The Location Manager
October 6/7 (Sat/Sun) - 10am-6pm
Gary Swim - Location Manager
The Location Manager is an often overlooked but critical part to any production team. Before cameras can roll, locations must first be secured. The right location is one that aesthetically suits the director and production designer’s vision while still complying with established production constraints. Finding such a place is the job of the Location Manager.The Location Manager is responsible for the finding and securing of locations to be used and for coordinating the logistics involved for the production to successfully complete its necessary work. They are also the face of the production to the community and responsible for addressing issues that may arise due to the production's impact on the community.
Once a location has been determined to meet the appropriate look, the Location Manager must then schedule dates for preparation, wrap and strike, and negotiate with the property owner an appropriate fee as well as fees to any neighbors and tenants that may also be impacted by the production.
People who take the Location Manager advanced workshop will emerge with the following skill sets:
• Identifying key strategies in location scouting
• Negotiating and contracting property rentals
• Identifying key permit requirements for shooting on private and public property
• Identifying the daily on set administrative duties
• Managing the other Location Department personnel
Prerequisite: None
Background on the Instructor
Gary grew up in Lockeport, N.S. and after graduating from Lockeport High School, he went on to travel and study in Europe and the Middle East. Gary earned a degree in Archeology from St. Mary's University and then studied Archeology at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.
Gary served as the Coordinator for the Atlantic Filmmaker's Co-op from 1985 to 1988. In 1988, Gary earned a Diploma in Arts Administration Training from the Banff Centre of Fine Arts. From this point on Gary made his mark serving as production manager and location manager on approximately 25 film and television projects including: Dolores Claiborne, Black Harbour, Made in Canada, The Divine Ryans amongst others. Gary has earned the reputation as one of the top location managers in this region.
