Whether you manage locations for film, TV, advertising or photography shoots or not, there’s no getting away from how tough or crucial a role it is. This is one of the main reasons we launched our petition calling on BAFTA to create a category for them (read all about it here). And it seems to have struck a chord…
There are now more than 750 signatures on it – from location crew and their colleagues in all corners of the world, from the UK to Thailand, Canada, Spain, and the USA – taking the total way beyond our initial target of 200! We’re thrilled that it’s also been given official backing from the Location Managers Guild International (LMGI).
Among the comments are lots along the lines of ‘Long overdue’, and ‘About time!’, as well as dozens confirming that location managers are ‘undervalued and unrecognised’ by the awards industry, and many acknowledging how challenging the role is, with location managers being ‘first on set and last to leave’. There are also some really heartfelt and insightful comments like this one, from Rhian Sharpe:
“The amount of unappreciated work that goes into location management is baffling. Without these skilled individuals taking the helm on the groundwork, shoots wouldn’t go so smoothly. A good managed location is as difficult as scoring a winning piece, directing an award-winning scene or being so believable in a role that you can bring an audience to tears.”
We’re now in the process of contacting high-profile actors and directors, whose signatures will help us to attract wider coverage of the petition and send a very clear message to BAFTA that there’s industry-wide support for a dedicated location manager award. Screen International, Broadcast and The Guardian are all interested in covering the story and we will be talking to them again this week.
Read, sign & share (before 18th Feb, when we’ll be taking it to BAFTA!)