Sunday, May 15, 2022
8–11 am PDT
LMGI Board of Directors Meeting via Zoom 
LMGI Members and Partners are invited to attend. Click here to request access.

Sunday, May 15, 2022
9th Annual LMGI Awards Submission Deadline
(see details below)

Tuesday, May 17, 2022
LMGI Board Candidates Statement Deadline

Friday, May 20, 2022
LMGI 2022 Board Elections Ballot Opens

#LMGIawards

Mark your calendars!
The 9th Annual LMGI Awards will be LIVE from Hollywood, California, USA on Saturday, August 27, 2022.*
*in-person activities based upon the status of the global pandemic

The LMGI Awards is our internationally recognized celebration of the outstanding contributions of location professionals in feature film, television and commercial advertising.

LMGI Awards Information:
•••
Submission Forms
Voting Rules
Sponsorship and Advertising
Sizzle Reel
Volunteer Opportunities

Nomination submissions are officially open! The deadline to submit your nominations is Sunday, May 15, 2022.  Anyone can make a submission. The production must have debuted between June 2, 2021, and June 1, 2022, with at least 60% of production shot on location. This year, the LMGI is returning to two voting rounds for active members in good standing. Members will have the opportunity to vote for the nominees and again for the winners.

The entry and voting timelines are as follows:

Entry Submission Period Closes: Sunday, May 15, 2022 (11:59 pm PT)
Online Voting for Nominees Opens: Friday, June 3, 2022
Nominee Voting Closes: Sunday, June 12, 2022
Nominees Announced: Tuesday, June 28, 2022
Final Voting Opens: Friday, July 15, 2022
Final Voting Closes: Sunday, July 24, 2022 (11:59 pm PT)
Winners Announced: Saturday, August 27, 2022

Award Categories Submission Forms:
•••
Contemporary Feature
Period Feature
Period Television Program
Contemporary Television Series
TV Serial Program, Anthology, MOW, or Limited Series
Commercial
Film Commission

#CelebrateTheWhere

 #ICYMI

Watch the 8th Annual LMGI Awards, hosted by actor and director Isaiah Mustafa, with preshow hosted by Jim Cashman, here.

Watch the 8th annual LMGI Award Nominee Panels here.

Read the 8th Annual 2021 LMGI Awards Program Book here.

Read the 8th Annual LMGI Awards’ press release and full winners recap here.

Take advantage of exclusive member perks and discounts

LMGI’s membership is continuously expanding and growing.  Please be sure to log in to your member dashboard to see the new discounts available to members from Scriptation (20% off) and Vessi Shoes (30% off through May 30th).

Log in HERE!

LMGI MEMBER BENEFITS

Already an LMGI member? Click here to review benefits of being a part of our network. Don’t forget to log into your member profile, complete your profile, and review existing member perks and discounts!

The LMGI Presents: Locations Behind the Oscars

On Saturday, March 26, 2022, moderators JJ Levine/LMGI and Dodd Vickers/LMGI sat down with location professionals involved with nominated films from the 94th Academy® Awards.

Panelists included: Zachary Quemore/LMGI (ALM) and Michael Glaser/LMGI for Licorice Pizza; Sally Sherratt (scout manager) for Power of the Dog; Nick Oliver (SLM) and Peter Bardsley/LMGI (LM) for Dune; Tim Gorman (LM) for CODA; Patrick Mignano/LMGI (LM) and David Park/LMGI for King Richard; Mark Scott Fitzgerald (LM) for Don’t Look Up; and Robert T. Striem (SLM) for West Side Story.

Each filmmaker shared very interesting perspectives on what made their scouting and managing experiences unique. Dune location managers and scouts faced unexpected weather challenges while capturing the fictional desert planet Arrakis. In the actual deserts of Jordan and the United Arab Emirates, they dealt with unexpected flashfloods and sandstorms; had to create roads to access remote desert locations; minutely managed crew safety to avoid crew members getting lost in the vast wilderness; and at all costs, had to protect the sand from the slightest footprints, to preserve desert locations before filming. In addition to scouting rock and desert formations, scouting for sun sequences and shadows were integral to selecting the perfect location.

