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LMGI COMPASS
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Winter 2021
IN MY CITY: CHICAGO
Film Offices have been incredible allies and
do a terrific job supporting us. They are a
big factor for the continued growth of the
industry in Chicago.
Stevie: WHAT TYPES OF PRODUCTIONS FILM IN
CHICAGO?
SB:
Chicago supports a wide range of
productions, from high-budget television
and film, to commercial and print work.
There are also incredible independent films
being shot here.
Stevie: WHAT CHALLENGES DO YOU FACE IN
YOUR JOB?
SB:
Over the last number of years, there seems
to be a bigger demand from the crew. With
television specifically, the amount of time
you have to prep/shoot/wrap is at a very
ambitious level. Final decisions are taking
longer than before. This revolves around many
factors such as actor availability, scheduling,
location access, script changes, budget, etc.
There is added pressure for final decisions to
be made, with prep crews on your heels.
These high expectations within a short
window of time has been a challenge, not
only for locations, but most departments
overall. Currently working in the COVID-19
era proves especially challenging, with the
safety and health of the actors and crew
being paramount. But everyone is grateful to
be back working!
Stevie: WHAT ARE SOME OF THE CHALLENGES TO
FILMING IN CHICAGO AND ITS SURROUNDING AREA?
SB:
Like most cities where film production has
become a steady industry, we do at times
run into savvy location owners who demand
above what we consider a fair market rate for
their properties… Other challenges are over-
used locations and crew shortages. With a
city as busy as it's been, we are always on
the lookout for eager new people to join the
industry.
Stevie: WHAT ARE YOUR FAVORITE OR MOST
MEMORABLE FILMING EXPERIENCES?
SB:
My first real location job was on
Transformers: Dark of the Moon. I was
incredibly green and had no idea what I
