Location Managers Guild International

Fall 2019

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 | Fall 2019 • 23 Stevie: HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN WORKING IN LOCATIONS? HOW DID YOU START & WHAT DO YOU PRIMARILY WORK ON? MICHAL SLIWKIEWICZ: I began working in locations eight years ago as a scout for the feature film They Chased Me Through Arizona. I always loved to go to the cinema. I thought that film brings so much joy to everyone and I wanted to be a part of this. I dreamed of being an actor. I even prepared for exams, but never realized that dream. When I became older, I learned that there is more than one way to skin the cat and decided to go into the production side of movies… And that's pretty much how it all began. Now I work as a location manager for feature films and TV series. When I think about this question, it seems to me like it was always meant to be. When I was a kid, we traveled a lot around Poland, visiting castles, lakes, the mountains. My mum would always tell me that what I see will stay with me forever. Then I went to study geography and I can't imagine a better background for what I do now. Poland offers such diversity. Stevie: WHAT DO YOU THINK IS THE PRIMARY DRAW FOR FILMING IN & AROUND ŁÓDŹ & THE SURROUNDING AREAS OR ISLANDS IN GENERAL? WHAT KIND OF "LOOKS" ARE THERE? WHAT ARE YOUR PERSONAL FAVORITES & WHY? MS: Łód´z is the third largest city in Poland. At the beginning of the 19th century, a decision was made to create a new big industrial city, which would take in everyone with a dream of a better life. Łód´z became the Promised Land for immigrants from all over Europe. It developed rapidly and became a melting pot of cultures and religions, which made it unique. Łód´z is full of historical buildings that other cities can only dream of. Nearly 4,000 tenements, beautifully decorated townhouses, 49 palaces built by factory owners and more than 300 red brick factories, making it easy for filmmakers to find whatever they might need for historical films and TV series. Many of them, which still require urgent and costly renovations, make a great set for war movies. We also have a lot of "multi- look" locations—where on one crossroad you have an old tenement, a beautiful palace and next to it a warehouse. One location can give you a poor neighborhood—as well as a sophisticated upscale look or the urban workplace. In the last few years, Łód´z became the biggest construction site in the country enriching its architecture with new eye-catching buildings. At the same time, the local government, with support from the EU, started the largest restoration program in Europe. Old tenements restored to their former glory open numerous new possibilities as film sets. Stevie: WHAT TYPES OF PRODUCTIONS FILM IN ŁÓDŹ? MS: In the last few years, Łód´z became a set for many historical productions such as Ida, Miasto 44, Music, War and Love, Cold War and many others. At the same time, and thanks to the film production companies based in the city—Extreme Emotions, Opus Film, Lava Film—a lot of independent productions and TV series are being shot in Łód´z. Stevie: WHAT CHALLENGES DO YOU FACE IN YOUR JOB? MS: When I work on historical movies, the biggest challenge is filming on the streets where you have to change a modern neighborhood into what it used to be 40, 50 or 80 years ago. At some point, all the modern activity needs to be stopped; cars moved, satellite dishes and plastic windows covered. And not just for a day or two, but for a week or longer. It takes a lot of planning to let the art department do its job and at the same time, let people lead their day- to-day lives as normally as possible. Stevie: WHAT ARE SOME OF THE CHALLENGES TO FILMING SPECIFICALLY IN ŁÓDŹ OR IN YOUR GENERAL FILMING TERRITORY? MS: The main challenges in filming in Łód´z, or any other town in Poland, are the rapid changes those cities have been undergoing over the course of the last five, 10 years. After 45 years of communism and 30 years of transformations, thanks to the support from the European Photos by Michal Sliwkiewicz/LMGI, except top right and bottom right photo by Lori Balton/LMGI Photo courtesy of Michal Sliwkiewicz/LMGI Michal Sliwkiewicz shares a favorite location with co-editor Stevie Nelson.

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