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/1547297
LMGI COMPASS | Fall 2026 • 21 of his career: allowing location to shape narrative instead of merely serving it. When Breaking Bad relocated production from California to Albuquerque to take advantage of New Mexico's film incentives, he embraced its contemporary Western identity—sun-bleached neighborhoods, piercing high-altitude light, expansive skies and seemingly endless horizons—to create a cinematic language inseparable from Walter White's dramatic transformation. Pluribus' expansive storylines took it beyond New Mexico's borders, giving Gilligan the opportunity to work with location professionals in Las Vegas, Montana, northern Spain and the Canary Islands. "These folks," he says, "make my dreams come true!" L-R: Jeannine Oppewall and Mike Fantasia/LMGI LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD 2026: MIKE FANTASIA/LMGI For more than three decades, FOUNDING LMGI MEMBER, PAST LMGI PRESIDENT and acclaimed SLM MIKE FANTASIA has chased countless horizons in search of cinematic possibility on nearly 40 feature films. Moving seamlessly between intimate character dramas and large-scale blockbusters, his credits include Memoirs of a Geisha, TOPGUN: Maverick, Jerry Maguire, Catch Me If You Can, Seabiscuit, Munich, Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, Spider-Man: Homecoming, Ant-Man and Killers of the Flower Moon, among many others. Presenting the Lifetime Achievement Award was esteemed PRODUCTION DESIGNER JEANNINE OPPEWALL, who worked with Fantasia on Catch Me If You Can and Seabiscuit when both were already seasoned professionals. She shared her early impressions of him when both were just starting out on a movie in the Seattle area. "I remember him as wiry, full of pent-up energy, with a bouncy ponytail and a laugh ready to erupt at any moment," she recalled. But she soon realized he didn't know much about architecture and suggested that he might benefit from a bit of research. "Years later, Mike and I met again on Catch Me If You Can. He told me that after I had delivered my lecture on architecture, he had actually gone home and called a friend who was an architect to ask for an instant knowledge outline of architectural styles. Well, you just have to love somebody who actually listens to you! Mike knew how to make the people he worked with better. He worked harder and laughed more than almost anyone else I know. I know he made me better." Fantasia's path to filmmaking began on a forest trail. The Upstate New York native applied his environmental science degree for more than a decade working for the U.S. Forest Service and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. His understanding and respect for the natural environment would soon open an unexpected door to the film industry. While serving as the local Forest Service liaison in Steven Spielberg's 1989 film Always in Libby, Montana, he saw in location manager Patricia Fay's job the perfect blend of his own education, professional experience and personal interests. Once hooked, he never looked back. "I stand before you tonight largely because of three women," shared Fantasia. "My mother, widowed at 41 with seven kids was the strongest person I've ever known. She said, 'Michael, I know you're thinking about leaving your government job to work in the film business. I know you'll think hard about it and will make the right decision.' Well, Mom, after reflecting on it, I think I did. "Patricia Fay took a chance and hired me on my first few movies, a guy with no experience in the film business but a lot of enthusiasm. She taught me the nuts and bolts of location managing. And then there's my wife Judy. She has stood by my side for almost 32 years. She is the rock of our relationship. "I couldn't think more highly of location managers and everybody in the Location Department. I love you guys. For decades, you've made my life easier and my shows beer. You are enthusiastic, hardworking, resourceful, imaginative … and indispensable. And I'm touched that you've seen fit to present me with the Eva Monley Award. It's a great honor." –Vince Gilligan