Chapter 19
Distant Location
INTRODUCTION
A simplistic description of a distant location is when you’re working too far away from home to sleep in your own bed at night. It’s far enough from your home office/ company/studio as to necessitate some amount of travel (usually by air), having to house cast and crew, having to set up a temporary base of operation and ship in anything (equipment, film, wardrobe, props, etc.) that can’t be found locally. Filming away from your home base but within the same country would be considered a distant location. Filming in another country would be an international or foreign location (which you can read all about in the next chapter).
Before committing to any location, be sure to familiarize yourself with any and all incentive programs being offered in that state or city and the qualifications and application procedures for each (see Chapter 5 regarding the different types of incentives and what to look and ask for when assessing the various programs being offered). Know how easy (or not) it’s going to be to have people travel in and out of prospective locations, and research corresponding airfare costs and schedules. Also check out the region’s infrastructure. Are there qualified local crews available, adequate housing (hotels, motels, luxury homes, apartments and condos), enough office space to accommodate your needs, shop space for your construction and effects crews? An adequate area for your wardrobe department to work? Will you have access to equipment and sound stages? Is this a union or a rightto-work state? Is there a nearby hospital and emergency room? Are there good restaurants in the area? Talk to people who have shot there before. Ask about their experiences getting permits, using explosives, doing any type of construction, finding extras. Know what you can buy and rent locally and what you have to ship in. Know what to expect before you get there, and be sure that this location is going to meet your needs.
Some films are shot at a combination of local and distant locations, some are entirely shot at one distant location, and still others are shot at multiple locations — each scenario requiring a different type of prep. The production staff on a show scheduled to be based in one location will generally start prepping locally from their home base, then move to and set up offices on location, continuing to prep while finalizing all necessary arrangements. The crew would arrive and/or start prepping gradually as needed. Once filming has started, however, and additional major moves are slated, it could become difficult to finish prepping subsequent locations. In this situation, many productions will hire smaller, separate teams to set up subunits at the other locations, so everything is ready when the main unit arrives (hotel rooms, temporary offices, phone lines, location sites, sets, local crew and extras, rigging, etc.). After the first unit has left, this same team would remain to tie up all the loose ends, making sure location sites and sets are wrapped properly, bills are paid, equipment is returned, etc.
LOCATION MANAGERS ON DISTANT LOCATION
Shows originating from larger production hubs (like Los Angeles) are more likely to bring at least one location manager with them, and chances are good that this person has already scouted the vicinity before final choices were made. Even once a city or region has been selected, it’s often the location manager who arrives and settles in before everyone else to secure added locations and space, finalize deals and secure permits. My friend, location manager Mike Neale, likes to say that he’s the one who brings the circus to town. But to take his analogy a step further, he’s the advance man who gets there first to lay the groundwork.
Sometimes, you may only have to bring one location manager, who in turn would hire a local staff and location scouts as needed. On other shows (the bigger ones, usually), the production will sometimes bring most of the location department with them. On the other hand, shows traveling to shoot within major production hubs may not have to bring anyone at all, because those most qualified to handle the location duties for that particular area of the country are already there.
Make sure you become acquainted with local location managers before deciding whether you need to bring one with you. Ask the local film commissioner for suggestions, and thoroughly check out their references.
THE PRODUCTION OFFICE
Temporary production offices set up on location are often done so without many of the comforts of a home-based operation. The lack of money, space and time often necessitate smaller offices shared by more people and the use of folding banquet tables in lieu of desks. Sometimes, however, visiting productions can find turnkey office suites that come fully furnished, wired and equipped with a phone system. Some even come with a heavy-duty photo copier and sufficient wiring and technology to accommodate wireless Internet access, editing and screening systems. You’ll often find offices like this at studio facilities or office buildings where fully equipped space is available to rent on a short-term basis. Sometimes you can also find suitable warehouses that contain both offices and shop space. But I’ve also set up more than my share of offices in hotel and banquet rooms and mobile office trailers.
Sometimes the hotel where you’re planning to house a majority of the cast and crew will include a bank of guest or banquet rooms to be used as offices as part of your overall deal. And occasionally, the local film commission can help you score some free or inexpensive office and/or warehouse/shop space. But if free isn’t in the cards for you, then figure out what it would cost to rent enough hotel rooms to use as offices for the length of time you’ll be there and compare that to renting outside space or mobile office trailers. Be sure to take into consideration the cost and time to furnish and equip virgin space.
