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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20 • LMGI COMPASS | Winter 2022 "The experience was, to say the least, exhilarating!" exclaims LM Joe Abel/LMGI. "The format itself was a novel idea. Usually at these functions, we are lining up at various booths and exhibits to meet with film commissions and are lucky to get a couple minutes of one-on-one time. At the Shooting Locations Marketplace, we each had our own table and the film commissions booked appointments with us in 10- to 15-minute blocks." The event started with a keynote presentation by Dow Griffith/LMGI on his own career history and the rise of international production. Panels featured speakers such as Adrian Wootton, the CEO of the British Film Commission, Venia Vergou from the Hellenic Film Commission, and Sara Hernandez from the European Film Commissions Network (EUFCM). After the event, those who could stay were invited to select from several Fam Tours to different regions in Spain—each multi- day excursion designed to showcase the beauty, wonder and unlimited filming possibilities of each area. "The tour was everything a location scout dreams of," enthuses David Park/LMGI of his trip to Gran Canaria and Fuerteventura. "Our hosts and film commissioners were all so friendly, entertaining and informative. They set up action-packed itineraries that allowed us to just shoot pictures. What a luxury it was to not have to plan each day and worry about all of the logistics of scouting and just focus on the craft!" Joe Abel describes the "lush greens, mountain and desert land- scapes, cityscapes and sand dunes of Gran Canaria, whose peaks rose up from the clouds almost beckoning us to land!" "After Gran Canaria, we hopped over to Fuerteventura. This island is the first of the Canary Islands to rise from the ocean, and it lets you know it. Proud peaks, pristine waters and the scars of volcanoes remind you of the life this island has had. Rife with Spanish history and charming villages, this place had me beckoning for more. Puerto de la Cruz and Cotillo are a MUST-SEE. If you're looking for Mars, this is the place. If you're looking for a sleepy coastal village, this is the place. Dunes? They've got it. Desert oasis? C'mon down! Fuerteventura is definitely a must-see." "Some productions to have come through to showcase the island are Foundation, Eternals, Wonder Woman 1984 and Solo: A Star Wars Story," adds Park. "The island shows great support for filming with a strong film commission, production services and crew." Robbie Boake/LMGI, who opted for the Valencia/Costa Blanca Fam Tour notes: "Having scouted Ireland since 2006, my visual palette was filled with misty green landscapes, castles and coastlines, so I hoped that Spain would throw a healthy dose of orange and red into my mix. It's difficult to choose among scores of the beautiful places I saw, but I'll say Xixona was certainly one of the highlights because I got those reds and oranges I needed in droves! What got me about the trip was just how much is on offer in Spain. The true dedication to art, form, architecture and history just spills over into the camera wherever you aim it." Dubé recalls traveling "through the province of Castilla y Leon visiting lakes, mountains, waterfalls and villages lost in the hills, historic cities with ancient universities, cathedrals and palaces. We even ended up in 1890's America when we visited the site of Sad Hill Cemetery." Built in 1966, the iconic film set for Sergio Leone's The Good, the Bad and the Ugly, with its 5,000 made-for-camera graves, had become overgrown, its crosses long gone and cows roaming across the site. Its recent reconstruction by dedicated fans was recorded in the recent Netflix documentary Sad Hill Unearthed and it is now a major tourist attraction and economic engine for the area. Markus Bensch/LMGI elaborates, "It was a warm and sunny Sunday afternoon when our group finally arrived at Sad Hill Cemetery. About half a dozen vultures circled overhead, an image that could not have been more fitting for our visit. "Shortly before, our coach had been held up by a scruffy- looking man wearing a poncho. It turned out this bad hombre was our guide to one of the most famous shooting locations in the history of western films—from the climactic ending of the western classic. "Our visit at Sad Hill went full circle as we happened to have location manager Patrick Mignano/LMGI with us," continues Gran Canaria. Photo by David Park/LMGI