World of Looks
LMGI members’ work showcased
at Canadian Photo Show
By Tonya Hartz/LMGI
All event photos courtesy of Twinography Studios
On June 1, the World of Looks photography competition, featuring the work of British Columbia location scouts, opened at Western Canada’s largest photographic gallery—The Polygon.
There was a beautiful energy in the sold-out room dedicated to the craft of location scouting and its creative impact on filmmaking in “Hollywood North.” The scouting process sets the stage for every show, and it is the most significant influence a Location Department has upon the screen.
A generation ago, location scouts would gather at First Ave. Photo. “Big Al” and “Other Al” would run our prints through a noisy machine. Scouts would talk, see each other’s work and eat dinner from T+T Market. There was a casual trust between folks—deals were made with a handshake. It was a community that shared a common goal.
With the advent of digital photography, location scouts worked on the road or on the computer. Gone were the days sharing industry rumours at a communal meeting place. The pandemic highlighted the need for “water cooler” conversations in the workplace, but when and where do scouts now have a chance to connect IRL (in real life)?
It has been a hard couple of years in an already challenging industry. Folks were feeling isolated and struggling. In the face of hardship, it is helpful to get back to the basics. It is important to applaud each other’s hard work. I wanted to find a way to celebrate the craft of location scouting while cultivating community and honouring those who had come before us.
And so, the World of Looks photography competition was born!
I began by reaching out to industry partners and scouts during a six-month organizational campaign. The DGC BC and Creative BC became partners among the almost 50 other industry supporters.
Location scouts submitted high-resolution images and our first-generation pioneers were invited to be jurors during the first round of anonymous voting.
Producer Harold Tichenor, producer/production manager Casey Grant, location manager Kirk Johns and location manager Rino Pace/LMGI voted for their Top 25 of the approximately 130 images submitted.
The images were printed and hung. The city skyline was the backdrop.
Rino dug out a box of old photo files and I installed a light table with negatives and loupes as an homage to the evolution of photography.
While industry partners and production crew mingled on a late spring evening, the second round of voting took place in the double-blind competition.
Three of the Top 5 images were won by LMGI members, and eight LMGI members placed within the Top 25. The Top 25 winners received prize packages and their 24” x 36” print(s) thanks to the overwhelming and generous support of our industry partners.
It is often hard to quantify one’s contribution to the creative process, but excellence in the filmmaking industry demands that we recognize our value.
“Browsing the stunning photographs in the gallery made me appreciate that location scouts are a critical part of the creative team. It is not just about photographing a location to capture the landscape. It is also about showing the director what is possible and how it aligns with their vision.”
–Gemma Martini, CEO Martini Film Studios and LMGI business partner
“A film’s locations are among the most essential creative building blocks of film, and the scouts who find them are artists deserving of recognition by the Academy,” wrote Lindsay Kusiak in The Hollywood Reporter (March 8, 2023). “And like a film’s score, costumes and set design, the locations in a film bring a world to life onscreen. Cultivating those locations is a craft and an art creatively essential to the film.”
This event was made possible by the Directors Guild of Canada BC District, The Polygon Gallery, Safehouse Creative, Twinography Studios, Indigo Group, AG Dominion Blue, Quay North Urban Development, Creative BC and Grouse Mountain.
Our hotels donated stays for the top prize packages—The Civic Hotel, The Douglas Hotel, The Fairmont Chateau Whistler, The Hilton Whistler Resort + Spa, The Fairmont Hotel Vancouver, The Pemberton Valley Lodge, Prestige Hotel + Resorts, Sutton Place Hotel Vancouver and The Westin Bayshore Vancouver.
Our film studios donated cash prizes—Bridge Studios, North Shore & Mammoth Studios, Martini Film Studios/LMGI business partner, MBS Equipment Canada, Vancouver Film Studios and equipment provider—William F. Whites LEDS/LMGI—A Sunbelt Rentals Company.
L-R: Catou Kearney (production manager DGC/LMGI) and Ken Brooker (LM DGC/LMGI)
We also had a diverse collection of sponsors that made the night happen: Acumen Law, Angus Film, BC Place, Blueprint, The Boatshed, The City of North Vancouver, The Fountainhead Network, Freehouse Collective, The Fortress, The Hive, Location Fixer, MacInnes Farms, Panther Paintball, Provence Marinaside, Sammy J’s, Renee Bella, Stanley Park Pavilion, Teahouse in Stanley Park, Vancouver Bandits, VanDusen Botanical Garden and the LMGI.
The World of Looks is a powerful tribute to the creative contribution of Canada’s location scouting community. Stay curious and find me at www.tonyahartz.me
Top 25
LMGI members who were among the winners:
Tonya Hartz DGC/LMGI
Courtney Ashforth DGC/LMGI
Evan Chan DGC/LMGI
Matt Palmer DGC/LMGI
Ken Brooker DGC/LMGI
Cameron Tremblay DGC/LMGI
Dave Beamish DGC/LMGI
Korey Petrie DGC/LMGI