Duncan Idaho (Jason Momoa) arrives on “Arrakis.” Photo courtesy of Nick Oliver

Remoteness was also an attractive detail when location scout and manager Sally Sherratt worked on Power of the Dog, a western drama scripted as Montana, but filmed mostly in the Central Otago region of the South Island of New Zealand, a place known for its vast landscapes, engulfing big skies, river gorges and powerful landscapes. Her production wrapped the New Zealand scenes before the COVID pandemic forced production to shut down for four months.

On the opposite end of the spectrum, wet, small-town locations were the backdrop for CODA. Location manager Tim Gorman had to quickly master managing locations on marinas. Building relationships with fishermen, and even their wives, was instrumental in obtaining access to huge seawalls and favorite locations like Lanesville and Lane’s Cove in Gloucester, Massachusetts. CODA, which stands for Child of Deaf Adult, featured hearing-impaired actors. Managing a set with flashing light signals instead of traditional walkie-talkies added a unique approach to managing the CODA set.

Small boats and stone seawalls at Lane’s Cove. Photo courtesy of Tim Gorman

Landlocked locations for King Richard and West Side Story had their fair share of challenges. West Side Story left supervising location manager Robert T Striem having to recreate locations in the Upper West Side of Manhattan that have been demolished since the original West Side Story was filmed, as well as battling against large tree canopies that did not exist in the 1950s Manhattan storyline. Finding a tree-barren cluster of vintage buildings in Manhattan allowed the characters to dance and move was a creative challenge. Many song sequences were filmed and edited against several buildings to create the illusion of continuous dance movement against vintage spaces. Good thing he had previous experience working on period New York-based musicals Across the Universe, with Julie Taymor, and The Producers: The Movie Musical, prior to managing West Side Story.

King Richard had a different type of experience in Compton, California. Size mattered. To tell the story of the Williams’ family at home meant the 1,000 sq. ft. house they lived in was not large enough for the film crew, so location pros Patrick Mignano/LMGI and David Park/LMGI identified a cluster of similar homes, filming a section of each house that would ultimately be edited together to look like one homestead. COVID affected the set while filming tennis arena scenes. The thousands of fans called for in the script were reduced to 100 or less and had to be creatively filmed to follow social distance policies and capacity regulations.

COVID also affected filming on Don’t Look Up and Licorice Pizza. Don’t Look Up location manager, Mark Scott Fitzgerald faced citywide lockdowns and production shutdowns, but was fortunate to have his production receive a special designation work category as a means to continue filming. He needed five times the vendor support as usual to maintain safe social distancing at the height of the pandemic. To add fuel to the fire, Boston had a snowstorm, collapsing all his support tents hours before call time. Don’t Look Up overcame an avalanche of challenges and achieved an Oscar Best Picture nomination. Licorice Pizza’s Zachary Quemore/LMGI and Michael Glaser/LMGI also dealt with COVID safety protocols while filming but turned the restrictions on filming in their favor. Because so many people were working from home, there was barely any pedestrian or automobile traffic on the freeways or around the San Fernando Valley, where they were filming this 1970s tale. Altering or removing modern streetlights, signage, and parking meters that post-dated the 1970s didn’t affect as many people as it would have had without COVID disruptions. Controlling the environment was also less intense, with low traffic during rush hour – so much so, they were approved to film on the Ventura Freeway in Southern California.

All in all, if there is one thing we can say, no matter the destination, terrain or situation, location pros can always expect the unexpected and rise to the occasion. Congrats to all of the managers who shared their stories, tips, advice and time with our members. The film features were deserving all of the accolades presented and would have been incomplete without your hard work.

We look forward to more behind-the-scenes conversations with location professionals! If you would like to volunteer for our COFFEE TUESDAYS series or other LIVE social media programs, let us know by logging into your member profile. LMGI’s MarComm Committee would love to have your participation!

