils and majesty of scouting the continent while bringing Stephen King’s decades-in-the-making epic fantasy to the silver screen.

In our featured columns, “In My City” Lithuanian location pro Jonas Spokas gives us his private tour of Vilnius, complete with a Unesco World Heritage old town. Location pro Peter McClafferty takes us behind the scenes of the print world in “Career Focus.” “In the News” details LMGI members exploring both the Bluegrass State of Kentucky and Busan, Korea. We celebrated with our business members, the California Film Commission and FLICS (Film Liaisons in California Statewide) at the California Trade Show and our 2017 Board of Directors is now seated.

Articles and photography submissions by members are always encouraged. As you travel the world, enjoy the long days of summer, and remember that your ideas, your stories … are what keeps us connected and our community vibrant and strong.

Always a pleasure, never too busy,

Ken Haber, Lori Balton and Stevie Nelson