There will often be a two-or three-day scout (for the producer, director, UPM, production designer, location manager, DP and transportation coordinator) months in advance of the full production coming to town. This time is used to get the lay of the land, finalize location selections, check out housing options, find work spaces, reserve vehicles and equipment, begin interviewing local crew, talk to local union and guild reps and determine what’ll be needed to set up a temporary base of operations. Once you get back to your home base, now knowing what you’ll need, you can start making your calls.
If you’re even thinking of using mobile office trailers, call as soon as possible, because they’re usually booked quickly. Ask for floor plans and prices, including delivery and setup charges. Determine where your power is going to come from, and if you’re going to have enough. Will you need to add a transformer to the nearest power pole or rent some generators? Will you need to find a company to add or run electrical lines and another to install a temporary phone system and some Wi-Fi hubs for Internet access? Let the film commission or local location scout introduce you to the providers who can take care of your needs, and start setting up accounts with local vendors, the phone and utility companies.
A production coordinator or assistant coordinator may be sent ahead of the rest of the company or a local coordinator or assistant may be brought on early to set up the office space and oversee all the work that has to be done (electricity, phones, furniture, etc.) before the circus arrives.
If you’re moving into unfurnished offices, check out stores that specialize in rental furniture. If there are none in the area, your next best bet is checking used furniture stores, consignment and thrift shops as well as ads in the local paper for used furniture. And remember that you won’t be there forever, so the furniture doesn’t have to be top of the line. In fact, for certain people who just need office space for a short time during prep (like the key grip and gaffer), a folding table, chair and phone will be sufficient. You’ll want the nicer stuff of course for the director and producers, and comfortable chairs for those who’ll be sitting the most — the production office, accounting and editorial staffs. And if you’ve got an editing and/or screening room or trailers, you’ll want some comfortable seating (like sofas) in there for the director when he or she comes in to work with the editor or to screen dailies.
While you’re at it, look into space to lock up and secure props and set dressing, as well as a cool space to store film stock. And make sure you have adequate space for Wardrobe to hang all the costumes, fit talent, do alterations, keep a few washing machines and dryers and do any necessary aging and dying.
The Traveling Production Office
If you have a show that incorporates various locations that aren’t great distances apart, but far enough apart to necessitate new hotels and new bases of operation every few days or week (or two), you might want to consider a mobile office trailer. These custom-built units are being used more and more, especially for road pictures (a story that unfolds while its characters are traveling). They can save you a great deal of time by eliminating the need to constantly set up temporary offices at every stop. Once everything is setup, that’s it. A traveling office will run more efficiently while conveniently remaining in one place (which is close to the set with the other production vehicles and not back at the hotel). The trailers are outfitted with office furniture, phones are cellular, digital and/ or satellite, faxes are sent and received via satellite and the power to run the lights and office machines is generator-driven or from outside electrical lines. The downside to all of this is that once in a while, a location is so remote (or surrounded by so many mountains), not even the satellite phones will give you adequate reception. And when that happens, you’re back at the hotel making your calls.
The following checklist, though not reflecting a multiple unit scenario, does cover the basics and should prove to be helpful.
DISTANT LOCATION CHECKLIST
Contact film commissions representing areas you’re considering as location sites. (Some productions will have their home-based location manager make all initial contacts with film commission representatives and will send the location manager ahead to pre-scout.)
Review location photos while weighing the advantages (and disadvantages) of shooting at each site, including all incentive programs.
Scout location sites under consideration.
Check out hotels, motels and rental units in the areas you’re considering.
Make final location site selections.
Develop a good working relationship with local film commission representatives in the area(s) where you’ll be shooting.
Contact the SAG branch office closest to where you’ll be shooting for jurisdictional guidelines.
Based on the recommendations of others who have shot at that location, find and hire a local location manager or scout (if necessary).
Based on the recommendations of others who have shot at that location, find and hire a local production manager, coordinator and/or assistant coordinator.
Hire a local background casting agency (or coordinator), if necessary.
Obtain a local phone book to locate needed services.
Secure living accommodations (i.e., hotel, motel, rental units) for arriving cast and crew.
Establish and set up a temporary location-based production office.
Have outside phone lines installed in the production office.
Install portable Wi-Fi routers to cover internet access for those who need it.
Have hard line Internet connections installed for the accounting department and anyone else who needs secure lines.
Have business cards made up with the production’s local address, phone and fax numbers.
Open a local bank account.
Open accounts with local vendors, including those for gasoline, rental cars, motor homes, office supplies, etc.
Arrange to rent a refrigerator, coffee machine, etc. for the production office. If you’re going to be there long enough, it pays to buy a used refrigerator and a new coffee pot.
Determine the availability of local crew, drivers, office help, etc., and set up interviews.