British Columbia, Canada-based LMGI location manager Paul Russell was introduced to film and locations early in 2001, when a friend invited him to the set of James Cameron’s sci-fi TV drama, Dark Angel. Like so many of us, Paul found he had a taste for the thrill and exhilaration of the fast-paced production process, as well as the long punishing hours. Twenty years on, Paul has earned countless credits and played key roles on critically acclaimed series like The Man in the High Castle and, most recently, John Wells’ dramedy series, Maid, for Netflix. We caught up with Paul to see what he’s up to these days, what he’s most proud of, and to learn how he and his team successfully managed 160+ locations and 10+ episodes in a single television season.

Asked what he most likes about his job and how he approaches it, Paul was quick to answer. “What drew me to locations was the opportunity to straddle the line as liaison and ambassador between our industry and the public. We represent the needs of production, but we also have a unique opportunity to work with the public and meet or exceed their expectations with the filming process. It’s easy to get jaded about our role in the filmmaking process, but what we do is magical to 90% of the population. We, location managers, are the first point of contact to present that magic.”

Paul is dedicated, shows care and concern with all his clients; in a word, he’s charming. “I really enjoy sitting and talking with people about what we do and feeding their enthusiasm. For most people, there’s an amazement about how quickly we move, the things we do, where we go, and how we do our work.” It’s that dedication to personal contact, and walking people through the process, that won Paul and his team so much success when Wells decided to set Maid in Victoria, British Columbia.

While Victoria has played host to several large shows over the years, Maid is the first large-scale television series to be shot entirely on location in the region around Victoria (at the south end of Vancouver Island). Paul paints Vancouver Island as sort of fertile ground. “There’s a real enthusiasm about filming in Victoria and it’s still a novelty for most people. There’s also an enthusiasm about the island being exposed to the world, and people are genuinely interested in the region and the beauty. There’s an opportunity here to present locations that have never been seen on film. Over 90% of the locations we filmed for Maid were brand-new locations.”

Maid is the first large-scale television series to be shot entirely on location in the region around Victoria.

In fact, very little film production infrastructure exists in and around Victoria. There is, for example, no dedicated film studio; therefore, every single scripted location needs to be built as a practical location. Paul adds, “While filming Maid, the number of locations and design of the show demanded that we got very creative. We didn’t have the same budgetary constraints as you normally would have on a show like this, so we were able to scout until we found the perfect locations. It was a unique experience to have the resources to be able to scout every location fresh.”

Shooting over 160 practical locations on a project demands next-level organization and a top-shelf team able to work independently and collaboratively. When asked about how he built the team, Paul explained that, as the show and its demands grew, so did his team. “When we started, none of us really knew exactly what the show was going to be or how big it was going to get. Most shows start with grandiose plans that are slowly chipped away by the constraints of time and budget; this was not one of those shows. At the beginning, we thought maybe it would be a one-location-manager show with a couple of prepping ALMs and a trainee. Once the entire production team was out of quarantine and on the ground in Victoria, it became obvious that this show was going to grow exponentially from what any of us expected.

“We built the team during prep for the pilot block. It made sense for me to maintain myself as the ‘supervising’ location manager where I was the main conduit to production for the department. It required a strict division of duties with very little overlap. When you have a team of four location managers, assistant location manager Alex Rowley/LMGI, plus three other ALMs, two trainee ALMs, four office runners, and four location scouts, the separation of duties is paramount.” Paul added, “Our designer was very ambitious, and every location required at least three days of prep. Many needed more, sometimes up to one month of prep; and there were a lot of times our prep/wrap calendars reflected 15 active locations on a single day.”

To achieve a feat such as this, he explained that each person on the team must feel confident in their role and that there must be a clear understanding from each team member to maintain the ability to see the project through to completion. Although they understood his role as a supervising location manager who oversaw all aspects of the project, they had to be comfortable in identifying all of the minute details to avoid mistakes and mishaps. It required a lot of trust and understanding. Everyone worked toward a collective goal.

In spite of the many challenges, frustrations and aggravations, Paul finds it most rewarding when his team rises to meet those challenges. Each success builds on the last. It’s the hook that brings them back over and over again. His takeaway from the experience of working on Maid was a positive one. He believes one of the biggest things he will carry forward is: when you’ve got the manpower to be able to do the job well and production can afford the manpower necessary to do the job, there’s little that can’t be accomplished.

