Location Managers and Filming on Location
When shooting a movie, movie studios hire the best actors and directors and create quality props and sets. But the magic of moviemaking also lies in choosing the best locations to shoot their films. Location manager Peggy Pridemore explained to us how she and the filmmakers created the magic of the bridge scene in Captain America and the Winter Soldier:
Location manager Mike Fantasia told us how the makers of the movie Munich turned one intersection in Budapest into 4 countries:
Location Managers
When filming on location, the task of finding and preparing a location for production is primarily handled by location managers. “A location manager serves as a liaison between the producer or director and the property owner by taking responsibility for all aspects of a filming location – from securing permits to managing on-site operations.” (Team, 2022) Location managers travel the world to find amazing locations that align with a director’s vision. They figure out what film crews need to make filming at these locations a reality. They also communicate with the community members and authorities of these locations to ensure that filming goes smoothly (Team, 2022). And occasionally they have heated conversations with Tom Cruise.
We interviewed two acclaimed location managers, each with over 30 years of experience in the movie industry:
Mike Fantasia, who has won three California On Location Awards for either Location Manager or Location Professional of the Year (Mike Fantasia, 2018), and has been the Supervising Location Manager or Location Manager on at least 33 films, including Killers of the Flower Moon; Top Gun: Maverick, Spiderman Homecoming, Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, Catch Me If You Can, and Munich (IMDb, n.d.).
Peggy Pridemore, who has been a Location Manager in the Washington, D.C. area on a long list of films and television series, including Captain America and the Winter Soldier, Minority Report, Independence Day, Wedding Crashers, Deep Impact, and two films that won Academy Awards for Best Picture – Forrest Gump and Argo. (IMDb, n.d.).
Peggy and Mike explained some of the responsibilities of location managers:
Legal Issues
Filming on location raises many legal issues for filmmakers that location managers need to solve. One of their greatest responsibilities is acquiring film permits and location agreements.
Permits:
When filming in any location that the studio does not own, filmmakers must get a permit or sign a location agreement to film there. Permits are needed when filming in public locations. Permits are granted by State film offices, cities, States, State or National parks, etc. (Privacy, n.d.). There are also situations where guidelines beyond acquiring a permit must be followed. When filming particularly sensitive locations such as military bases, airports, and government buildings, special permission is required. Regarding national and state parks, there are also specific guidelines that must be followed “Any permit request will be denied if there is the likelihood that resource damage would occur that cannot be mitigated or restored under the terms and conditions of a permit.” (Christiansted, n.d.)
Mike explained the complicated permit issues that arose on Top Gun: Maverick to film the Bombing Run Scene (below) in the Cascade Mountains in Washington, and told us an amazing story of how Tom Cruise would not take no for an answer from Mike:
Peggy explained the challenges of getting permits to film Washington D.C. landmarks, specifically what she describes as the “5 Icons”:
Location Agreements:
A location agreement is needed when filming on private property. “A location agreement, sometimes called a location release, is a legal contract between a film production company and a property owner that allows the film company to enter and record the specified property. The property owner usually agrees to allow the film company to take videos, photographs, and sound recordings while on the premises” (Location Agreement, n.d.).
Here are some excerpts from a Paramount Pictures Corporation standard location agreement form (“Licensor” is the property owner, “Company” is Paramount). This is a form Paramount used on Top Gun: Maverick:
“1. Rights Granted: Licensor hereby grants to Company …, the right to enter and use the property located at __________ (the “Property”) for the purpose of filming scenes of the Picture, which permission includes access to and from the Property, including the interiors and exteriors thereof, …, the right to photograph and make sound recordings on the Property, … the right to use any names, verbiage, address, trademarks, logos, signs and identifying features located on the Property, the right to replicate all or portions of the Property at a separate location, [and] the right to refer to the Property or any part thereof by any fictitious name and/or to attribute any fictitious events as occurring thereon.
(Note: The above section of the agreement is needed to give the movie studios permission to film any intellectual property that may be visible at the location, such as trademarks.)
2. Company shall be the exclusive author, owner and copyright proprietor of all the photography, sound recordings and filmed materials.
5. Use and Repairs: Company agrees to leave the Property in as good order as when received by Company, reasonable wear and tear excepted.”
Mike Fantasia discussed some potential IP concerns while filming:
Peggy Pridemore discussed location agreements:
Filming on Location
While creating a movie, studios will typically film in a variety of locations, both on set and on location depending on which is better for a specific scene (Brandi, 2016).
Advantages:
There are several advantages to filming on location, such as it potentially being cheaper than filming in a studio. Filming in studios involves paying for all the set equipment and production, and studios must spend more on weather effects, special effects, and lighting. And while sets may be built even while filming on location, environments don’t have to be created from scratch (Brandi, 2016). There may also be tax incentives to film at a specific location (Media Services, 2023).
We asked Mika Fantasia to discuss some of the best parts of filming on location during his career:
Disadvantages:
Filming on location also presents studios with many challenges. It’s expensive to move cast and crew members out to the filming location. There can also be many logistical challenges if the location is in a remote area or has limited available space for cast and crew members. It can also be difficult to find real-life locations that resemble what is described in a script. Additionally, filming on location gives studios less control over the environment. There are more uncontrollable variables to manage regarding the lighting, vehicle traffic, pedestrians, weather, and acoustics of a location (Brandi, 2016).
Mike explained some of the challenges while filming on location and some of his favorite directors:
Peggy also described some of the many challenges of filming the iconic scene in Forrest Gump at the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool:
References
Mike-Fantasia - Location Managers Guild International. (2017, November 7). Location Managers Guild International. https://locationmanagers.org/mike-fantasia-president/mike-fantasia/
IMDb. (n.d.). Peggy Pridemore. IMDb. https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0697266/
IMDb. (n.d.-a). Mike Fantasia. IMDb. https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0266887/
Media Services. (2023, February 15). Film Tax Incentives Map - An Interactive Guide from Media Services. https://www.mediaservices.com/production-incentives/production-incentives-interactive-map/
Batavik, C. (2019). Maryland Film Welcome. Marylandfilm.org. https://marylandfilm.org/
Privacy, Permissions, Parody, and Permits Field Guide to Film Rights. (n.d.). https://warnercnr.colostate.edu/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2017/08/VideoBlocks-Film-Rights-2014.pdf
Christiansted, M. A. 2100 C. S. #100, & Us, V. 00820 P. 1460 C. (n.d.). Commercial Filming and Photography - Christiansted National Historic Site (U.S. National Park Service). Www.nps.gov. Retrieved November 29, 2023, from https://www.nps.gov/chri/planyourvisit/commercial-filming-and-photography.htm
Brandi. (2013, September 17). On-Location Video Production and Filmaking: Pros and Cons. Tahoe Production House. https://www.tahoeproductionhouse.com/2013/09/on-location-video-production-and-filmaking-pros-and-cons/
Team, N. (2022b, August 3). Location Manager: Everything you need to know. NFI. https://www.nfi.edu/location-manager/
Location Agreement Definition | Law Insider. (n.d.). Law Insider. https://www.lawinsider.com/dictionary/location-agreement
Jolliffe, G., & Zinnes, A. (2006). The Documentary Film Makers Handbook: A Guerilla Guide. Continuum.
Location Agreement: definition & sample. (n.d.). https://www.contractscounsel.com/t/us/location-agreement
Moon, R. (2023, August 20). Where was Top Gun: Maverick filmed? Guide to ALL the Filming Locations. Atlas of Wonders. https://www.atlasofwonders.com/2022/06/where-was-top-gun-maverick-filmed.html