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/1415480
16 • LMGI COMPASS | Fall 2021 The Art of Parking Parking can be a nightmare and parking a production company with a huge footprint in the middle of a city is getting even scarier! On Thursday, July 29, the LMGI and the Motion Picture Production Industry Association of British Columbia (MPPIA) put their heads together to tackle the challenges of urban parking. Between COVID safety protocols that require physical distancing and the number of commercial trucks, extra equipment and support trailers brought to location, parking production vehicles has become more of a headache everywhere. Due to COVID, restaurants in New York and Los Angeles have expanded their outdoor dining, spilling onto sidewalks and into parking lanes. Restrictions have been placed on how close trucks can park near the diners. In London, city councils are getting into the act, limiting production parking to protect spaces for residents and business. Tension is mounting as production and neighbors compete for available spots. How can the industry adapt to ensure that the bountiful architectural and cultural riches of locations found only in our cities will remain accessible? Moderated by Vancouver- based UPM/location manager Hans Dayal/LMGI, the location professional panelists included LMGI President and DGC Ontario Locations Caucus Representative John Rakich, Toronto; LM Mike Buonanno/ LMGI, New York; KALM Stevie Nelson/LMGI, Los Angeles, and LM Ben Ahmed, London. A wide-ranging and spirited discussion about this issue brought up several ideas. Suggestions include downsizing of trucks brought to location, more stake- bedding, the renting of holding areas in nearby hotels for hair and makeup, for instance, to reduce the number of trailers, and limiting the amount of equipment packed up and then unloaded on site. Obviously, this kind of rethinking will take a united eff ort that engages every department and will require many more conversations. "One thing this panel makes clear," concludes Dayal, "is that the location professional frontliners are seeing just the tip of the iceberg of a complex issue that involves and impacts all departments. Five years from now, this issue will threaten the sustainability of our industry unless all the stakeholders are willing to collaborate on solutions that reduce our ever-expanding equipment footprint. This panel is just the fi rst of many conversations needed on both departmental and studio levels. It will take all of us working together to fi nd the best possible solutions to sustain continued fi lming on location." LMGI Summer Celebration On Sunday, August 22, the LMGI, along with Business Partners Bear Creek Rentals, Magic Rentals, The Location Portal and Reel Waste & Recycling welcomed location professionals to hang out in the sun for our fi rst in-person event of 2021. The fi lm-friendly Water Garden in Santa Monica, California, a 17-acre commercial campus, provided the scenic venue for an afternoon of fun, live music, food and drinks. The weather was perfect for "COVID safe" mingling in a setting of lush gardens, water features and walkways. LMGI Founding member Beth Tate enthused, "It was lovely to fi nally have a chance to get together in person! It was especially gratifying to meet many new Guild members— some just beginning their careers—who were very excited to be there as part of the LMGI. It will be great to have more social events like this when we can! " Our sponsors! The Location Portal, Reel Waste & Recycling, Magic Rentals, Bear Creek Rentals; Photos by Allen Altchech Photography Erika Howard (LMGI Admin), Diane Grinley/LMGI, Luis, Beth Tate/LMGI