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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46 • LMGI COMPASS | Winter 2025 But even when fully prepared, sometimes freak conditions can interfere with productions and they need to adapt quickly. "On The Revenant, we'd chosen Calgary because you would expect it to have a lot of snow in wintertime, but there wasn't," says Dillin. "It was too warm to even make snow because it was a Chinook winter, when the warm wind blows in. And the snow had turned to mud. We had to bring truckloads of snow in." It was a similar story on The Last of Us. "We had planned to shoot in February because it was the best time for winter conditions, but about five weeks after the first scout, the snow where we wanted to film had gone and the lake that was frozen had melted. We had to shift in 400 truckloads of snow from other parts of the national park—they wouldn't let us bring it in from outside for fear of contamination nor use fake snow—and had to get fans to create wind in a place that is normally one of the windiest in the province," says Palmer. "A producer of a forthcoming show recently asked me when the snow will be gone, but I had to say it's hard to know. We could have little snow at Christmas, then get a three-foot dump in May." "On one shoot, we had to bail quickly because we saw a cloud coming. We had flown onto a glacier in lovely blue skies in summer, but sure enough, fog quickly came in," says Kane. "We always have a safe out, like a pilot, on every location." But inevitably, sometimes crew can be stuck on a location. This is where contingency planning is key. "I'm usually prepared to sleep about 35 people on the mountain if we get weathered in," says Brooker. "We bring in sleeping bags, food supplies, required medication and shelters, things like that, which never get used, but just in case." Kane agrees, saying: "On Ruth Glacier, Alaska, we also know where all the cabins are, so there's at least some shelter and food. I know a crew that was stuck there for 10 days once." Palmer adds: "We did a sunset shoot on a high ridge at Watertown where sudden strong winds meant the crew were stranded because the helicopter couldn't get to them, while we had porta potties flying in the air and the lunch tent collapsed." The key is having a strong producer who knows how to get things done. "They need to have the mindset that 'yes, it's a really nasty day out, but we can make it work,' that's where the magic is," insists Kane. Weather aside, there are several more factors to consider, including protecting the set. "We found an untouched snowfield for one project, and the DoP and his team, for reasons I'll never understand, just walked straight through it, even though it was tapered off," says Palmer. Fortunately, some of this can be fixed "with snowblowers and rakes and dressing stuff up," says Brooker. "But it's important to break the area up beforehand into sort of highways for stash, shooting, bathrooms, food and drink, etc., so everyone knows where to walk. I always put together a prep memo on the call sheet." Cast Meanwhile, handling the actors depends greatly on whether they embrace the experience. On Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One, the cast and crew loved the experience of being on the ice and bonding on ships with no internet. Hayley Atwell even decided after wrapping one day to drive the dog team back to the main unit. But you still have to carefully consider safety and logistics for the actors. "Getting trailers to the remote locations is hard. So, we have to put up tents with heaters and blankets and carpet on the floor," says Cassata. "Between takes, some are just happy to sit in the front seat of the SUV with a heater on and then step out to do their scene." It can be a big challenge though. "They'll be wearing big coats and then strip down to period costumes in -35 degrees and try and look fine," says Palmer. "Bear in mind that exposed skin can freeze within about 20 seconds in those temperatures." Filming in these conditions for the cast and crew is really tough and exhausting, expending energy just walking around, constantly shovelling, making pathways, getting stuck, managing the wind and cold. But you can get the best footage and it's a great experience.