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 2023 • 41 Rawan Hijazi, training and community programs coordinator for The Royal Film Commission Jordan, says the joint educational initiative is part of the Commission's long-term plan to broaden and enrich its filmmaking industry. "Since its establishment, The Royal Film Commission Jordan has worked to introduce youth in Jordan to the many professions and economic opportunities available in the film industry. We were pleased to partner with the U.S. Embassy in Amman and the LMGI to hold a series of location management workshops. The workshops aimed to identify new talents and engage them in the film and television job market. We believe having an educated and highly professional crew is one of the most important elements of marketing Jordan as a filming destination for projects from all over the world," says Hijazi. Enter U.S. LMGI members Andrea Keener (Ant-Man, Scandal) and Kim Dillinger Davis (Office Space, The Amazing Race), veteran location professionals based in Georgia and Dallas respectively; each bringing a diverse slate of big-name project experience and a taste for adventure. Their collective travels have taken them around the world in search of the perfect shot, and the prospect of touring the Middle East for the first time was an easy sell. Keener, who serves on the LMGI's Education Committee and was working on a show at the time, embraced the opportunity. "How could I say no?" she says. "It's sort of, 'I will carve out time to do this' because it's one of those once-in-a-lifetime opportunities that you need to recognize and take advantage of and say yes." Their task was straightforward but challenging—build and present a trio of three-day educational workshops in the cities of Amman, Salt and Aqaba for three groups of 15 location professionals. The workshops combined practical experience with classroom instruction, and were also attended by film students, producers, assistant directors, as well as geographically knowledgeable tour guides. Keener and Dillinger Davis started with a basic outline provided by the RFC and the LMGI. They collaborated over Zoom and phone calls to flesh out the content, prepare the course syllabus and develop support materials and handouts. Dillinger-Davis says they undertook the sheer volume of the project with accessibility in mind. "There's so much to digest, we have to look at all this material and figure out how we break it down so that it's a coherent yet engaging workshop." Keener adds, "We had to craft it so that it was all- encompassing and interactive but at the same time be an exciting introduction to the location management world. I know people who've been in other departments for 30 years and will admit they still don't know exactly what all a location manager does." In November 2022, Dillinger Davis and Keener met in person for the first time at the Chicago O'Hare Airport and boarded the 13-hour flight to Jordan. Through their own advanced research and input from the RFC, they arrived with a working knowledge on the area's major locations, historical sites and antiquities, along with permit requirements for each. The Royal Film Commission Jordan had coordinated a seamless itinerary for the trainers upon arrival, complete with a location management liaison, translators, photographers, drivers and five-star amenities. They were prepped on the area's major locations and foreign- film productions and given a crash course on the legal processes for filming permits so they could customize the seminar materials. "Andrea and I were impressed by The Royal Film Commission and staff, because as LM's, we are often the people setting up logistics so there's a drama-free, soft landing for the crew and they can get right to work. The RFC set up and handled the details as if they were the location Aqaba