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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the question—what am I looking at? How is it specifically going to work for the movie? And you location professionals know that that is actually your job—to be able to say to your director, 'this is what you are going to see and this is how it gets in your movie and why it's the right place for the movie.'" Spielberg accepted his award by thanking the Guild virtually. After watching Spielberg's acceptance speech, Les Fincher/LMGI said, "On the 20th year of the LMGI at the 10th Awards, the room was filled with history. It was not just the tears that Steven Spielberg talked about during his speech, when seeing the home his location professionals found for The Fabelmans. It was what the LMGI has achieved. The respect for the job and the importance of it all. Location professionals see it first. This night was about the founders of LMGI and the hard work they have contributed to all of us. Thank you LMGI founders for the vision and future for the category." ••••• After the ceremony, the crowd streamed out to the patio for the after-party which rocked until closing time. SLM Jason Nolan/LMGI who had earlier received the award for The Last of Us said, "I'm still coming down from this year's win! And the best part is that with the generous support of the Directors Guild of Canada, so many members of our team were able to attend. It was a very special night for ALL OF US. I truly appreciate all that the LMGI does for our community and looking forward to another 10 years of awards!" Atlanta-based KALM Jen Farris/LMGI added, "Attending this year's awards was nothing short of special. I was honored to have been able to gather with colleagues whose work I have admired from afar for a very long time. I am proud to be a part of this magnificent group of talented people." "Oscar-nominated actress Helen Mirren was here!" said LM John Grant/LMGI. "She escorted husband Taylor Hackford who was here to present the Lifetime Achievement Award to Dow. It was so cool that, coincidentally, she was able to see Zach win for 1923, the series she stars in! "Once again, the Broad was a perfect venue for our event," said LMGI Board member Edward Mazurek. "The theater's facilities are first rate and the show was a hit. Having the after-party space right outside was a win. "Thank you, everyone. So, the real moment when I realize I might be actually making the movie is the second I get in the van with the location manager and set out on a scout or recce and see what they found. Before getting into the van, I will have been provided with a ton of photos and videos but that's not the same thing as being out in the real world to find the real locations. In my lap, I'll be holding a folder with my storyboards which are sketches of how I imagined the locations would look like, but the first time we stop to get out and look, even if it's not the last stop, will often make me kind of forget some of what I drew. Because the reality of making movies in the real world is always better than the world I tried to imagine at home. "Now we all know movies and TV shows take their first breath with a story, with the script, so thank you to my sisters and brothers of the Writers Guild of America and the actors of SAG/AFTRA—without them I'd be living in a van down by the river. And without all of you in locations, I'd be filming every one of my locations on the Universal backlot! "I value the time I get to spend with all of you over the years. And your people skills in getting home owners, for instance to let us invade their sanctuaries with our circus of cast and crew- because location managers must possess those kinds of social skills. And they have to be honest about what people's front lawns are going to look like when the company finally packs out to move on to the next location. And then, we get to restore their homes as if we had never been there— and that's what you all do! The location managers I have worked with stick with the production throughout principal photography, because people change their minds. A storefront location agreed upon once can suddenly no longer be available because the owner wants an adjustment in fees or just doesn't like how many crew have already swarmed their community. And its up to the location managers to either fix the problem or find another location; sometimes in a matter of hours. This is the non-stop work that you all do. You could all work for the State Department as that's the skillset this job requires. "And my admiration for each of you down through the 55 years I have been directing, driving to tarnation and back in your cars is limitless—because YOU are limitless. So, here's to more years discovering those natural wonders together that make our stories live and breathe and change people's lives as you have changed mine. "Thank you for this Eva Monley Award. Eva was my friend and associate on several international productions, especially my movie Empire of the Sun. And she would get such a kick out of me receiving this honor that bears her name, because the memory of her smile is lighting up this night for me. Thank you." STEVEN SPIELBERG'S SPEECH TIME TO PARTY