Location Manager Duties & Responsibilities
The role and function of a Location Manager includes the following duties and responsibilities:
- Supervising location support staff throughout the process;
- Dealing with members of the public who may intrude upon a shooting location;
- Ensuring the final clearing up (‘the wrap’) runs smoothly and thanking site owners.
- Scheduling crew arrival dates and times and keeping all parties informed on site;
- Researching locations thoroughly to ensure no disruptive noises or events are likely to occur during the shoot;
- Negotiating access and drawing up a contract with location owners;
- Organising permissions for access, for example, with local authorities and the police;
- Ensuring the technical specifications for equipment, power sources and crew accommodation on site are met;
- Assessing and interpreting scripts or story boards to get an understanding of the location required;
- Meeting with the director and designer to discuss projects and working to their creative vision;
- Collating ideas and undertaking research using resources such as the internet, specialist location libraries, local and regional film commissions and agencies;
- Liaising with key members of the production team to assess visual and technical specifications;
- Ensuring compliance with health and safety and security requirements and undertaking risk assessments;
- Distributing maps and directions to locations, often known as movement orders, to ensure all services and crews reach the locations as directly, safely and quickly as possible;
- Providing all relevant support information to all services and crew;
- Visiting and photographing locations appropriate to budget in order to assess suitability;
- Making preliminary enquiries regarding access, parking and location use;
- Liaising with the director to discuss and show ideas and photographs;
- Collating practical information on potential locations, such as hotels for accommodating the crew and cast, and in the case of photography shoots, often booking the hotel and making travel arrangements;
- Arranging schedules for the day with the assistant director to ensure continuity;
- Managing the location on the day and resolving practical or people-related problems as they arise;
Note that this is not an exhaustive list of Location Manager duties and responsibilities. Job functions for specific Location Manager roles may vary, depending on the industry and type of employer.