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
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LMGI COMPASS | Spring 2019 • 17 Stevie: HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN WORKING IN LOCATIONS? HOW DID YOU START & WHAT DO YOU PRIMARILY WORK ON? ENRICO LATELLA: I was born and raised in Rome. No one in my family worked in the film industry and I started working in the business by chance. I was 21 years old, studying engineering at University when a friend of mine called me because he needed a person for a week to do little things, deliver documents and run small er- rands. After three years of experience as PA/runner working on commercials and movies (Jane Campion's Portrait of a Lady and Michael Hoffman's A Midsummer Night's Dream), I fell in love with this magic world! The opportunity to work as an assistant location manager was given to me on a film called Katja's Ad- venture. It was shot mainly on the Amalfi Coast and was a great adventure and at the same time, the discovery of a beautiful job! I then started working with one of the most important production companies in Rome, mostly doing commercials for international clients. Since 1998, I have been working as a freelance location manager and scout for both Italian and international projects. I'm so lucky to live in such a beautiful country! I have had the honor of working with many top location managers and each time has been a great learning opportunity. I have worked in many aspects of production, location is my favorite job! Stevie: WHAT DO YOU THINK IS THE PRIMARY DRAW FOR FILMING IN & AROUND ROME & ITS SURROUNDING AREAS IN GENERAL? WHAT KIND OF "LOOKS" ARE THERE? WHAT ARE YOUR PERSONAL FAVORITES & WHY? EL: Rome, "the Eternal City," what is there not to love!! From the Roman Empire to centuries of popes and kings, filmmakers are drawn to Rome for its ancient charm and beauty, the climate and the good food of course! Rome and its surroundings offer a variety of different looks: one of the largest historical centers in Europe surrounded by the sea and countryside, but also lakes and mountains scattered with ancient towns, villas and interest- ing archeological sites all within a one-hour drive from Rome. There is a unique combination spanning ancient to contemporary, clearly visible in the layers and transformations of the buildings throughout the centuries. It is also possible to reproduce settings of other towns such as Vienna, Paris and New York. One of my favorite locations is the archeological complex of the Baths of Caracalla in the center of Rome, an enormous construction used in the ancient days as thermal baths. The underground tunnels are spectacular. This location was recently used in a major action sequence for John Wick: Chapter 2. Working with the Italian cultural authorities makes the experience unique and challenging each time, combining the technical aspects of filming with the fragile yet imposing nature of the complex itself. The results have been jaw-dropping each time! My favorite "back pocket" location is the old neighborhood Borgo di Ostia, just outside Rome, close to the sea. We use it for many different scenes, in any historical time, from the Middle Ages to present day. It can be Tuscany or any other village in Italy but also cheat as Rome. Many productions film there. Personally, I remember with pleasure the shooting of a Ferrari commercial, we set the arrival of an epic edition of the Mille Miglia, one of the most beautiful races in the world. Stevie: WHAT TYPES OF PRODUCTIONS FILM IN ROME? EL: We receive a wide range of requests from fashion shoots and commercials for both web and TV to music videos, documentaries, TV series and feature films. Rome is also the capital of the film industry in Italy—the world-famous Cinecittà Studios have a very long history of countless productions from Cleopatra to Ben-Hur, La Dolce Vita to Roman Holiday, and in more recent days, Suburra, Oscar-winning The Great Beauty and Romanzo Criminale. In the past 30 years, Rome has hosted many international projects such as MI3, Angels & Demons, Jumper, John Wick: Chapter 2, The Life Aquatic, All the Money in the World, Rome (HBO), Spectre, Zoolander 2, Eat Pray Love and many others. Stevie: WHAT CHALLENGES DO YOU FACE IN YOUR JOB? EL: In the last few years, the time to do proper scouting is less and less, reducing also prep time to forward permit requests and changing drastically the scheduling of all the phases of our work. Paperwork is the most arduous aspect of our job that has increased in the past few years for both tax credit reasons and also due to the complex technicalities requested by filming. Getting filming permits in Rome is quite a lengthy process, we've always been successful but due to the historical and cultural heritage, there are many different entities that need to give their confirmation for the final permit to be issued especially when filming in archeological sites. There are many local and international productions that film in Rome at the same time from spring to autumn, therefore, shooting in Rome requires good planning and constant monitoring of activities from both the Italian government and Vatican authority, as well as the normal life of a complex capital. Stevie: WHAT ARE YOUR FAVORITES OR MOST MEMORABLE FILMING EXPERIENCES? EL: It is very difficult to choose my favorite—Netflix's 6 Underground, directed by Michael Bay, was the latest and certainly most challenging project I have ever worked on! Filming car chases, explosions and acrobatic parks. Our sequences in cities like Florence, Siena and Taranto were an unbelievable challenge and a very successful one! Working on All the Money in the World, seeing director Ridley Scott's creative process and All photos by Enrico Latella/LMGI, except as noted. Enrico Latella (center) with his wife Carla, and daughter Elisa, at the 2018 LMGI Awards. Photo by Greg Grudt/Mathew Imaging Co-editor Stevie Nelson talks about the Eternal City with member Enrico Latella.