Cinéformation
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Locations
This month Cinéformation took us on a stimulating exploration of what it means, on the one hand, to be a Location Manager and, on the other, to be a local resident/local authority figure dealing with a film crew.
The event was presented by Claire Hickman, who chaired the Q&A.
During the first part of the evening we listened to Fiona Francombe (Filming and Locations Co-ordinator for South West Screen) and Caroline Lowsley-Williams (daughter of the owner of Chavenage House in Gloucestershire, where the BBC series Larkrise to Candleford was partly filmed). They discussed the various facets of the Location Manager’s job and the all-important relationship between residents and film crew on location.
Fiona explained that the first role of the Locations Manager (LM) is to find locations for the film to be shot. After reading the script carefully, finding out where the production company is based and what the budget will be, the LM has meetings with the director, set designer and producer to find out what their vision of the ideal location is. The LM also has to be very aware of the architecture of the historical period depicted in the film (Georgian, Victorian, 1930s, etc.) and must make sure there is coherence and continuity in the locations.
The second stage of this search can take a while as the LM has to contact the people they know and visit promising places. As there is no such thing as a perfect location, they have to be very flexible and creative as well as always heedful of cost and logistics.
Fiona gave us a couple of examples to illustrate such creative thinking. For instance, in the ITV film Bertie and Elizabeth (2002), a sequence depicting a direct hit on Buckingham Palace during the London Blitz was filmed in three different locations. The drawing room where the sequence starts was shot in a private stately home. The following scene of the characters running down a grand staircase to find cover was shot in Longleat. Finally the scene of the characters’ sheltering in Buckingham palace’s cellar was shot in a National Trust property.
Fiona went on to explain in her friendly and mild manner that on location, the primary role of the locations manager changes, as he/she becomes the point of contact between the crew and the locals/residents. There again much flexibility and diplomacy is needed. She said that to her shooting on location is a privilege and that the film crew should always be very respectful and mindful of the residents.
As an illustration of this point, she talked about the shooting of ITV’s paranormal series Afterlife. The location for the exterior of Alison’s house (Alison is one of the two main characters) was situated in a residential area of Bristol, in Southville. It was chosen by the director for its great visual impact (on a slope, with Clifton in the background…), but it made the job of the locations manager difficult. Indeed extra care had to be taken to protect the residents from the disturbances of filming (especially at night). Lights were dimmed after 11pm; windows were blacked-out; letters of notification were sent in advance; much care was taken with parking… Fiona insisted that trying to choose an area where the locals are open to filming makes life much easier.
This led us to hear about Caroline Lowsley-Williams’s experience on the receiving end of a film crew at Chavenage House, her father’s manor house, which was chosen to be the local squire’s estate in the BBC’s Larkrise to Candleford.
Fiona explained that the house was chosen because it afforded very good possibilities for filming (great building, close to Bristol, beautiful and versatile surrounding countryside, reasonable rental cost and film friendly owners). Moreover, being in need of renovation, it matched perfectly the storyline in which the squire’s young wife wanted to redecorate the manor.
Caroline, who saw the shooting of Stanley Kubrick’s Barry Lyndon (1975) in her family home as a child, is used to dealing with film crews. She said that having her house listed in the Hudson’s Historic Houses and Gardens; Castles and Heritage site has helped the house’s exposure to filming. Being at the same time a source of income and an advert to entice more visitors, films are welcome by her family. She remarked that although it is different with each film, if the LM is a nice and accommodating person and if you are good at laying out the confines, all goes well. You may even end up being firm friends.
Caroline explained that she tries to be flexible. So much happens all the time during shooting (scripts and plans keep being changed, etc.). It is very stressful to try to juggle everything (especially when filming takes place at the same time as other pre-booked events). She said she remains on hand throughout the shooting to answer queries and to help. When dealing with bigger properties, Fiona views this presence as essential. In smaller properties (like flats or normal houses), she much prefers when the owners leave, in order to avoid their having to go through the trauma of witnessing the mess and chaos of filming. It’s much better that, when they come back, the house has been restored to its original state (sometimes even improved!).
To conclude the first part of the evening, Fiona explained that if you are a director looking for a location, your first port of call should be (according to the region you’re interested in) either the Bristol Film Office or the Bath Film Office or South West Screen. The service you will be offered is free (paid for by the local councils). You will be given suggestions of suitable places and properties to suit your budget and needs.
After a nice break, where much chatting and networking took place, we resumed the evening, this time listening to Keith Donoghue (the very enthusiastic Town Clerk of Wells) and Jamie Lengyel (another friendly, mild mannered and very experienced Location Manager) discussing the crucial relationship between local authorities and film crew.
Keith recounted with great verve and fondness his experience as the council representative dealing with the shooting of Hot Fuzz in Wells. He thoroughly enjoyed being the 24-hour problem solver and local support network for the film crew. He described how the film was well accepted by the locals thanks to the LM’s efforts to enlist the support of the residents through an open meeting in the Town Hall to let people know of the forthcoming upheaval and to answer their questions. Some locals were registered as extras, which also contributed to getting them onboard.
Keith entertained us with many anecdotes pertaining to the shooting of Hot Fuzz and also listed the numerous advantages that it brought to Wells. It worked as a great advert for the city as it promoted it on TV and in newspapers (a leaflet was subsequently produced by the council for visitors to view the various locations where the film was shot). Another advantage was that during filming local businesses (B&Bs, restaurants, cafés, etc.) experienced a boom. Although conceding there were a few difficulties (as when shooting took much longer than planned, due to torrential rains, and as a consequence tempers became frayed towards the end), he concluded that the positives far outweighed the negatives.
Jamie then underlined how paramount it is to have a great relationship with the local authorities during shooting. He gave, as an example, the logistical headache brought about by the film The Duchess starring Keira Knightley.
The film takes place in the late 18th century (in an upper class environment) where candles are central. As LM, he needed the support of the council, fire services, etc. to shoot the scenes effectively and safely.
Jamie addressed a few technical questions such as the LM having to take into account (on top of what had already been mentioned by Fiona) pre-set deadlines –much stricter for TV films than for movies. He also explained that when the locations are agreed on, the locations manager and designer work together to make the appropriate amendments to the sets (like removing or disguising anything that is not of the period when the film is supposed to happen).
Via the power of the internet, we also got a behind the scenes interview with Michael Carlin, Production Designer on The Duchess, who talked us through the process of transforming the Bristol Old Vic into an 18th century assembly rooms.
Jamie said that the difficulty in his job was less in finding the right locations (especially since the recent progress in post-production techniques meaning that such problems as TV aerials can be erased after shooting) as in the logistics of co-ordinating everything and everyone as smoothly as possible (e.g. having to organise and house hundreds of extras, with costumes, etc.).
Answering the question “what should one do to become a LM?”, Jamie said that one should try to gain experience (for instance as a runner) in all the departments involved in filming. Indeed the LM’s job demands a thorough understanding of everyone’s duties and requirements on set, in order to “make all the pieces of the puzzle fit together”. He underlined that it is only through experience that one can learn what works and what does not.
He summarised his job as fascinating and extremely varied. To succeed at it, he stressed that one needs to invest oneself totally, put in very long hours, work hard, and be respectful and diplomatic when dealing with people. “The LM’s job,” he concluded, is about “problem solving and making things happen”.
Written by Véronique Martin- veronique.martin@gmail.com – www.myspace.com/cubicstone
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