TV and Film industry professionals joined us at Pinewood Studio Wales (Cardiff) for two weeks of intensive training – Jan 16 to 27 2017 – featuring guest speakers including:
- Finlay Bradbury (Spectre, X-Men: First Class, The Dark Knight)
- Gareth Skelding (The Bastard Executioner, Da Vinci’s Demon’s, Set Fire To The Stars)
- Andy Dixon (Location Facilities)
- Owain Gillard (Location Manager)
- Paul Bach (Location Manager)
- Sophie Pinch (Location Manager)
- Iwan Roberts (Location Manager)
Representatives from the following organisations presented as part of the course:
- Liverpool Locations
- Wales Screen Commission
- Cardiff Film Office
- Creative Risk Solutions
- Lubas Medical
Led by Lowri Thomas.
With practical location workshops (visiting a number of sites), a select number of course participants were offered work experience placements with Location Solutions, the team behind Hollywood blockbuster Show Dogs.
The course was open to applicants across the UK.
When was the course?
The course ran for 10 days, Monday to Friday, over 2 weeks, starting on January 16th 2017 and ending on January 27th.
Previous Attendees
Mark Mansfield, Carmarthen
“Really enjoyed the course and felt it gave me a good foundation to work off”
Gareth Roberts, Caernarfon
“I was able to make important connections within the Location Management industry.”
Lotta Lanamaki, Helsinki
“Visitors were the best thing. Loved Finlay and Gareth’s visits, really interesting info.”
Josie Thornton, London
“Loved the guests and trips out. Both course tutors were lovely and very approachable.”
Aitor Auzmendi, Seville
Aitor is currently running a location and production services company in the South of Spain, Morocco and Portugal. He participated in the course, in order to gain an insight into how a locations department is run in the UK.
Katja Allen, