In the world of filmmaking, production design sets the tone, but it's the locations that ground the story in tangible reality. When those two elements work in harmony, magic happens on screen. For the debut of Ask a Location Manager, we explore this critical partnership through the eyes of two industry veterans: Christan McWilliams (Gladiator II, Kraven the Hunter) and Lori Balton (Top Gun: Maverick, Once Upon a Time…in Hollywood).
At this year’s Cannes Film Festival, Hong Kong’s cinematic future is in the spotlight, welcoming the presence of veteran producers Ronan Wong and Debbie Lam. With decades of cross-cultural experience and a pioneering spirit, they are not just representing a region—they’re redefining its creative boundaries. From immersive cinema to international co-productions, they are proving that Hong Kong remains a global hub for film innovation and storytelling.
When dusk falls over the haunted cotton fields and shadowy juke joints of Ryan Coogler’s latest horror film, Sinners, it is not just the characters who tell the story—it’s the land beneath their feet. Starring Michael B. Jordan, Hailee Steinfeld, Wunmi Mosaku, and Miles Caton, the vampire horror breathes life into Southern Gothic lore. While the story sinks its teeth into the supernatural events and racial tension of the south, it's the haunting Southern landscapes that make Sinners so immersive. And those landscapes? They are pure Louisiana. We spoke with veteran location manager Elston Howard about the real-life places that brought Coogler’s eerie vision to life.
Whether it's a Netflix drama, a luxury car commercial, or a big-budget feature film, Spain and Portugal offer the perfect blend of creativity, infrastructure, and value. With offices strategically based in Madrid, Barcelona, Mallorca and Lisbon, Palma Pictures find themselves as a central force. We spoke with head of locations Edu Rodrigalvarez on how these two nations are growing to be not just backdrops, but strategic production powerhouses through the versatility of locations and logistical prowess.
Whilst snowy scenes create the most awe worthy shots for on screen productions, the experiences behind the camera are not always the most idyllic. The Location Guide spoke with Glassriver producer Arnbjörg Hafliðadóttir to discuss the process behind shooting in Iceland for the filming of their Portuguese co-production Cold Haven, and navigating the sub-zero temperatures.
From Ninja Warrior to the Amazing Race, ATS has worked on it all. Based in Los Angeles, the production service company specialising creating original formats, designing, and constructing television competition obstacles and sets have worked with industry names such as NBC, Hulu, Disney and many more. With wide spread experience shooting across Asia, we spoke with ATS chief operating officer Danny Sanz on the logistics of filming across the countries, how the local industries are benefitting from the international production presence, and what production teams need to know about coming to the continent.
Piemonte has certainly made its mark at the 2024 edition of Festival de Cannes, as a significant contribution to the Italian Pavilion presence at Le Majestic Hotel, the European collective of the International Village, with a successful producers networking and cocktail event at the Plage du Festival. I had the pleasure of speaking with Dario Peirone, chairman of the Piemonte Agency for International Investment and Export and Paola Casagrande, Director for Coordination of Policies and EU Funds, Tourism and Sports of Regione Piemonte.
After winning the Grand Prix at the 76th Cannes Film Festival last year and recently receiving 5 Academy Award and 9 BAFTA Nominations, Jonathan Glazer’s The Zone of Interest hits UK theatres tomorrow 2 February. Capturing the story of the commandant of Auschwitz, Rudolf Höss, and his wife Hedwig, as they strive to build a dream life for their family in a house and garden next to the camp. The production travelled to the historical landmark and surrounding areas in Poland. To facilitate this, Glazer enlisted the help of Salt Film and past location finding collaborator Eugene Strange. I spoke with Strange on this poignant experience, the career track that has led him here, and where it’s all heading next.