“We work with stories. We are part of the team that gives real space to something born in the imagination. After all these years, I still feel the same thrill every time I discover that place that makes the whole team say, ‘This is it.”
–DIEGO DIOSA/LMGI
Location scouts and managers share a passion for discovering the places where stories come to life. Before a production designer imagines a set or a director designs the first shot, we have already envisioned its potential. Before a permit is secured, neighbors engaged, trucks landed, set dressing unloaded or the first length of cable stretched along a curb, we have instinctively recognized the role a house, an empty storefront, a forest or an expanse of desert might play. Somehow the descriptive prose on a page has already conjured that place into existence in the real world—it’s just waiting for us to see it.
That moment of recognition is at the heart of our craft. Every feature in this issue celebrates the artistry of discovering the places that give stories a place in the real world, and how we as a community share knowledge, encourage curiosity and inspire one another.
In our cover story, “The Streets Remember: Inside the Tulsa Locations That Bring The Lowdown to Life,” writer Rachel Llewellyn takes us behind the scenes with SLM Chris Kucharski/LMGI, and his team as they reveal the locations that shape the first season of FX’s delightfully quirky detective noir series.
This issue arrives just after the final round of voting for the 13th Annual LMGI Awards has closed. Since the opening of awards season in March, our Awards Committees have considered more than 200 submissions from across the United States, Canada, South America, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Europe, New Zealand, Australia, Indonesia and beyond.
Our feature, “And the Finalists Are…” offers a glimpse into the nominees whose work embodies this year’s theme, “We Build Worlds.” Together, they reveal the remarkable work of location professionals whose vision, perseverance and artistry have brought this year’s most compelling films, television series and commercials to life—one location at a time.
The LMGI journey continues around the globe. Diego Diosa/LMGI welcomes us to his vibrant hometown with “In My City: Bogotá.” “In the News” follows members from the Cannes Film Festival to the Oceania Regional Committee’s spring gathering in Sydney, from our second Huddle in Atlanta to an unprecedented mixer and tour of London’s iconic St. Paul’s Cathedral.
We also visit the 5th Annual Shooting Locations Marketplace in Valladolid, Spain, where industry professionals gathered for panels and conversation. Members share striking images from Fam Tours through Spain’s Asturias and Galicia regions, as well as neighboring Portugal. Benjamin Hendriks/LMGI, captures the grandeur of Asturias’ Laboral City of Culture and its celebrated clock tower in our “Martini Shot.”
We hope to see you all in person on Saturday, August 22, at the LMGI Awards gala in Santa Monica, California, where the winners will be announced, or following the event on YouTube! Celebrate the community the LMGI has built, one member, one city, one country, one continent at a time!
Until next time,
Stevie Nelson, Diane Friedman, Paul Messana, Edward Mazurek, Dodd Vickers and JJ Levine