Dan Whalen

While I was not in attendance for this guest speaker I have reviewed notes of a couple classmates and here is what I believe I missed:

A location manager is the first on the set and the last to leave both for the purpose of production and location.

The location manager is responsible for not only finding the places to shoot but dressing a scene if needed to fit a description and is responsible for obtaining any permits needed so that the shoot is legal.

Utah is a great state for filmmakers who are new or independent because it is not unionized. However, without the union you can be fired without cause at any time.

Your job as a location manager is ultimately to understand the vision of the producer and director. Without that your locations won't match what they want and they will go another way.

Dan has built a database of photos of locations he has worked so that he can direct potential shoots to his portfolio for easy access to sites that are known to work.

The overall conclusion is that a location manager is responsible for the locations and the permits needed to shoot their. He works closely with producers and directors to create a vision. And without a location manager filming to fit a vision would be nearly impossible.