Overview of the role
On larger productions, in High-end TV, scripted film and drama, the head of the location department will be the supervising location manager (overseeing multiple location managers), while on smaller productions it will be the location manager. As head of department, they are likely to have a creative input into location selection, forecast and manage budgets for the entire department and recruit and manage the location department team.
In addition, they will be responsible for assessing potential locations, negotiating contracts with location owners and obtaining any official permits or permissions that are required. During the shoot they may manage the security and protection of locations and the logistics associated with their use, as well as controlling supplies and expenditure for those locations. On wrap they may oversee the delivery of locations back to location owners. The supervising location manager will oversee the whole department but is likely to delegate some of these responsibilities to their location managers, assistant location managers and team.
Download the PDF version of this skills checklist here: Supervising Location Manager Skills Checklist.
Core responsibilities
These core responsibilities are provided as a guide and are not exhaustive. The exact responsibilities on a particular production will vary depending on the scale and budget band.
- Have extensive knowledge of architecture, geography and photography skills to present location appropriate options for the script and budget
- Make creative input and suggestions and source location possibilities and choices
- Manage the expectations of the creative team about location uses and parameters
- Calculate costs and produce financial resourcing projections and initial budgets for location department activity
- Allocate responsibility for monitoring and controlling expenditure and producing expenditure reports
- Inform department members about available budget, spending procedures and variation approval
- Authorise expenditure against budget, signing off purchase orders and quotes
- Report progress against budget to production department, discussing any variations with production accountants and recording agreed actions
- Identify and agree location department crew levels and dates they are required
- Interview and select suitable, available location department team and crew
- Allocate location roles and responsibilities
- Monitor and store contracts, timesheets and overtime
- Take mitigating action to pre-empt issues that will affect production
- Read and breakdown scripts
- Research possible locations that meet creative needs
- Work closely with designer and director
- Work with producers to ensure potential locations are practical and work within production limitations and budget, including distance, overnights and budget
- Scout locations to be considered, taking photographs, videos and detailed notes
- Identify required permissions, licences and any logistical or other issues with locations
- Negotiate hire fees and identify costs associated with each location
- Arrange for designers and directors to recce locations
- Arrange tech recce pack and schedule, in consultation with first assistant director when appropriate
- Assess the impact of each department’s requirements on locations and budget
- Assess traffic management requirements, environmental implications and locations with specific needs, including sites of special scientific interest (SSSI) and historic properties
- Agree the use of locations, terms, conditions and any changes to locations with owners and help prepare contracts for their use
- Check insurance, risk assessments and signed contracts are in place
- Organise parking facilities for technical vehicles, equipment, unit bases, cast, crew and suppliers
- Liaise with local residents, organising resident meetings and consultations when needed
- Confirm nature and schedule of filming with local authority, police and local residents and businesses and obtain permission for any parking suspensions or road closures
- Organise location security, signage and barriers
- Ascertain location department needs from scripts
- Produce and distribute a full intentions document, scheduling all required activity and equipment
- Check equipment, people and facilities are in place to match schedule requirements
- Develop contingency plans to deal with issues, including environment and
non-availability - Collaborate with own and other departments to check requirements, update plans and communicate changes to scheduled activities
- Confirm details for call sheets with second assistant directors and production coordinators
- Create and securely store health and safety files and other certifications and production information to distribute to locations
- Plan day’s shoot with first assistant directors, advising them of any location date or time restrictions they may need when developing shooting schedules
- Provide specific requirements and access for those with differing needs
- Allocate, monitor and record expenditure for own locations against budget, anticipating areas of potential overspend
- Reconcile budgets for work undertaken at locations upon completion
- Identify resources required for each stage
- Obtain tenders, estimates or quotations and select and contract with suppliers of resources, facilities and technical services that meet cost and quality requirements
- Make sure materials and equipment, including those that are fragile, valuable or potentially dangerous, are stored in safe, secure locations
- Obtain reports for lost, damaged or stolen equipment
- Work with unit managers to identify locations for unit bases that are suitable for logistics and vehicle number and size
- Work with unit managers to identify suppliers to set up unit base
- Discuss costume and make-up requirements for crowd bases with assistant directors, costume and make-up departments, and set them up or order them
- Liaise with transport and facilities about movement of department’s materials and equipment
- Make sure security signs are in position and locations are secure
- Oversee systems to control access and escort visitors
- Provide for access or special needs requirements
- Monitor and record breaches in security
- Organise moves to other locations
- Pack and return equipment and materials after use
- Wrap locations so that they and any contents are protected
- Identify and report any damage to locations
- Provide second assistant director with information for daily call sheets
- Communicate daily call times to relevant people and departments
- Communicate the overtime caveats to line producers and first assistant directors when overtime starts
- Coordinate location department team or crew on set
- Maintain line of dialogue with location owner about any developments or changes
Work in line with health and safety practice for all aspects of own role
- Collect and copy signed contracts, location releases and other legal documents
- Reinstate locations to their former condition
- Follow up with location owners, dealing with any complaints or insurance claims
Skills
Check out role specific skills, transferable skills and attributes for the role of supervising location manager.
- Identifying and assessing locations against production and script requirements
- Planning and implementing logistics for equipment and people
- Managing the security of locations
- Creating, managing and storing documentation, including contracts, permissions, clearances, insurance reports, security reports, movement orders, equipment lists, location plans, certificates and insurance of crew members and risk assessments
- Communication: interpreting other’s requirements of locations and communicating location department requirements to staff and colleagues
- Teamworking: collaboration within own and with other departments
- Research and analysis: finding locations that meet production requirements
- Negotiation agreeing location conditions of use and costs with location owners and contract terms with staff and suppliers
- Managing costs: forecasting and managing location department budgets
- Planning: planning practical requirements for locations to meet production needs
- Problem-solving: contingency planning and resolving issues with locations so that productions remain on schedule
- Management and leadership: securing resources and managing crew and suppliers of the location department during production
- Resilience, enthusiasm and curiosity: adapts positively to changing work priorities and patterns, ensuring deadlines continue to be met. Proactive and explores new ideas and non-standard ways of working which will enhance and deliver the best results for the production
- Productivity: organises work effectively and achieves required results within deadlines. Demonstrates the drive and energy to get things done in pressurised situations and escalates appropriately when necessary
- Ethics and integrity: honest and principled in all their actions and interactions. Respectful and inclusive of others, and meets the ethical requirements of their profession
- Flexibility: willing to both listen and learn and to accept changing priorities and working requirements and has the flexibility to maintain high standards in a changing production environment