WHY LOCATION MANAGERS HATE MAKING THE MAP

By Lance Hoffman

Part of the location manager’s job is to make the maps to location. I admit that, but there are some things that people ought to understand. First of all, mapping programs such as Map Quest, are wrong a lot of the time. But the answer is more complicated than that. Allow me list a few reasons.

1. Most producers won’t let you use a real map. They want a stick map with directions. These instructions need to be from multiple directions, and sometimes to several destinations.

2. I know the route I take to get there, but the others are sometimes a problem. What is the name of the freeway exit going the other way? This is all supposed to be on one sheet of paper- to go along with the call sheet.

3. You can show that map to five people and you will get six different reasons why it is wrong.

4. The Transportation Department may not want the crew to report to location. I have heard a gang boss say, “the crew just parks in the wrong place and then I can’t park the equipment the way I want to”.

5. Everyone wants the map ASAP; even before the location arrangements have been finalized. This is especially true when lots of extras and talent will be needed (more people who don’t know where they are going). There is never enough time for anyone to drive the route ahead of time to check the map.

All of the above are true, but after thinking about it, the truth is EVERYONE HAS AN OPINION ABOUT THE MAP. People who have never been on a set before have an opinion about: the caterer, craft service, and the map. Another location manager once asked me, “Why is it that a hundred people can get to the set with the same map and the one person who gets lost is always above the line?” For that- I have no answer.