LMGI COMPASS
|
Winter 2023
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51
LMGI:
THE NEXT
GENERATION
BY PAUL MESSANA
They're young, smart and enthusiastic about
what they do. In this occasional column,
KALM Paul Messana, a genXer himself, talks
with the upcoming generation of location
professionals on the rise.
PROFILE ON: Matthew Fleischman
HOME BASE: Weehawken, New Jersey
POSITION: Key Assistant Location Manager
PAUL MESSANA: Let's start from the beginning.
Tell me about where you are from and what got you
interested in the industry.
MATTHEW FLEISCHMAN: I was born and bred in
Nyack, New York, a small town about 20 miles north
of New York City. After graduating from Gettysburg
College, I moved to NYC and eventually made my
way to Brooklyn. When my wife and I found out we
were having a child, we packed up and moved to
Weehawken, NJ, where we live today with our two
children, Madeline & Oscar. Out of college, I started
out in audio post and found it wasn't for me. I then
moved over to production and started working every
nonunion gig I could find: movies, TV, commercials,
fashion shows, and even tried my hand at some
small grip and electric gigs. I even worked nights
and weekends for a window installation company—
we did a lot of the beautiful window displays on 5th
Avenue. I come from a long line of film professionals,
so you could say I grew up in the business. My
grandmother (Dede Allen) was a film editor and
my grandfather (Stephen Fleischman) was a writer/
producer/director for ABC/CBS in their heyday. My
father (Tom Fleischman) is a re-recording sound
mixer in New York City. Clearly, I took a different
path than the rest of the family but film was always a
conversation at the holiday get-togethers.
PM: How does location management fit within
your family of film professionals? Do you ever
cross paths professionally with any of them? Are
they local?
All photos courtesy Matthew Fleischman/LMGI
