The Location Managers Guild International (LMGI) is the largest organization of Location Managers and Location Scouts in the motion picture, television, commercial and print production industries. Their membership plays a vital role in the creativ
Issue link: http://digital.copcomm.com/i/1065362
IN OUR CITY: NEW YORK Stevie: WHAT ARE YOUR FAVORITES OR MOST MEMORABLE FILMING EXPERIENCES? JH: The first was a series of 90-second commercials for Credit Suisse, intended for cinemas. I literally flew around the world. I first scouted Jordan, then Shanghai, Hanoi, Saigon and New Zealand. We flew to the agency's headquarters in Zurich for a meeting to decide where to shoot each spot. The agency and director disagreed on the Asian spot. They wanted Shanghai, but the director pitched Saigon, and with my photos he convinced them. We were the first production with an American director and crew to shoot in Vietnam since the war. I flew to Hanoi to negotiate for permission from the Ministry of Culture, then flew to Saigon to deal with the permit folks there. One of our major scenes took place at the former home of the South Vietnamese VP, now a school. We distressed the building to look war ravaged, and then turned it into a five-star hotel. We flew the flags of various countries. It was the first time the American flag flew in Saigon since the end of the war. There were a lot of politics to contend with, but I fell in love with Vietnam, and will never forget that job. My other favorite was a Peter Stuyvesant cigarette commer- cial I did in Havana at the height of the US embargo. My cli- ents were Dutch and German, but the crew, talent and camera equipment all came from Los Angeles and Miami. I had to fly to Havana (via Mexico) and convince the managers at ICA- IC (Instituto Cubano del Arte e Industria Cinematograficos), in effect the government production company, that I was on the level and that I didn't secretly have a budget of a mil- lion dollars. They had never worked with an American before, and they didn't know what a commercial was. Eventually, we made a production deal to shoot five days in Havana. I hit the streets of Havana with my translator, an alcoholic taxi driver/ former secret police- man in an East German Trabant automobile. We scouted streets, theaters, bars, apartments, res- taurants, barber shops, and every night, dance clubs till the wee hours. When I wasn't scout- ing, I was casting at the world-famous Tropicana Cabaret, looking for the three most beautiful dancers in Cuba. The Cubans were amazing, highly trained in film at schools in Moscow and Bombay. They main- tained pre-revolution Mole-Richardson lights and Chapman dollies in perfect condition. Our wrap dinner was at one photogenic neighborhoods, and in response, the permit office created the dreaded hotspot list. Updated every month or so, it shows the hiatus areas where permits will not be granted. The current list has 36 areas where I cannot get a permit. Al- though the list changes, there are neighborhoods that seem to be permanently "hot." This is a challenge mainly in Manhattan and Brooklyn. The further one travels from those boroughs, the easier filming becomes. LF: As John mentioned, having enough time to properly do the job is an enormous factor. Far too often, commercials book jobs with a limited turnaround. I am very fortunate that fellow scouts share information on our Google Group. Sharing has enabled job efficiency 100 percent. I am happy to have been a founding member of ALSAM, where from the beginning, we pledged to help each other. The New York and New Jersey Film Commis- sions are incredibly helpful in supplying regulations and contacts for projects outside the city. In the five boroughs of New York City, the Mayor's Office online permit process has the overwhelm- ing challenge of processing permits in 48 hours, factoring in a wide range of events, construction, road repair and the 3 million people each workday on the 13-mile-long and 3½-mile-wide Manhattan island. The classic confusing parking regulations and traffic are always part of the detailed process. Recently, I was managing a Tiffany commercial at the flagship store on Fifth Avenue during the UN General Assembly week. During that week, no filming is permitted in midtown due to the high concentration of world leaders in the area. I had to inter- face with the Secret Service, NYPD Presidential Security Unit, Mayor's Office and the Movie and Television police unit. During our prep, the president was next door making my job extra chal- lenging. Having backup plans for backup plans was the key to successfully pulling off the shoot. Photos: Les Fincher/LMGI