Skill Profile
Location Management
"The observable action of finding, securing, and managing physical locations for film, television, or commercial productions — negotiating access agreements, obtaining permits, coordinating with local authorities and residents, and overseeing on-site logistics — so that every shooting location is ready, legal, and operationally functional when the production arrives."
YOUR SKILLS
Problems This Skill Solves
- Unavailability or loss of a confirmed location — proactive identification and development of backup options, clear contractual agreements with location owners, and relationship management prevents the catastrophic production disruption caused by losing a key location at short notice
- Legal exposure from filming without proper permissions — systematic permit acquisition from local authorities, police, highways, landowners, and relevant statutory bodies ensures that the production is legally protected and reputationally safe from complaints or legal action arising from filming activity
- Neighbour and community conflict during filming — proactive communication with residents, businesses, and community stakeholders near filming locations manages expectations, addresses concerns before they escalate, and maintains the goodwill that production companies need to return to popular filming locations
- Logistical failures that delay shooting — thorough location surveys assessing power, parking, unit base options, access routes, noise sources, and lighting conditions allow the production department to plan each shooting day so that the crew and equipment arrive, set up, and work efficiently without unforeseen obstacles
Tools Used
Roles That Use This Skill
1 total · 1 industryThis skill is concentrated in one industry.
Film / TV Production / Media
"Location management is mainly about securing visually correct locations — find what the director needs on camera, and the location challenge is solved."
Camera suitability is the starting point. Location management also involves negotiating access terms and costs, obtaining permits, coordinating with local authorities and communities, managing the logistics of getting crew and equipment to and from the location, and ensuring that the production does not create nuisance or damage that would prevent future access. A visually perfect location with no access agreement or permit is not a managed location.
Research & Outlook
Location management is being transformed by the rapid expansion of virtual production technologies — LED volume stages (used in productions like The Mandalorian and 1899) that use game engine-generated backgrounds displayed on large LED walls rather than physical locations — which is reducing the number of exterior location shooting days on major productions and shifting some of the location manager's role towards virtual environment brief development and location reference research for digital recreation. At the same time, the growth of the UK screen production industry (driven by streaming platform investment) is increasing the overall volume of productions requiring location management services, creating demand for experienced professionals across a wider range of production scales. Sustainability is an emerging operational requirement for location management, with the ALBERT carbon calculator and production company sustainability commitments creating pressure to minimise location transport footprints and manage filming-related environmental impacts.
See This Skill In Action
Watch a professional demonstrate Location Management in a real working environment — what it looks like, how it's applied, and why it matters.
Film & TV / Production
Location Management
Also Known As
Growth Path
Assists an experienced Location Manager on productions. Conducts location research and photography for scout reports. Prepares permit applications for straightforward locations under supervision. Manages on-set location logistics during filming days with support. Learns the standard agreements, permit processes, and location report formats used in professional production.
Manages all location requirements independently for short films, commercials, or television episodes. Sources locations to brief from scratch. Negotiates location fees and contracts directly with owners. Obtains complex permits (road closures, night filming, drone use, historic buildings). Manages neighbour liaison and community communication. Oversees a small locations team during production.
Manages locations for feature films, major television series, or international productions with large crews, multiple simultaneous shooting units, and complex permit environments across multiple local authority areas or countries. Leads a locations department of multiple coordinators, assistants, and unit managers. Advises the director and production designer on the creative and logistical feasibility of location choices. Manages production relationships with national film offices and high-profile private location owners.
How to Practise
- 1.Volunteer as a runner or trainee on film, TV, or commercial productions through industry schemes (ScreenSkills, Film London Crew Access Programme, BBC Scheme) — location management is learnt primarily through hands-on production experience, and entry-level opportunities provide the on-set exposure needed to understand what locations departments actually do.
- 2.Scout and document locations for a self-initiated short film project: identify a variety of locations suited to different scene requirements, research the permit requirements for each, draft a location agreement, prepare a location report with photographs and logistics notes, and conduct a risk assessment — building a practical portfolio that demonstrates location management process knowledge.
- 3.Study the standard forms and agreements used in film production (location releases, recce reports, risk assessments, permit applications) and understand the legal principles behind them — permission, trespass, duty of care, public liability — through industry resources such as the ScreenSkills Location Management training programme.
- 4.Build relationships with local film offices, location libraries, and production service companies in your area — understanding the specific permit landscape, filming regulations, and location resources available in different regions is practical knowledge that cannot be learnt from textbooks.
How to Prove
- ·IMDb credits as Location Manager, Assistant Location Manager, or Location Scout on released productions — the industry standard evidence of professional experience in location management
- ·ScreenSkills Location Management training certificate — the industry training programme specifically designed for location management professionals
- ·Production portfolio demonstrating a range of location types managed — urban streets, private estates, public buildings, international locations — with evidence of permit complexity and logistical challenge
- ·References from production managers, directors, or producers on completed productions — attesting to reliability, negotiation skill, and problem-solving ability under production pressure