Lloret Dunn, Location Manager, Glasgow
Lloret originally went to Drama school with aspirations to become an actor but soon realised her future lay on the other side of the camera. "I did a course on experimental film making and decided that was want I wanted to do." says Lloret. Jobs working for free as production runners and assistants followed until she got her first paid job on a film called 'Salt on our skin'. "It went straight to video but it was a great experience and I was finally getting paid!" Her first location manager job came on the popular series Dr Finlay. Location Managers are responsible for finding, contracting and organising locations ranging from street corners, industrial estates or even someone's house, and making sure filming in those locations runs smoothly. "Knocking on someone's front door and asking if you can come in and take photos is all part of the job. A definite upside is that you meet some wonderfully friendly people who are really generous and eager to be involved."
But, there are downsides. "The hours are mental. Lots of 4am starts. And any problem with a location is down to you to solve. I turned up one morning to prepare for the cast and crews arrival to find a team of workmen cordoning off the bridge we were meant to be filming on that day. I'd filled out all the paperwork and got all the necessary permissions but there they were about to tear up the road! To do this job you need to be organised to ensure nothing goes wrong and then be calm in a crisis when something does go wrong. And with two small children (aged 3 and 5 years) you also need a very understanding and patience husband!"
Since her skillsformedia session, Lloret feels she is much more in control of her career, she told us: "I always had this fear of saying 'No', but after talking with skillsformedia I've realised I need to master my own time. I shouldn't be taking work for the sake of it. I need to look at where I want my career to go and when I'm offered work, step back and look at whether it will help me get there. The session really helped me look at the bigger picture of my career and was a really positive turning point."
Llorets advice to young people coming into the industry is to be humble and keep your wits about you. "First off, talk to skillsformedia! And always remember that no matter what job you want in this business, it's all about what kind of temperament and attitude you bring to it. Everyone starts at the bottom and it's tough down there but when I first started I just told myself to leave my pride at home. At work it's not about you, it's about what's best for the production you're helping to create and if you concentrate on that, you'll get there."
