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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40 • LMGI COMPASS | Spring 2022 A Role for Locations The location community was thrilled when in 2013, former LMGI President and founding member Lori Balton (Argo, Inception, Heat, A River Runs Through It) became the rst location professional welcomed into the Academy's production design branch, joining production designers, set decorators, property masters, illustrators, storyboard artists and scenic artists. Others have followed over the years, including Kokayi Ampah/ LMGI (The Color Purple, 8Mile, The Shawshank Redemption, Million Dollar Baby) in 2015. "In lm, we work closely with the designers to build the world of our movie," says Kokayi. "First, we interpret what's on the page in terms of character and action, then listen to the thoughts of the designer and director—that is the basis for the job. Researching the period, the architecture, the foliage, and even what time of year the scenes take place in is all a part of the art. "In most lms, the audience's rst understanding of the world they are entering is the location, well before they know the characters. The location says we are in a workplace, be it a high- tech of ce or street maintenance garage. We are in a certain community, maybe in Little Italy or a Malibu beach house. On set, the actors inhabit the location just like they wear their hair or clothing. The space informs the character. It tells the actors where they live, where they work, where they are going and the actors become those characters. "We are photographers. We research, scout and present options that will excite the creatives in the visual language we share. We are thinking about those things, as well as the logistics concerned with lming. We must secure the permits, location agreements, places for the crew and equipment to park and eat. We coordinate re and police departments when action scenes are part of the work. We organize the neighborhood or commercial area around the location—they are aware of us being there and trust that we will restore the community to how we found it when we leave." In a small screening room labeled "Image," visitors can view a compilation of clips from the Academy's Oral History Collection that highlights how cinematographers, production designers, set decorators and location professionals approach working on location through scene analysis and unique artistry. Spike Lee's production designer talks about the search for that special block in Brooklyn for Do the Right Thing and production designer Jeannine Oppewall breaks down how the classic 1920's Spanish-style house used for Kim Bassinger's character in LA Con dential was the perfect nd. "I talk about how I went from being a PA on Roots back in 1976 to nding and managing locations, as well as production supervising, for The Shawshank Redemption in the '90s. I talk speci cally about the prison location," says Kokayi. "For every scene that is shot outside the studio, it's one of us that makes it happen! Before we present something, we need to know that it can be shot. We are lmmakers and the work we do is on the screen—the locations are characters for everyone to see." "I de nitely felt that Boyle Heights was a character," concurs assistant curator Sophia Serrano when she delved into creating the museum's inaugural exhibit for 2002's acclaimed lm, Real Women Have Curves. Before joining the Academy Museum, Sophia was a research assistant at the Getty Research Institute, where she worked on the Metropolis in Latin America, 1830-1930 and completed a PhD in cinema and media studies at USC. She was drawn to this lm and its nuanced portrayal of an immigrant neighborhood in Los Angeles. The lm features the debut of America Ferrera as a young student whose aspirations and self-image are at odds with her family and the Mexican-American community she grew up in. "Director Patricia Cardoso donated her trove of material from the movie to the Academy," shares Sophia. "Included in this collection were the location pictures taken by scout Rony