Job Description
Have you travelled around the Universe? Well, as Location Manager you might have the chance. You are the person who does the research for the perfect locations according to the Director’s vision. So, you’d better brace yourself with a photo camera and car licence. You are not explicitly involved in the filming and it might sound more like an easy touristic job but it’s not.
As Location Manager you are the one who must secure the chosen locations on time for the filming. This means you also have to deal with a lot of negotiation and administrative tasks: paying the property owners, securing permits, alerting neighbours etc. You report to the Production Designer, but collaborate frequently with the director.
- Read the script and discuss the needed locations with the Director and the Production Designer
- Look for, find and secure the needed locations
- Provide input on the crew’s schedule: The location manager and the assistant director map out the crew’s arrival times and distribute maps
- Manage the day’s location: The location manager is often on-set to fix or manage any unforeseen issues that might arise.
- Prep the next location: The location manager simultaneously preps the next day’s set.
- Act as the community liaison: Location managers often deal with pedestrians who walk into film sets, angry neighbours, or the police asking to see permits.
- Wrap: Once the production is finished filming at a location, the location manager’s job is to oversee all cleanup and make sure the location is in the same condition as they found it, called “the wrap.”
- Leadership skills
- communication skills
- negotiation skills
- conflict management
- Attention to detail
- creativity
- major aspects of the workflow as Location Manager
- basic common situations to deal with
- basic film terminology
Producer, Director, Production Designer, First Assistant Director, DOP
Set up Situation
You love to hang around with friends and know all the nice restaurants and bars in the city. You also love to chat and befriend new people. In your long friendlist in the social media there is a Production Designer who likes all your party photos and you wondered why. One day she officially offers you to start working for her new film project as a Location Scout.