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 | Winter 2019 • 29 of Hemingway's favorites, La Terraza de Cojimar, where he docked his boat Pilar. It was an unforgettable job. LF: I have a few. For Picasso Baby: A Performance Art Film with Jay-Z, I secured an art gallery for six intimate performances with 230 people in one day. The gallery was converted into an actual speaker within the walls with dynamic sound. The Mayor's Office was fearful of potential growth of the exterior crowd via social media exposure during the day. I secured a team of 16 police officers and a fire department safety captain. We timed the entry of invited guests each hour as the crowd and paparazzi grew outside. The positive atmosphere of the performance carried outside. Everyone was happy and amazed by the experience. While filming, Jay-Z left the venue to drive away on camera as the crowd was smiling. While on the feature The Pilot filming in Florida, I flew in a two-seater stunt Pitts Special biplane. The pilot gave me a parachute and said if "I say jump, I am not kidding." We flew aerobatic maneuvers loops, hammerheads, barrel rolls, spins and nosedives. I had a new respect for strong stomachs. On a car commercial in Manhattan, I sat in the passenger seat of the process trailer while the formidable Joe Pytka and his camera assistant filmed the moving picture car, strapped to the front platform. We shot night shots on the highway, city streets and driving car beauty shots. I was numb in the heated cab of the truck, Joe was fearless with only a down jacket. It was 19º. On another car job, on a mountain road in Upstate NY, I was riding with the state trooper doing a rolling break as our precision driver sped way ahead of us with on camera. To catch up, we casually drove 110 MPH on the controlled road as the trooper hummed "On the Road Again." Stevie: WHAT ARE YOUR TOOLS OF THE TRADE? JH: My primary work camera is a Nikon D7100. My workhorse lens is a Nikkor 18mm-200mm, and I also use a Nikkor 10mm- 24mm for low-light interiors. I'm kind of old school, and still like to use a Gitzo Mountaineer carbon fiber tripod when shooting darker locations. My 2004 Nissan Pathfinder gets me around the city, and off road when I'm scouting upstate or further afield. I also keep a Citi Bike key in my pocket for when it's easier to bounce around Manhattan on a bicycle. I use a MacBook pro, several G-Technology external drives and an iPhone SE. Rounding out the essential scouting tools are a pair of Merrell waterproof hiking shoes and a big golf umbrella for shooting in the rain. LF: Whatever the job needs, be it long lenses to GoPros. iPhone scout photos are becoming very efficient and excellent quality. The iPhone and a smaller mirrorless camera have returned my vision to my Leica street photography days with joy. I have a job website, lesfincher.com, and use filmreadyservices .com production app as fingertip production for all aspects of production and management. Stevie: WHAT DO YOU LOVE ABOUT THE JOB? JH: I got a lot of satisfaction from teaching. I loved the kids but after a while I felt trapped, knowing where I was going to be, day