Determine the availability of local equipment, supplies and services (items that will not have to be transported to location).
Open a FedEx and/or UPS account, and arrange for the shipping of larger items to be brought in (see a whole lot more about shipping in Chapter 22).
Determine whether suitable catering is available locally or if you’ll have to bring a caterer (with truck and crew) to location.
Prepare a list of airline schedules to and from the location(s), along with the airline phone numbers and the names of their contact reps.
Make travel arrangements for cast and crew (more on travel in Chapter 21).
Order cell phones (for key cast and crew) while on location. If you’re coming from a major production hub (like Los Angeles), there are companies that will rent cell phones, satellite phones, Blackberries, iPhones, even portable Wi-Fi routers on a month-to-month basis that you can take with you. My favorite vendor for these items is Airwaves, (800) 400-9929, and even if you’re not coming from L. A., they can ship the equipment to you. The beauty of what they offer is that you don’t have to buy the phones, Blackberries, etc. or enter into longterm agreements with the providers. They’ll not only recommend the best service provider for the area you’re going to be working from, but the equipment they rent/ send you will come programmed with the appropriate area codes and prefixes for that location.
If your project is being shot on film, check with the closest supplier of film stock, and find out how long it’ll take to receive an order once it’s placed. Is there someone you could call after hours or weekends if there’s an unexpected urgent need for film? And in an emergency, what’s the fastest you could expect to receive an order?
As necessary, rent computers and printers, a photocopier machine (get one that copies and scans) and a fax machine. (Depending on how long you’ll be using this equipment, sometimes it’s more cost-effective to buy some of these things.)
There are various methods of screening dailies now, and as the technology continues to evolve, the choices increase. Discuss the options with your producer, director, editor and post people and decide on a system that works best for your show. Then make the arrangements that will enable you to screen dailies on location.
Get recommendations (from the film commission, local production or location manager or hotel management) of a good doctor, dentist and chiropractor. Call to introduce yourself to the doctors’ assistants, letting them know about your pending shooting activities. Ask for their rates and whether you could call upon them if necessary. Also find out if they’d be willing to make set or hotel calls if needed. Confirm that you can give cast and crew members their names and numbers to contact in emergency situations during nonworking hours. And ask for their recommendations for the best hospital/trauma center in the area.
Prepare welcome packages (see description of welcome packages later in this chapter).
Distribute safety and code of conduct guidelines to cast and crew.
Check extended weather reports for the area (daily).
Prepare a list of local shooting locations.
Locate a source for flowers, fruit baskets, etc. for cast and VIP arrival gifts.
Your wardrobe department will need washing machines and dryers, and sometimes the wardrobe trailer will come equipped with a washer and dryer. But if you’re not lucky enough to have one of those deluxe trailers or you need more than what the trailer provides, you’ll have to locate other washers and dryers. Sometimes the hotel will allow you to use theirs, sometimes a local laundromat will do and sometimes it makes more sense just to buy washers and dryers (possibly used ones). In that case, though, you’ll need ample space to put them and someone to install them for you. Should you have costumes that require some amount of ageing and dying, you’ll need room for that as well.
Locate clothing racks for the wardrobe department (if needed).
If necessary, order portable restrooms for construction sites if necessary.
If necessary, arrange catering and craft service for crews working at construction sites during prep.
If your show requires any type of stunt or military training/practice, you’ll need to find suitable space to accommodate their needs and arrange for restroom facilities, craft service and first aid kits.
Make arrangements with a local ambulance company to provide a standby ambulance on days when one is needed.
If you’re planning on bringing any animals into the state, find out if there are restrictions or regulations you need to be aware of. Make sure you have adequate housing for the animals, proper food and supplies as well as a local vet on standby.
Do your due diligence when it comes to EPA (EnviEnvironmental Protection Agency), DEQ (Department of Environmental Quality) and AQMD (Air Quality Management District) guidelines in the state where you’re filming and how any of these regulations might impact your filming activities.
Keep maps of how to get to each location in the production office at all times. Tack a call sheet and map to the next day’s location on the production office door when you close up for the night.
WELCOME TO LOCATION
Most productions will arrange to have some sort of gift basket or flower arrangement left in the rooms of arriving principal cast members. On one show I worked on, the producer had flowers awaiting every female crew member as well (there were only three of us; what a nice way to walk into an empty hotel room). A day or two before filming begins, some productions will host a kick-off party or small welcoming reception at the hotel once everyone has arrived. The goal is to make arriving cast and crew feel welcome and comfortable and to acquaint them with both their new co-workers and their new surroundings as soon as possible. They’ll be working long, hard hours, so try to find enjoyable ways they can spend their scant amount of time off. Much of what you can do to accomplish this will of course depend on the flexibility of your budget, but it’s amazing what you can achieve with a little imagination and just a little time to make some arrangements.
