VIC feature film Road to Boston Photo-Adam Trafford © The Courier/ACM
Locations teams work with the screen industry and wider community.
The Locations Department sources and manages the spaces that production teams use to design the screen worlds in which the actors or front of camera talent inhabit. We are the bridge between the ambitions of a production and the workings of the real world. Our teams are required for the management of live events, documentary, factual or branded series, commercials, music videos, games and online content, as well as fictional storytelling in both long-form series and feature and short film productions.
Creativity.
Location Managers and Location Scouts dive deeply into the production brief to source the most creative and feasible location options for film crews. A sound knowledge of the filmmaking process comes into play during the search for the perfect location. An understanding of the craft – including script, character, subtext, photography, and design – is integral to what we do. To successfully source options, Location Department teams must consider the actual physicality of an entire crew working in a space and visualise, from beginning to end, what the logistical management of a production will entail.
Collaboration.
The Locations team collaborates with all departments throughout the filming process, particularly the Producers, Directors, Production Designers, First Assistant Directors and Cinematographers at the early stages of pre-production. The Locations team also works very closely with the Art Department to enable the actualisation of their initial design concepts. Location crews provide access for construction building and set-dressing, then continue to work with the Art Department at the final reinstatement phase, which involves returning the location to its original state.
Community.
What separates our screen department from the rest is our connection to the existing world outside of the production. The Location Department works with homeowners, property and facilities managers, land custodians, cities, towns, government agencies and authoritative bodies to attract film projects to an area and create a safe environment for crews to operate. ALMG would like to give a little kudos to the unique contributions that members of the public make to the storytelling process and the running of a successful screen production.
Thank you for your support
It takes a community to make a film and the support from the public allows our industry of world-class technicians to thrive and continue a tradition of storytelling. The screen industry is financially lucrative, and both local and international projects make a significant contribution to the Australian economy. So, for those who answer when a location scout comes knocking, we thank you! You play a significant role in the making of these important projects.