A family has agreed to let a film crew use their house for three days. The location manager has signed the agreement, told the neighbours, arranged parking for the trucks two streets away, booked a cleaner for the last evening and promised the owners their garden will look the same afterwards. The location manager is the person who finds, secures and looks after every real place a production films in.
What a location manager does
The location manager works for the production manager and starts early in pre-production. Using the script and the director's ideas, they brief the location scout, present photos of options and organise recces (visits to possible locations) with the director, the production designer and the heads of department.
Once a location is chosen, they negotiate the fee, sign the agreement, apply for filming permits and arrange things like parking, power and access. During the shoot they or their assistants are on site first and leave last. They deal with neighbours, the public and local authorities, and make sure the place is returned in the same state.
Responsibilities
- Brief the location scout and present location options to the director
- Organise recces with the director and heads of department
- Negotiate location fees and sign location agreements
- Apply for filming permits and inform police or local authorities where needed
- Plan parking, unit base (the area for trucks, catering and dressing rooms), power and toilets
- Inform and look after neighbours and the public during filming
- Check each location after the shoot and handle any damage claims
How the role touches the budget
Directly, through the locations line. That covers location fees, permit costs, parking, security, cleaning and sometimes compensation for neighbours or businesses that lose trade. The location manager gets a budget from the line producer and negotiates within it. Choices made here affect other departments too. A location far away adds travel time and transport costs, while a location that needs little dressing saves money for the art department.
How people become location managers
Most start as a location assistant or unit manager, the person who runs the practical side on the day, and learn the job on set. Some come from the production office or from location scouting. A good network of property owners, councils and contacts in the region is built up over years.
In TV and commercials
In television, especially on long-running dramas, the location team often returns to the same places and keeps long relationships with owners. In commercials the shoots are short and the look matters a lot, so locations are often chosen through a specialised agency or a location library. Our location guide shows the kind of places productions in Europe use.