While on location, the film crew is everyone’s surrogate family, and we all want to feel as if we belong. Not everyone will partake of extra curricular activities; and on some shoots, any spare time will be spent catching up on sleep, laundry and calls home; but do as much as you can. Informal parties are always good, like barbecues or group dinners at local restaurants — especially on the nights preceding a day off. Ask the film commission office to help set up sightseeing tours (if there’s anything of interest to see there) of local attractions (while I was working on a picture in Northern California, our crew was treated to tours of the local wineries on Sundays) or to get tickets to plays or amusement parks. Bowling nights are popular; so are shopping excursions (find out if there are any outlet malls nearby). Find out where the local movie theatres are, where the golf courses are and where one can get a massage, take a yoga class or have a workout.
Having good food on location is a vital part of keeping your crew happy and comfortable. Make sure the caterer you hire is the best you can afford and comes with rave recommendations. The same holds true for your craft service department. If you’re working nights and it’s cold, make sure to have hot soups, chili and plenty of warm drinks available. If you’re working under exceptionally hot conditions, plenty of cool water, fresh fruit, salads and anything refreshing is much appreciated (as are small towels or neckerchiefs soaked in Sea Breeze™ and cold water and extra bottles of sunscreen). Not only is good food important, but sometimes, just having access to food is crucial. After wrap, some people are too tired to go out to eat, or it may be so late (or early) that most restaurants are closed. Find out the hours of several local restaurants (especially the ones closest to the hotel), and scout out the ones that deliver. Also make arrangements with the hotel for their restaurant, coffee shop and/or room service to accommodate crew hours. Never strand anyone without access to food.
Most production offices offer Welcome Packages to arriving cast and crew. These packages of valuable information will not only prove useful to those who receive them, but the more complete they are, the fewer questions the production office will have to answer over and over again. This will let everyone know who they can call should they need medical attention during non-work hours, where they can get their check cashed, where they can get their laundry done, what they can do on their day off — everything they could possibly need or want to know about this new location you’ve transported them to. The information for the package can be collected from the film commission, tourism office, hotel management, local chamber of commerce and the contact lists of others who have shot there before. The most important part of any welcome package is the local contact list. It should contain:
• The name and phone number of the nearest hospital emergency room and/or trauma center
• The names and numbers of a local doctor, dentist and chiropractor
• The location of the closest laundry facilities and cleaners
• The location and business hours of nearby grocery stores, health food stores and pharmacies
• The location and business hours of the bank the production has opened an account with and nearby ATMs
• The location and business hours of the nearest post office
• Locations and numbers of the closest gym, exercise and/or yoga classes and where one can get a massage
• Phone number of a taxi cab service and rental car agencies (for those not provided with a rental car or for friends and relatives coming to visit)
• Local bus routes and schedules
• If in a city with a subway system, station locations, routes and schedules
• A restaurant list, noting restaurants by price range and cuisines — also restaurants that deliver
• A list of night clubs, karaoke bars, any type of nightlife
• Information on local golf courses, bowling alleys, movie theatres and shopping malls
• Anything else you can think of!
In addition to the contact list, the welcome package should include:
• Hotel guidelines (including how to make long distance calls, information on Internet access, coffee shop hours, etc. — some hotels will supply you with maps of the facilities)
• A map of the area
• A map indicating shooting locations in relation to the hotel
• Brochures describing local points of interest, attractions and entertainment
• A listing of local events
Please understand that as hard as you try to keep your cast and crew comfortable and content, and as wonderful as most of them are, when on location, there are always one or two individuals who can make you wish you had become an insurance broker. These are perfectly normal functioning adults, who, when taken out of their familiar surroundings and worked 12 to 16 hours a day, tend to become totally inept at taking care of themselves. Some just whine and complain a lot. They’re tired and impatient; and no matter what you do to try to help, it’s never enough. All you can do is your best (which includes trying to keep your patience in check). If it gets too bad, ask the producer to intercede on your behalf, but don’t worry about it too much. Taking care of an entire shooting company on distant location is a difficult job at best, so give yourself the credit you deserve, and don’t let a couple of boobs get to you (can you tell I’ve had my share of bad experiences on location?). They probably whine when they’re at home and drive their husbands and wives crazy, too.
