LMGI COMPASS
|
Winter 2021
•
17
win a California On Location
Award (COLA) for this film.
Elizabethtown, another
underappreciated movie, was
my first of many productions
with production designer
Clay Griffith and director
Cameron Crowe. It was the
beginning of a long friendship
... a friendship with a
soundtrack. It was during this
experience that I was dubbed
"the doctor." This came
up in a scouting van when
Cameron was lamenting
that Rolling Stone had lost
his list of "Top 50 Albums"
and he had to recreate it.
He started naming the ones
he remembered, and I was
happy to suggest additions.
Impressed by my somewhat
encyclopedic knowledge,
Don Lee, the executive
producer, said, "Wow, you're
like a doctor of music!" and
I was "the doctor" from that
moment on. There were
many idyllic moments as
we traveled across country
from Kentucky, Arkansas,
Tennessee, Oklahoma,
Nebraska, before ending in
California. I was glad to join
up with Cameron and Clay
again in Hawaii for Aloha.
Sadly, the UPM wouldn't let
me bring Leslie ... she had
to work remotely from Los
Angeles.
Always, there was the fun of
meeting new people, seeing
new places and then down
the road, seeing many of
them again over the years.
I've worked with some
legendary directors (Larry
Kasdan, Blake Edwards,
Barry Levinson, Curtis
Hanson, Mike Nichols, Nancy
Meyers, Cameron Crowe,
the Coen brothers, Adam
McKay), many masterful
cinematographers and
production designers ... an
endless roll of credits due.
Since meeting LMGI Co-
founder/and location scout
extraordinaire Lori Balton
decades ago, I've had the
pleasure of bringing her onto
several projects over the
years.
I have to say that my closest
ties over all my years in the
business (aside from Los
Angeles parking magnate
Harry Lumer) have been to
the production designers
I've worked with repeatedly,
and of course, the revolving
door of assistants. Many of
them have since gone on to
become outstanding location
managers themselves.
Fortunately, Leslie chose to
stick with me and was there
almost every step of the way
for 25 years; it seems neither
of us was particularly inclined
to work with anyone else. The
hours of driving around and
consulting with designers
such as Dean Tavoularis, Jon
Hutman, Jeannine Oppewall,
Clay Griffith, Charles Breen,
Victor Kempster and Patrice
Vermette have been a large
part of what has made the
last 40 years so much fun.
I owe them all a debt of
gratitude.
As for the rest of my team,
it was always a joy working
things out with varying
configurations of new and
returning people. The
creative process of being
part of a team has always
appealed to me, and I greatly
appreciate what everyone
has brought to the table over
the years. I even got to work
with my son, JT Panzarella,
despite having discouraged
On location for Nurse Betty
My wife Caty and I
