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 | Spring 2022 • 17 Stevie: HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN WORKING IN LOCATIONS? HOW DID YOU START & WHAT DO YOU PRIMARILY WORK ON? TOMISLAV "PELE" PELESKI: I was brought up in the small town of Ivani´c Grad near Zagreb, but lived abroad in Australia (Canberra and Syd- ney) during my childhood years. For the better part of my adult- hood, I've lived in Zagreb, Croatia's capital, with my wife and son. I got started in locations about 15 years ago working on sitcoms, soap operas and domestic commercials. I was studying graphic design at the time and freelancing various jobs in production. One day, a producer told me that I was going to be a location manager. I didn't have a clue what that meant—but I accepted and have never looked back! It was during a "wake-up" period for location work in a sort of post-war Croatia, and Zagreb was no exception. My work is based in Zagreb, and I'd say that the first five years were the most challenging. There was no support from the local authorities and local producers were trying to manage the sudden incoming workload. Things got better as commercial and film service production companies started to adjust, setting up a chain of events that led to work becoming more professional. I'm never picky about individual projects but I am careful to choose a production house that I know will support what my team and I need to get the job done correctly. My work is divided between foreign TV/film service production and domestic commercials, television and film. Stevie: WHAT DO YOU THINK IS THE PRIMARY DRAW FOR FILMING IN & AROUND ZAGREB & ITS SURROUNDING AREAS IN GENERAL? WHAT KIND OF "LOOKS" ARE THERE? WHAT ARE YOUR PERSONAL FAVORITES & WHY? TP: Croatia has been hosting film production dating back to the 1950s and '60s with international credits such as Fiddler on the Roof, Sophie's Choice (Zagreb standing in for Warsaw!), Star Wars VIII and Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again! Croatia can double for many regions. From the north coast heading south, you will find matches for Portofino, Tuscany, the glamour of Southern France, the stone desert of Egypt and the Dead Sea. Arizona roads, Mordor-style hilltops, antique Roman and Greek towns with ruins are all found along this most beautiful stretch of coast and nearby islands. And, of course, you will find the mythical land of Westeros. Take a turn inland and you will be in the Rocky Mountains, the Schwarzwald Forest and the Vienna-style cities of Austria. Zagreb is a small hilly city with Austrian-influenced architecture surrounded by lush green landscapes. It may not have the scale of Budapest or Vienna but does offer a good value for bits and pieces set in period or contemporary modern business district looks. While Game of Thrones introduced much of the world to Dubrovnik, most of Croatia's film crews and equipment rental houses are based in Zagreb. The newly formed Zagreb Film Office helps a lot with logistics and is a big bonus for production. You can combine Zagreb locations with the nearby coastal towns of Rijeka or Opatija only 1.5 hours away. You get the best of both worlds: the sea and sun combined with great Italian-influenced locations in the city always enhances production value. Three of my favorite locations are the State Archive, Zagreb's most prized and well-reserved architectural masterpiece, which served as a great set for Moscow's gentleman's club for McMafia. Secondly, the Mimara Museum, which we used for an Italian gallery in the Hitman's Wife's Bodyguard. The exterior was used as an actual Zagreb city location instead of a generic eastern European city as originally scripted. Last but not least, the Museum of Contemporary Arts for its bold and futuristic design which is mostly used for shooting domestic and service commercial productions. Stevie: WHAT TYPES OF PRODUCTIONS FILM IN ZAGREB? TP: As far as bigger productions go, things got kickstarted in 2015 Photos by Tomislav Peleski/LMGI, except as noted Photo courtesy of Tomislav Peleski/LMGI Stevie Nelson talks to Tomislav "Pele" Peleski who gives us an insider's look at Croatia's capital, Zagreb—a city that bridges East and West.