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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14 • LMGI COMPASS | Spring 2018 Keith Adams Segues Into Director's Chair Fellow location manager Keith Adams, LMGI is busy turning his dream to direct into a reality. Adams is seeking financing through a Kickstarter campaign for Haver, a psychological horror short film, a clinical psychiatrist becomes obsessive with her mysterious new patient's artwork and realizes he possesses a curious gift. Adams also possesses a curious gift: the fringe benefits accrued from working in the industry for over 20 years. His career in location management on iconic projects such as the TV series Gotham provided an invaluable learning experience, allowing him to absorb everything he could from A-list directors and producers. Additionally, he has built relationships that developed into a great team of industry professionals committed to his project. Location Manager Pay Carey Gets the Greenlight Who knew we were so interesting? Or funny? Or so dedicated to the many aspects of living a full life? Patty Carey, that's who. And all of the thousands of fans who voted for her pilot about a NYC location scout. And now, everyone who watches Half Life, thanks to the NYC Women's Initiative and its first #GreenlightHer screenwriting competition—an innovative approach to gender equity. The series mirrors Carey's life as a location manager and mother of two living on the Upper West Side of Manhattan. Beginning as a unit PA in 1996, like most of us, she worked her way up, from learning to scout, coordinate and assistant manage. Her first managing job was on the NY 2nd Unit of Sam Raimi's Spider-Man 2 in 2004. "It was a beast," Carey recalls, "but I learned a lot and was able to manage ever since. I like that location managing is creative, that we help tell the story through locations. I love the camaraderie. I enjoy the challenge, the thrill of making logistics come together. It's a great job. But, it's also a stressful job, and the stakes are high." With a BS in journalism, Carey's true passion is writing. She worked on a lot of ideas over the years, despite the demands of location managing coupled with motherhood. Eventually taking time between shows, she made it her job to write, pushing herself to the same grueling demands of location work. She worked on Half Life for two years prior to the contest, hoping to develop it to series. When she heard about the #GreenlightHer screenwriting competition, she knew she had a great chance—Half Life fit the criteria perfectly. Half Life was produced in conjunction with Brooklyn College's Feirstein Graduate School of Cinema. Carey worked with a diverse team of young filmmakers, many women. "The director, DP and editor are all Latinas. This is an incredible moment in time to be a woman and a filmmaker. The industry has changed dramatically—from the way we watch television, to the kind of shows we want to see. One of the most dramatic changes is the volume of content available for audience consumption. Yet, despite this glut of opportunity, we haven't seen a substantial rise in the number of key, creative positions held by women. What's happening now is not merely an industry change; it's a tectonic shift in our culture." Carey adds, "I am so grateful to be part of the next wave of female filmmakers because of the opportunity afforded me by the NYC Women's Initiative and the #GreenlightHer screenwriting competition." Thanks Patty, for telling it like it is! We are grateful as well. You can watch Half Life at nyc.gov/greenlighther. New Hire: Strategist Propels LMGI Forward The LMGI is pleased to wel- come Linda Johannesen, com- munications consultant and global strategist to our team. Johannesen will lead our inter- national expansion in response to increasing demand for quality location professionals as the dramatic surge in film, television, commercial and on-demand content continues. "With the inclusion of Johan- nesen, the Guild is meeting this explosion of production head on. A master of forward- thinking expertise, she'll guide our Board of Directors and membership into a busy, productive future. Netflix alone is set to spend $8 billion-plus on content in 2018 with 700 original TV shows and mov- ies this year. And in the UK, production has hit $4 billion- plus," said LMGI's Mike Fan- tasia, 1st VP and Regional/ International Committee Chair. A longtime advocate and sup- porter of the LMGI, Johan- nesen brings a 25-year career as a successful entrepreneur, executive, nonprofit Board member and management consultant. Over the years, she has kept the LMGI on task with strategy sessions for Guild stakeholders at the five-, 10- and 15-year marks. At this juncture, her focus is critical to bringing us to the next level, developing a master plan and eliminating our tendency to repeatedly reinvent the wheel. Johannesen recently returned to the Los Angeles area after a successful run as Founder/ CEO of the Silicon Valley- based tech startup Mybio graph.com, which was recently acquired by WhoKnows.com. "I'm honored and thrilled to be joining LMGI, support- ing your fast-growing North American and global expan- sion," says Linda Johannesen. "We will champion location managers and scouts every- where, continuing to promote your value as creative de- sign team members in film, television, commercials, music videos, print advertising—all media." And, yes, the locations are bound to be amazing. Visit his Kickstarter link at https://www. kickstarter.com/projects/ keithadamsfilmmaker/haver- a-psychological-horror- short-film Keith Adams Linda Johannesen Patty Carey