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LMGI COMPASS
|
Winter 2020
castlegreenfilming.com
For access anytime for every need,
call:626.807.6195 / email:janccady@gmail.com
Classic and international gardens, roads,
ponds, mature trees, statues, architecture.
THE HUNTINGTON
| f ilmhuntington.org
See our updated website!
THINK GLOBALLY,
FILM LOCALLY
them in bringing productions
to the screen. In the last two
weeks of Head Office, Jeff King
was offered an opportunity to
become an APM and I insisted
he take the job. That job led him
to become production manager
(and eventually producer) on
the series Night Heat. He didn't
know any NABET crew, so I
offered him The Littlest Hobo
crew list. Remember, no fax
machines, emails or cellphones;
only typing with carbon paper
to keep record copies, etc. I met
him and gave him the list.
Most of The Littlest Hobo crew
went onto Night Heat, a series
for CBC with Sonny Grosso
(The French Connection), a NY
cop-turned-producer at the
helm. He was one of the best/
nicest producers I ever had the
pleasure to work with. I found it
fascinating just how streetwise
he was. He could read people
in a second and taught me
so much about summing
up a situation. Five years on
that series, yet again gaining
experience. Now location
managing was in my blood. I
had a great relationship with
the writers who were receptive
to interesting locations. One
suggestion was the race track
as I had been a member of
The Turf Club. We also did a
two-part series on SARTECHS
(Search and Rescue) on location
at the Canadian Forces Base
Trenton. WOW! We all left there
with the greatest respect for
those service people who devote
their lives to saving people with
little thanks and recognition.
I remember there was an
episode in Night Heat, to be on
location at the Toronto Pearson
Airport and just hours before
our trucks and crew were to
depart for the airport, I received
a call to say "it's off" as the Air
India disaster just happened.
It was June 1985. OMG! Plan
B: I called the director of the
Ontario Science Centre. His
children went to school with
mine and I pleaded use of
that location in lieu of the
airport given the emergency
situation. I had insurance
issues and rushed there to
obtain a signed agreement
before anyone entered the
property. He arranged for extra
security, the art director and
set dressers hurried there
with one of our writers and
when the crew arrived to shoot
with five hours, all was intact
and ready to go. A location
manager is always prepared for
Plans B and C. Over the years,
I established a lot of contacts
who trusted me, and the
amazing teams I worked with.
Many emergency situations
arose but just a phone call
to one of my contacts and
things would work out. Not
being prepared can cost the
production thousands so good
connections are essential.
Learning to handle budgets
was another form of education
and staying within your budget
was most important.
I only did features when my
schedule allowed. MOWs,
pilots and series were my
bread and butter. I loved
working on features—there
is so much more prep time
given to the big screen—it's
in the detail, the artistry,
the visuals. Not that it is not
there for series. It is, but in
a different way. Speaking of
MOWs, I worked on quite a few
Hearst Productions and Diana
Carew was one of my favorite
American producers. Directors
like Betty Thomas (Hill Street
Blues) and Doug Barr (The Fall
Guy) were delightful, engaging
and professional. There were
so many directors, each with
their own way of doing things,
giving me more experience
adjusting to their way of
thinking.
