WHY YOU NEED A LOCATION MANAGER by Stephanie G. Spangler
Without a location you can’t shoot anything. Therefore the location manager is one of the first people to be called in on the production. A location manager is someone who finds and manages a location for motion picture filming, television, commercials, music videos, or print shoots. They are the head of their department and commonly oversee a department of from 1 – 4 location assistants (or more depending on production size.) The location manager is responsible for coordinating the work schedules of the art department, (construction, painters, greens men, etc.) for prep and wrap days and the grips and electricians if there is a pre-rigging day. In addition the manager hires security and assigns them to duties per the needs of production. They book vendors to supply production needs for tents, garbage disposal, etc. and then coordinate the drop off and pick up.
Budgets need to be prepared and submitted in advance of the filming and closely watched to keep as true to budget as possible while alerting production in advance if there is any overage as it happens in order to get approval from the producer.
Once the script has been read or the boards reviewed the location manager is responsible for advance scouting for the perfect locations to fulfill the artistic and budgetary considerations of the production. Managers work closely with either the director or the production designer to understand and find the location that expresses their creative vision. Once the process of working with the director and designer is done the next step is securing the locations to be used and coordinating the logistics involved for the production to successfully complete its necessary work. Location managers are the liaison between production and the community. Many issues may arise throughout the shoot due to the production's impact on the community and managers are responsible for addressing these issues in a timely and effective manner. The manager is also responsible the safety of the crew during filming.
When a Location manager is called in on the job the first order of business is scouting. There are many things that a Location Scout needs to be aware of while scouting and then submitting a location for approval. Some are fees and budgetary restrictions of the production, local regulations, camera and lighting requirements, convenience to other locations, parking, and possibly incidental issues such as weather and any possible sound disturbances.
The Location Manager will submit the necessary permits arrange parking for base camp and prepare temporary facilities for holding production, talent, crew and meals, and ensuring the security of the location, the safety of the crew while minimizing impact to the surrounding community. The location manager is the one commonly signing the permit is therefore responsible to be on site at all times or have a location representative from their department to make sure the conditions of the permit have been adhered to.
A good Location Manager is poised and thinks fast on their feet, works well under pressure, pre-thinks potential problems and alerts the producer and A.D. if anything arises. They usually precede production to a location to make sure the production entry goes smoothly, puts out fires throughout the day and oversees final strike and wrap. They are the first and last people the public sees that represent the production and are responsible for ensuring that the location is returned to the condition in which it was received.
They need to be aware of the production's needs and know how to best accommodate them while diplomatically ensuring that the requirements of all parties, from the property owners, line producer, director and production designer to the grip and electric lighting and rigging the set and their teamster brothers with all their trucks, trailers and vans.
An effective and professional location manager can always return to a location and makes that their primary goal when balancing between production and the location. Plus they want to leave a good feeling behind so another production can go in. The worst is the location manager that allows the production to pillage and plunder and does not clean up after or rectify the situation. A “professional” location manager’s work sometimes carries on well beyond the job, without pay, to make sure everyone is paid and all problems have been resolved.
