Location Managers Guild International (LMGI)

Overview

The Location Managers Guild International (LMGI) is the professional association representing location managers, assistant location managers, location scouts, and location assistants working in film, television, commercials, and new media worldwide. Founded in 2003, the LMGI is the primary professional organization for the locations community, advocating for the recognition of location management as a distinct and significant creative and logistical contribution to production.

Location managers are responsible for finding, securing, and managing all shooting locations for a production -- from the initial scouting phase through to the post-shoot restoration of locations to their original condition. The work involves creative judgment (identifying locations that serve the director's visual concept), logistical planning (managing permits, neighbors, traffic, and safety), negotiation (securing location agreements with property owners and government authorities), and on-set coordination (managing the physical environment during shooting). It is one of the most demanding and least publicly recognized roles in film production.

Membership and International Scope

LMGI membership is open to working location professionals who meet qualification thresholds based on credits and experience. The organization's international scope -- reflected in its name -- acknowledges that location work is inherently global: major productions shoot across multiple countries, and location managers frequently work internationally. The LMGI maintains relationships with location professional organizations in the UK, Australia, Canada, and other countries.

The "LMGI" designation in screen credits signals professional affiliation and peer recognition within the locations community. The LMGI advocates for consistent and prominent crediting of location department members -- an ongoing effort given the tendency of production credits to acknowledge some departments more visibly than others.

LMGI Awards

The LMGI presents annual Outstanding Locations Awards recognizing distinguished location work on theatrical features, episodic television, commercials, and international productions. The awards uniquely honor the locations themselves -- the physical places that appear on screen -- alongside the location managers and scouts who found and secured them, making them one of the few industry awards that directly recognize a specific physical production element.

What Filmmakers Should Know

For directors and producers, the location manager is one of the earliest and most influential pre-production hires. Their ability to find locations that serve the creative vision while remaining within budget and permitting constraints shapes the visual and logistical character of the entire production. Understanding what a senior location manager brings -- experience with difficult permits, relationships with property owners and government offices, knowledge of which locations photograph well versus look good in person -- helps producers invest appropriately in this role.

For location professionals, LMGI membership provides professional community, advocacy, and the awards recognition that elevates the field's visibility within the broader industry.

See Also

For how location costs appear in production budgets, see Above the Line vs Below the Line. For the broader union framework covering location department workers, see IATSE in this directory.