Role
Supervising Location Manager
A Supervising Location Manager leads a large locations operation across multiple units, regions, or overlapping episodes. They align creative searches, negotiations, permits, budgets, community relationships, staffing, site plans, restoration, and risk while delegating day-to-day ownership to Location Managers and senior assistants.
The position appears when the number or complexity of locations requires leadership above individual site or unit management.
The Supervisor protects the production’s relationship with property owners, agencies, neighborhoods, and recurring locations while keeping creative and logistical priorities aligned.
Responsibilities
- Set department strategy, staffing, budget, standards, and assignment structure.
- Review major location choices, negotiations, permits, contracts, and risk.
- Coordinate multiple Location Managers, units, jurisdictions, and episode schedules.
- Resolve escalated community, property, access, restoration, and production conflicts.
- Maintain consistent reporting and stakeholder communication across the department.
Tools
- Location databases, maps, scouts, and photo systems
- Budgets, contracts, permits, insurance, and approval trackers
- Calendars, schedules, site plans, and communication tools
- Community, owner, agency, and vendor records
Documents
- Location budget
- Property agreements
- Permits
- Site plans
- Risk assessments
- Restoration and claim records
Skills
- Department leadership
- Negotiation
- Location strategy
- Community relations
- Risk management
- Multi-unit planning
Career path
- Supervising Location Managers bring extensive scouting, assistant management, Location Manager, negotiation, permitting, and restoration experience.
Work environment
- The role moves between offices, scouts, authorities, owners, active locations, travel, and continuous calls across units.
Pre-production responsibilities
- Structure searches, staffing, budgets, permitting, negotiations, and unit assignments.
Production responsibilities
- Oversee active sites and resolve cross-unit or high-risk location problems.
Post-production responsibilities
- Confirm restoration, claims, releases, records, and department closeout.
Common questions
Does every production have a Supervising Location Manager?
No. The role is most useful on large, multi-unit, or geographically complex productions.
What does a Supervising Location Manager do day to day?
Day to day, Supervising Location Manager work commonly includes Set department strategy, staffing, budget, standards, and assignment structure., Review major location choices, negotiations, permits, contracts, and risk., and Coordinate multiple Location Managers, units, jurisdictions, and episode schedules.. The exact balance changes with the production schedule, crew size, and the point at which the role joins the project.
What skills matter most for a Supervising Location Manager?
The most useful skills are Department leadership, Negotiation, Location strategy, Community relations, and Risk management. Together, they help the role make dependable decisions, communicate a clear handoff, and respond to notes or changing conditions.
Which tools and documents does a Supervising Location Manager use?
Common tools include Location databases, maps, scouts, and photo systems, Budgets, contracts, permits, insurance, and approval trackers, Calendars, schedules, site plans, and communication tools, and Community, owner, agency, and vendor records. The role also relies on Location budget, Property agreements, Permits, and Site plans so decisions, approvals, continuity, and delivery requirements remain traceable.
How does someone build experience for a Supervising Location Manager?
Supervising Location Managers bring extensive scouting, assistant management, Location Manager, negotiation, permitting, and restoration experience.
How does a Supervising Location Manager vary by production?
The scope changes with format, budget, location, crew structure, and the production's technical method. The role moves between offices, scouts, authorities, owners, active locations, travel, and continuous calls across units.
Union and local practice notes
- The LMGI is a professional organization, not a labor union. Labor representation and classifications vary by region and agreement.
Related entries
Sources
- Location professional membership and craft overview — Location Managers Guild International
- IATSE Local 871 crafts — IATSE Local 871
- Motion picture industry craft groups — Contract Services