“As location manager,” Paul reflects, “I like to sit and read a script and figure out where we’re going; to imagine the story in my mind’s eye and apply it to the reality of an area I know well. It’s a unique aspect of our department. Every time someone reads a script, they’re going to have a different vision of the show, just as every person that reads a book has a different interpretation. I have always loved the creative process of sitting with a designer and sitting with a director or with a producer to figure out what everyone’s collaborative thoughts are on the work. I like being able to bring something new that nobody’s ever seen before; to be able to present new places that have never been seen on film that service the story and its vision; that’s inspiring!”

Mary Jo Beirnes/LMGI is the Director of Studios for MBS Equipment Company Canada, a division of the MBS Group, the world’s premier studio consulting and production services company. Her focus is on sustainable practices for our industry.

As a service provider for more than 100 locations, spanning 60 cities, 13 states and six countries, including 430 sound stages in North America, the United Kingdom and Ireland, we recently asked Mary Jo to share her sustainability expertise, her experiences in Canada, and suggestions managers can implement to help make a difference on production sets.

“Prioritize sustainability in the location department,” she immediately responded. “As we all become more and more aware of the importance of fighting climate change, it’s important to talk about how location teams can take steps to make a real difference. Location professionals have a really important opportunity to affect change on this front. We all need to think about sustainability early in the scouting process, rather than as an afterthought or only in the context of waste management on set.”

Mary Jo had more to say during our conversation. She also believes the largest contributor to greenhouse gases on any film production is the burning of fossil fuels in generators, in shuttles, and in crew vehicles.

The most important thing we can do is access clean grid-power tie-ins so that we can reduce the number of diesel generators required to power sets and base camp. While it’s sometimes difficult to convince a gaffer to use anything other than their trusted generator to power set lighting, it’s safe to consider using alternate sources for trucks, trailers, catering and background holding.

In British Columbia, both the city of Vancouver and regional metro Vancouver governments have implemented policies to encourage grid tie-ins by giving productions a reduction in their permit fees if they either tie-in to clean grid power or substitute fossil fuel generators with electric battery sources.

Some suggestions when initially scouting a location are to ask your contact if it’s possible to tie-in, explaining that we as an industry are taking important steps to reduce our carbon footprint.  You may have to contact the building engineer, find out what’s possible, then make efforts to connect your rigging gaffer or production electrician with the appropriate person at the location. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t; but every time we ask, it gets easier and lays the groundwork for a greener footprint.

Our department is so often the first in and last out, and frequently the only point of contact with local government and the public. Let’s get the message out that our industry is changing for the better.

Additional Resources:

Click here to read the Directors Guild of Canada’s website dedicated to sustainability. Follow guides offering steps that each department can take to make a difference.

Click here for British Columbia’s Clean Energy Toolkit.

Jordana Kronen/LMGI wearing her Modern Family “MF rides for MS” bike challenge shirt.

“When it was my turn, the director stood up and clapped. Everyone was a bit stunned. He said, ‘You will all get it when you see the locations.’ I had to hold my tears back.” – Jordana Kronen

Interestingly, California-based location manager Jordana Kronen/LMGI, is a classically trained percussionist and began her career as a children’s music teacher. One year into teaching, she discovered she missed the interaction and camaraderie of working with adults. Being young and debt-free, she was ready for a new adventure and a change. A friend introduced her to an indie film production opportunity. She tried out various crew positions, eventually landed in locations, and as they say, the rest is history. “I fell in love with the process,” says Jordana. “It reminded me of being in an orchestra; everyone with their unique contribution ending in a common goal.”

Lexi Sisk recently sat down with the successful manager, who is known for her work on 100+ episodes on the multi-award-winning television series Modern Family, to discuss her multi-decade journey in film and TV locations, advice on working through challenges, and tips to keep a level head.

