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: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/1266455
54 • LMGI COMPASS | Summer 2020 develop the program to its full fl ower, but we are ready to deliver on that promise in an organized and substantive way, learning from and building on what already exists." Some location managers take it upon themselves, responding to the hunger for knowledge, especially basic training. Across the pond, London-based SLM Harriet Lawrence has helped develop the curriculum and run a successful assistant location manager training (ALMT) program for over a decade. Lawrence credits Film London and Creative Skillset as the original backers. Cur- rently, The Collective/LMGI business partner administers the course, location vendors help fund it and everyone benefi ts. "When we asked for industry feedback as to how we could help make London more fi lm-friendly," The Collective's Becky Butler recalls, "Supporting crew training and development came out as a major theme. As funding for 'rite of passage' courses eroded, the lack of fundamental skills imparted to new LMs was having a negative impact. Keeping the doors of great London locations open for fi lming means ensuring every shoot is seen as a positive experience. Leading the charge on gathering sponsorship and administering this course is a great fi t to benefi t both us as a company and the industry as a whole." Always passionate about training junior team members, Lawrence helped develop the curriculum and is grateful for support, shared decades of knowledge and experience from the UK's top location pros. The course runs for six months, one weekend a month with assignments, a fi nal project and an on-call working LM mentor. Currently, a few weekly online lessons keep the momentum going, however, the students prefer classroom learning. "Ideally it runs from October to March, when the industry is slightly quieter," Lawrence explains. "It gives us the best chance to keep students engaged and get the best possible LMs to teach." ALMT is exceptionally detailed, providing the next generation the skills to get to the top. ALMT trainees tend to ALM for longer, ensuring they are ready and confi dent to move up. Lawrence suggests this might be because they "realise full well the complexities of our department!" Areas of study include traffi c management, scouting & photography, budgeting, contracts & law, health & safety, basic electricity, preproduction planning, unit managing, greening the industry, scheduling with 1st AD and the joys of freelancing. "If they impress over the six months," says Lawrence, "they will have the pick of LMs to work with—I am pleased to say the ALMT credit does carry respect." As one might imagine, a sense of place is important to Lawrence. "We always try to have an exciting different location each training weekend with a tour included so they can take photos, practise photography and add to their database. The last one before lockdown was the Horseguards Hotel which has the most amazing decorative Victorian-tiled function rooms." When asked about recruiting students, Lawrence insists, "They must be more than curious, with a proven track record in locations. This is not a course for someone who 'loves travelling and photography.' We ask for at least 18 months' experience. It is not cheap to run, and we don't waste our teachers' and mentors' time. We would love more diversity but given we are recruiting from an existing pool, they are accepted purely on experience, relying on references. My generation made it up as we went along, hoping to get away with it." Lawrence adds, "This generation has a host of colleagues and experienced location managers to rely on. Sometimes location managing can be isolating but right now it feels very collaborative and supportive." SLM Emma Pill/LMGI has been a great supporter of the course for over a decade. "Over the years, I've seen students excel in their Harriet Lawrence/LMGI, standing front row fourth from the left with her class.