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LMGI COMPASS
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Summer 2021
LMGI:
THE NEXT
GENERATION
BY PAUL MESSANA
They're young, smart and enthusiastic about what they do. In
this occasional column, KALM Paul Messana, a genXer himself,
talks with the upcoming generation of location professionals on
the rise.
PROFILE ON: MEREDITH HODDER
HOME BASE: Whistler, BC, Canada
POSITION: Location Manager and Scout
PAUL MESSANA: Tell me about where you are from and what got
you interested in the industry.
MEREDITH HODDER: I am originally from South Carolina and
have always been fascinated with exploring the world. As a
kid, I poured over issues of National Geographic with a sense of
wonderment. After completing an undergraduate degree in art
history at the College of Charleston, I had a real urge to travel
the world and see all the places I had learned about. I thought
that getting a job in international television production might
be a way to achieve this goal, so I moved to Los Angeles to
begin the journey.
PM: What was your experience working in Los Angeles?
MH: I started off working as an assistant to a motion picture
agent at Creative Artists Agency (CAA). This was my crash
course in how the industry worked. It was great because I met
so many people with insight into upcoming productions. When
I heard that this new CBS show called Survivor was hiring, I
jumped at the chance! I was one of the fi rst four people hired
on the Survivor franchise—and the rest is history. I began as
the assistant to the co-executive producer, but eventually
moved onto casting and contestant coordinating. I traveled
with contestants to the location and, since they were not
allowed to return home until fi lming was completed, I had to
manage where they hung out when they were voted off the
competition. I wound up working on the series for 10 seasons!
This opportunity paved the way to The Amazing Race. I was fi rst
hired to contestant manage and then moved into producing the
"Pit Stops," which were the ending point for each leg of the
race. I then moved onto fi eld producing. I worked on AR for
seven seasons and truly realized my goal of seeing the world!
Ice Caves, Whistler
All photos courtesy of Meredith Hodder/LMGI