Twenty-five years ago, you managed the fabulous locations in the hit TV series Buffy the Vampire Slayer, coming on the heels of the 1992 Buffy film’s success. Was there any pressure going into the job?

Honestly, not really. It was my first job as a union location manager. I hadn’t developed a sense of pressure at that stage. I was grateful to have that opportunity, for sure! I was certainly eager and excited!

In recent years, you were the location manager for the hugely successful TV series Modern Family. What was it like working on MF, and does that production stand out from others, and if so, how?

Working on MF was an extremely special experience. I scouted for the pilot episode, committed to another show at the time, then jumped back in. It felt hugely gratifying to take over a show that I affected the look of years before. A big standout while working on MF was that locations were excited to have us! It was a bit surreal at times. Ninety-eight percent of the time, people from the actual location and the surrounding neighborhood were so welcoming and would come out to watch. It made public relations very important—which happens to be one of my favorite aspects of the job. The success of a show like Modern Family comes with a lot of caché and incentives in the real world, like traveling to Australia and Paris. I was very lucky to get on a show like this—even once in my career.

Bridging the gap of a 25+ year career in locations management takes skill and agility to maneuver past challenges and to work successfully in a team environment. What are some tips to make the day-to-day job run smoother and aid with reaching success?

Much of what we do is common sense. Only time will give you the experience you will enjoy in your career. When you mess up, cop to it! Producers want to know that you recognize a poor judgment call so that you won’t make that same mistake again. Starting out, I made a lot of mistakes! Fortunately, I learned from them and am always trying to up my game with every show. Google can solve 98% of your questions and Locolist is also helpful; however, do your homework and don’t be afraid to ask for advice from a trusted and respected mentor. Locations pros know there is always the chance of someone challenging you at the 12th hour to resolve a power play that can prevent your company from the pending work. I am glad to say that, because these occasions are so infrequent, the crisis passes, and you remember the kind and interesting people that really make a difference. Executing clear communication, aligning with your teammates, having perseverance and exhibiting integrity are the keys to success.

Is there a particular job that stands out to you and why?

A short-lived NBC television sitcom series, Hidden Hills, is one that is very special to me. Around 9/11, I had a lot on my plate. I was a new mother, I just bought a house, and to make matters worse, I was released from a TV series. I was out of work for six months and scared out of my mind. Hidden Hills was the first job to give me a chance. I worked tirelessly to prove myself. At the production meeting, we are all at the table and introducing ourselves. When it was my turn, the director stood up and clapped. Everyone was a bit stunned. He said, “You will all get it when you see the locations.” I had to hold my tears back. That was so kind after what I had come through and gave me the confidence to bounce back stronger than ever.

You have read hundreds of scripts over your career. How do you break down a script when scouting and what’s the biggest mistake you see people make in the location department as it pertains to dissecting or interpreting a scene?

A big mistake is taking the scripts too literally. Erasers were invented for a reason. Don’t shy away from thinking outside the box. I always say to look at the broad strokes of a story to try and understand the vibe and tone of what the writer is trying to convey. Scripts can and will be modified to fit a location when it sparks creativity amongst the writers and it’s very exciting when a not-so-obvious scouting submission inspires the writers to adapt to a location. You may inspire a shift that affects the tone of the show. We are making TV. It is a unique and creative career. Enjoy it! Then go home and spend quality time with family and friends, because that is the ultimate reward.

LMGI Members on Location at 2022 Cherokee Film Summit

(L-R) LMGI members Kyle Carey, Mac Gordon, Ryan Schaetzle, film project manager Molly Mercer (kneeling) representing Cherokee Office of Economic Development (LMGI business partner), Dan Gorman, and Josh Forshee.

Kudos to our business partner Cherokee by Choice (Cherokee Office of Economic Development) and other LMGI members on a successful evening executing the 3rd annual Cherokee Film Summit (CFS)! Held Thursday, March 10, the 2022 Cherokee Film Summit: Reel. Community. Connection was hosted at the YANMAR EVO/Center in Acworth, Georgia, and provided a “reel community connection” with informative breakout sessions, networking, and expert panels.