INTERACTING WITH LOCAL COMMUNITIES
Meeting, working with and interacting with local people on a shooting location can be a rewarding experience and produce friendships that long outlast your shooting schedule. Most people living outside of big film centers are thrilled to have a film shooting in their town and will extend a great deal of hospitality and support to the visiting production. Keep in mind, however, that the perception any local community has of your shooting company will reflect on the entire film industry. The reaction by the community, good or bad, will directly affect your company’s (and future companies’) access to location sites, cooperation from local merchants, rates on hotel rooms, site rentals, local services and everything connected to that location. A negative experience with one film company can motivate an entire city to ban all future film production in that area.
Inform local cast and crew members — in addition to reminding those traveling from home base) — of Code of Conduct guidelines. This should be done verbally as well as in memo form. In dealing with local merchants, pay your bills in a timely manner and make sure to get what you need without being overly demanding. Be courteous and treat people with respect, even when things aren’t getting done and orders aren’t being filled as quickly as we’re used to. Jackets and T-shirts that display vulgarities should not be worn, and noise levels should not get out of hand. Don’t interfere with the normal activities of the neighborhood unless these activities are authorized as part of your scheduled shoot. Leave location sites cleaned and as you had originally found them (if not better). As time permits, involve the community in your activities as much as possible. A positive rapport with the community will not only help to promote a positive image of the film industry, but it’ll guarantee that you would be welcomed back with open arms and increasing cooperation on your next shoot at that location.
FILM COMMISSIONS
The purpose of a film commission is to promote and aid film production in a particular city, region, state or country. Film commissions are government-sanctioned and are found throughout the United States and in many other countries as well. Some film offices are independent entities, some operate as part of various governors’ offices, and others are divisions of tourism boards. Most are members of the Association of Film Commissioners International (AFCI), an international, nonprofit, educational organization of government employees serving as film commissioners. The association’s purpose is to act as a liaison between the visual communications industry and local public and private sectors to facilitate on-location production, and to stimulate economic benefit for member governments.
General information on shooting in various locations can be obtained through Locations Magazine, the official publication of the AFCI, and also by attending the Locations Trade Show, a yearly, three-day convention (held in April in the Los Angeles area) where national and international film commissions exhibit a vast array of locations and location services. You’ll find a full list of AFCImember film commissions on their website at www.afci.org. Many individual film commissions have their own websites, which can also be accessed through www.afci.org.
In an effort to persuade you to shoot your picture and spend your production dollars in their state or country, film commission representatives are most helpful in the process of selecting locations and also during production when shooting on a distant location. When you’re considering different locations in which to shoot, contact the film office representing each of those locations. They’ll not only answer questions over the phone, but will also be happy to send you photographs of location sites that might meet your needs. They’ll also send you a complimentary copy of their resource guide. This book provides information on local crew, living accommodations, equipment, services, restaurants, local talent agencies, pertinent tax and/or permit requirements, etc.
If you plan to scout a number of locations before making a final selection, call the film commission representing each area ahead of time. Film commissioners and/or members of their staff will generally meet with you, show you around and help in any way they can — from cutting through government red tape, to obtaining permits, to helping you get a good rate on hotel rooms. They’ll make your decision to shoot in their area as desirable as possible, using whatever state or city resources available to them in doing so.
Once you select a location, working with the local film commission will save you valuable time, energy and money. You need a person, or persons, who know that area well and are at the same time familiar with the demands of filming and production coordination.
The relationship between production company and film commission is almost always a mutually beneficial one. Although it’s the film commissioner’s job to lure you to a particular location, it’s the rapport you develop with this person that will ultimately promote even more help, cooperation, good deals and open doors. Whether it’s helping you cut red tape to get a film permit, getting you great hotel room rates, introducing you to reliable vendors, helping you fill a stadium full of extras, recommending great local crew members and supplying you with brochures and maps to local attractions — they become your best and most valuable friends while at that location. That’s why film commission representatives often become unofficial crew members, are invited to lunch on the set and to cast and crew parties and are sent letters (or gifts) of thanks and appreciation before visiting productions wrap and head back home.
SAG BRANCH OFFICES
Even if you’ve signed an agreement and posted a bond (in one of SAG’s main offices) prior to leaving for a distant location, contact the local SAG branch office upon arriving at your location. Local SAG representatives are your best source of information for matters such as what constitutes a local hire within that state, current guidelines on right-to-work state laws (if applicable), casting procedures in that area, the hiring of local extras, drive-to reimbursements, etc. A current list of SAG branch offices can be found at the end of Chapter 12.
FORM IN THIS CHAPTER
• Meal Allowance — form used for individuals signing for their per diem
