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 | Fall 2025 • 9 before the cameras and actors even arrive. To watch the crafts of my fellow departments at work always amazes me. The Location Department touches every aspect of the process from beginning to end—we have to work and communicate with everyone. I have met some of the most incredible people on a film set who are now my closest friends, and, in my opinion, the best crew members are those of us in the Location Department. They are people who I have literally gotten into the mud with, and I still want to go grab a beer with later. I love my teams. DANNY FINN ( Freakier Friday, Hacks, Her, The Bling Ring) Location management is one of the most exciting, unpredictable and challenging trades on a film set—and one of the few roles where you're truly empowered to help people. We're at the point where studio productions meet the real world, and that intersection can be as rewarding as it is overwhelming at times. I love it when you get to see how location managers give back to the communities where they film, sometimes long after the cameras stop rolling. It can feel a bit like playing Robin Hood when you help someone make ends meet, or when you leave a location as a community, not just a neighborhood. It's easy to get romantic about the job in that light. It sparks a sense of wonder: "Who am I going to meet today?" TYLER HOHMANN (The Iron Claw, The Boogeyman, Yellowstone, Gone Girl) I love the camaraderie that comes from working on projects together. I'm closer to my team, which I try my best to keep together working from show to show, than to most of my family. When you're in production, it's not war by any means, but the trenches exist. My KALM, Emily Dolese, is someone I've been working alongside since we were both location assistants trying to navigate the industry. She'll always be my first call after I get something or hear rumblings, and I hope she leans on me as much as I lean on her. There is love there for all my teammates, even if we are the most ragtag group of misfit toys that ever existed. That camaraderie leads to some epic crawfish boils too. (Y'all probably don't even know how good crawfish is. Come on down in the springtime, and I'll show ya around.) DANIELLE ROBARGE RUSK ( Captain America: Brave New World, Shazam: Fury of the Gods, Genius: Aretha, MLK/X, Murdaugh Murders ) I love working in the Location Department! My favorite part is the incredible variety each day brings. What other job has me hanging out with gravediggers at a national cemetery one day, meeting with corporate execs downtown the next, talking to a farmer while they feed their cows after that, and later visiting the church where Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. once preached? I get to learn local history, "move in" to neighborhoods I might never have seen and make friends with people from all walks of life. Since we work with every department, each production introduces me to new crew members that all have crazy stories to share. I think most of us in the Location Department have natural curiosity and genuine love for people. It's not an easy job—long hours, lots of moving pieces—these unique experiences help keep us going. PETER GLUCK ( The Accountant 2, Rebel Moon, Black Panther, Twilight) In the location business, we're fortunate when we get to work in truly unique and remarkable places—exclusive, sensitive properties that are close to home or in far-flung corners of the world. I've had the privilege of scouting across Southeast Asia, the Middle East and South America, but one of my most memorable assignments was finding locations in Panama for the Suicide Squad. When director James Gunn and production designer Beth Mickle first saw the Panamanian locations, they immediately knew it was the perfect stand-in for the fictional island of Corto Maltese. The architecture, the vibrant colors and textures of the older buildings, the animals, the food and the people captured exactly the feel they were looking for the movie. As location professionals, we take pride in "working the neighborhood," whether that means navigating a foreign city or exploring a local block. I make it a point to meet people, learn about the community and immerse myself in the environment so that by the time the crew arrives, everything runs smoothly. The most rewarding part is knowing a project can leave behind more than just great footage—it can leave goodwill among locals and a real economic boost to the area.