Representing members of Georgia’s film production industry, LMGI was in full force leading two engaging breakout sessions. LMGI founding member Mac Gordon was joined by Georgia Power’s Senior Counsel Evan Cohn to encourage “film friendliness” and best practices when hosting film teams. LMGI members Kyle Carey, Josh Forshee, Dan Gorman, and LMGI Board member Ryan Schaetzle shared insights and anecdotes and spoke with attendees about career opportunities within location departments.

We salute our LMGI members for their continued dedication to excellence on location. Supporting and educating local communities about film friendliness and processes are the linchpin in bridging gaps between the community and the production industry!

To learn more about filming in Cherokee, click here.

Red Nation Celebration Institute

On March 20-24, LMGI business partner Red Nation Celebration Institute hosted the virtual 2022 Native Women in Film & Television in All Media Film Festival, welcoming 45+ feature films, documentaries and short films directed by women. Former LMGI President Mike Fantasia (Killers of the Flower Moon) lent his voice to the panel, “RNCI Crew Training & Hiring Native Indigenous Women” on Facebook Live to share info on behind-the-camera hiring of Native Indigenous talent and updated audiences on what it will require for the entertainment industry to be more inclusive. Hosted by NWIFT founder Joanelle Romero and led by Marcei Brown (Crewvie), Fantasia was joined by Cynd McCrossen (Albuquerque Film Office) and Carma Harvey Diné. For more information on the LMGI’s partnership with Red Nation Celebration Institute, click here.

Watch the “RNCI Crew Training & Hiring Native Indigenous Women” panel here.

Biz Partner Spotlight: Panorama Films

Panorama Films S.R.L, established in 1997, is a 360° production service company, one of the first 100% production service companies in Italy. They manage small-to-large productions (such as TVC, series, reality and features) and always dedicate and execute the same attention and care. They believe the motto of any production service company should be “we are here to help you,” and at Panorama Films, they respect the different cultural approaches to their business as they respect their team and everyone they work with. Panorama Films is fair with their crew, and this is the reason they have their loyalty and trust. They believe their business and their lives are based on “respect, fairness, collaboration and teamwork.” Equally important are communication, sharing information, and bridging cultural and professional ways. That value system is in their DNA.

The team at Panorama Films came to know many LMGI members working exclusively on projects in Italy, Europe, and throughout the world. “Of course, we wish to let all members know about us,” says Panorama Films President Marco Valerio Pugini, “but at the same time, we would also like to know about their global professional experiences. It is an excellent way to progress and that is when we became LMGI business partners. Just like the LMGI, we support associations, education and training. We believe in the LMGI and would love for more Italian professionals to be part of it. If we can encourage and share the LMGI with our team and vice versa, and let people in the worldwide industry know about us, we feel it will be beneficial for our entire industry.”

The company is led by its two main shareholders and producers, Ute Leonhardt and Marco Valerio Pugini. Marco, as president, oversees legal and business matters, whereas Ute acts as CFO and handles the creative side of the company. As husband and wife, they met while on production. “Working on Jane Campion’s Portrait of a Lady is where I met my husband/business partner,” says Ute. “This is when the next chapter of our lives began.”

Over the past two decades, they’ve enjoyed that each project is different but, at the same time, every accumulated experience has proven to be useful and worthwhile in the future. They have learned to take something from every experience and bring light into it. When COVID hit Italy and halted work for four months, they collaborated with their Italian industry to prepare and rapidly introduce a strong COVID protocol approved by the government. Since then, work has not stopped. It seems Italy is becoming a real “cluster” in their business.

The rare moments Ute and Marco are not working, they love to spend time in the countryside, where they make their own olive oil and enjoy cooking for their friends. “It’s a very Italian ‘sport,’” says Marco.

The two of them want nothing more than to continue the path they started 25 years ago: to always try to do their best for successful shooting experiences in Italy, while creating the conditions for their team to grow, innovate and invigorate the company. They look forward to building great new memories and enjoyable work environments for their colleagues and fellow members of the LMGI.

For more information on Panorama Films, visit their website or follow their Facebook page.

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