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
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LMGI COMPASS | Fall 2021 • 33 of workers dressed in white work aprons. Old packing and storage facilities in Pomona with heavy metal beams and huge interior timbers augment the worker bee—industrial—agricultural look that is a visual violation of what the family stands for. Laguna Salada Desert The expansive desert was fi lmed very close to the city of Mexicali, BC, Mexico, and borders with Calexico, California. It marks the beginning of a treacherous journey that includes a chilling encounter with an encampment of migrant skeletons. The Hacienda Matriarca The family must flee from this massive estate that promised them a false sanctuary. It rises in the middle of a fi eld, behind iron gates and at the end of a long drive. Its dark majesty expresses the hostility of the family matriarch and the nefarious goings—on hidden within its walls. Dating back to the 1600s, the magnifi cent San Cristóbal Polaxtla Hacienda- Museum is in the state of Puebla about 1.5 hours from Mexico City. Mexico City Sonora Market, the kidnapping and crowded Madero Street were fi lmed in Mexico City, but due to COVID, remaining scenes were completed in Guadalajara where the colonial architecture was seamlessly matched. Hotel The scene of a gory shoot- out in a Mexico City hotel was also a combination of Mexico City and Guadalajara locations. The big plaza with arches, the closed alley and the night foot chase through the streets were all shot in Guadalajara. WARRIOR NUN LM Tate Aráez Guzmán/LMGI LM Kiko Aráez Don't let the irreverent title fool you—the rich religious architecture of Spain grounds this supernatural comic book fantasy about a young paraplegic girl who is brought back to life as a member of the ancient Order of the Cruciform Sword. What better place to fi ght demons on Earth than a place drenched in Christian history and mythology? What the locations say about story: The imposing scale, twisting arched corridors and dank underground caverns of hauntingly gorgeous cathedrals, churches and castles are visual revelations and set the stage for epic otherworldly battles and bloodletting. Shot mostly in the beautiful seaside city of Málaga, and other areas in Andalusia, a breathtaking back drop of the coast contrasts contemporary life in a vibrant city with the brutal mystic mission of the nuns. The grimness of an orphanage, the magnifi cence of Vatican City, the unfathomable beauty of a city built on a cliff , are all feasts for the eyes and fodder for the fantastical proceedings in the battle between good and evil. What the location managers say: "Throughout, the locations help us discover the contemporary way of life and beautiful scenery of this awesome area of Spain, helping to enhance the character of the show. The many religious and historical buildings reinforce the mystic and solemn mood of the script." Locations to watch for: Vatican City The real Alcázar de Seville is a 15th-century palace in Seville where the nuns make a raid inside Vatican City in an astonishing sequence that has us asking, "Did they really get to shoot at the Vatican?" City of Málaga Nestled right on the ocean, establishing location shots feature the city's stunning beach and plaza. The Port of Málaga is the scene of an epic fi ght. Córdoba In the medieval castle Almodóvar del Rio, the ancient leader of the nuns receives her powers from an angel for the fi rst time. St. Michael's Orphanage La Térmica Cultural Center in Málaga is the oppressively dreary orphanage where we fi rst meet Ava, who lies paralyzed until she is reborn as the Warrior Nun of the title. The orphanage's temple exteriors were fi lmed in Baroque Encarnación, an 18th-century Catholic church in Marbella. The Order's Headquarters The courtyard and interior of the Royal Collegiate Church of Santa María La Mayor in Antequera is featured in almost every episode, including one where the nun's make dramatic getaway Squatters Mansion The pool that Ava falls into in the very fi rst episode is located at the Marbella Club Hotel, with some interior scenes being shot at the hotel's deluxe Villa del Mar. The Village of Ronda Wandering in a city built on a giant cliff with a gorgeous stone bridge dramatically linking its parts, characters discuss fi ghting demons while commenting on the beauty that surrounds them. The Coast There is a harrowing escape from a local jail through city tunnels, car bombs and gunfi ghts as the family moves from place to place with the cartel close on its heels. The family travels through coastal towns and along the Riviera Nayarit, a nearly 200-mile stretch of coastline, before landing in the beach resort city of Puerto Vallarta, situated on the Pacifi c Ocean's Banderas Bay. The Mosquito Coast Warrior Nun WOKE LM Kent Sponagle/LMGI LM John Alexander/LMGI - Pilot This quirky and original series about Keef, a Black cartoonist who becomes socially aware after an undeserved violent encounter with a San Francisco police offi cer, manages to capture both the political milieu of our time and a vibe specifi c to the Bay Area—despite it's being fi lmed in Vancouver! What the locations say about story: The characters in Woke inhabit the outer districts of the city, walk its neighborhood streets and ride the MUNI bus in a convincing portrayal of a San Francisco that is more than a postcard perfection of stately Victorians. A pretentious party in an upscale neighborhood is peopled with guests who we assume have an elevated social consciousness because, well, it is San Francisco! Instead, several awkward encounters inspire an original conceptual response from the cartoonist, now more sensitive to society's slights. A party in Oakland for artists also has its share of pretension despite its Boho ambience. Keef struggles to balance his newfound consciousness with a desire for commercial success by talking to his animated sharpie WARRIOR NUN LM Tate Aráez Guzmán/LMGI LM Kiko Aráez Don't let the irreverent title fool you—the rich religious architecture of Spain grounds