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
Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/1513609
BUILDING THE TEAM The key thing to avoid disputes, controversies and inappropriate behaviour from happening in the first place is to hire the right team. Ideally, supervisors want to keep at least some of the same people from project to project. They know what they're like, how they work and in return, the person knows what's expected. "Creating the right team is vital," agrees SLM Harriet Lawrence. "I have a core team of people who I absolutely trust, my location managers and assistant location managers are ones that I use time and again. We work ridiculous hours and spend more time together than with our family, so having a sense of humour, but being incredibly hardworking is essential, and they know I will look out for them." Concurs SLM Patrick Mignano. "I like to use the same people, especially my assistants. I try to do a show with at least one key from my tribe. I've done projects without them, using others and had a lot of problems—they're a different manager's guys, and often used to a different way of working." SLM/producer Bill Doyle, who's worked alongside director David Fincher on several projects, adds. "I like to invest time in the people I hire. I'll mentor them in a gentle but firm way and am happy to listen to their suggestions. I don't feel I'm training my competition. The whole idea is for them to move up. We older guards need people to take our spots." BALANCING STRENGTHS AND WEAKNESSES Hiring completely new recruits on a project is obviously more challenging. SLMs tend to call other SLMs for recommendations or see if they've worked with someone to gauge if they'd be the right fit. This usually works, although Bentley recalls occasions where "I've been told this guy is brilliant, and they turn out to be a disaster. Maybe they're having a bad week or month. But you wonder how they got recommended, especially when they turn up late or just decide to do their own thing, even fight with other crew members. That's not going to work for me." LM Amie Tridgell adds: "I had someone who seemed great in the interview, but when it came to the intensity of the prep stage, they seized up and went quiet. Maybe they had personal issues, but she was clearly not enjoying the job. And I've had the opposite with people over keen saying they can do things, when in fact, they can't." "We are all very accommodating of people new to the business and learning the craft, but equally we are highly attuned to those who are just BS-ing you," adds Davalos. Bad recruits aside, the key is to identify a team member's strengths and weaknesses. "I've got a couple of ALMs who are absolutely brilliant on set, but not so good with the budgets and paperwork. That's not their skill set and that's fine. Unless they want to get better at it, then I'll help," says Lawrence. Bentley agrees: "It's about building a team and using their strengths, some are good with paperwork, others with people. But there will come times when I need them to do those other tasks that perhaps they're not so strong at and they have to do them. I'm quite tolerant to a point, and then I'm not tolerant." Interestingly, he points to how things are very different now to how they were 30 years ago, especially working with younger people. "You have to be far more tolerant of their point of view. You try to tell them how to do a job, because you're giving them a shortcut of 30 years' experience, and they will instead decide to do their own thing. Unfortunately, this means it won't always work out for them, which is frustrating." Some are also not keen to remain in one position, despite proving themselves in it. So, they could be a good office coordinator, but they might want to progress to location manager instead. "I know someone who's a great coordinator on big-budget films and everyone wants to use her, but she's slightly frustrated because no one is giving her a chance to prove that she'd be good in another job," says Markus Bensch, BILL DOYLE/LMGI – US MARKUS BENSCH/LMGI – GERMANY AMIE TRIDGELL/LMGI – UK