Locations Trainee

What does a locations trainee do?

Locations trainees are litter pickers, traffic marshals and messengers. They help the location manager and unit manager with the day-to-day running of the site. They help with cordoning off areas with location marshals or security guards.

Locations trainees help guide the crew to where to park on location. They handle the locations department petty cash budget and keep the receipts. They help with paperwork. They help set up green rooms, tents and areas for holding supporting artists.

They make sure the locations vans are stocked with stationery, snacks, torches, batteries, traffic cones, signs and all the other things that are needed on a shoot.

When filming has ended they help pack up and leave the site as it was found. They are often the first on set and last to leave each day.

What’s a locations trainee good at?

• Interest in locations: have an eye for architecture, knowledge of geography, the ability to research and visualise how a location could be turned into a set
• Photography: take good pictures when researching a location
• Watching film and TV drama: have a passion for the genre and a love of the industry
• Reliability: get to set on time and do what is asked, take responsibility
• Being outside: have stamina to work long hours in all weather, enjoy being outdoors
• Communication: able to take direction from the location manager and let other members of the team know what’s happening, talk to extras and everyone from the owners of a stately home to the general public wanting to know what’s filming
• Not getting lost: good sense of direction and ability to read maps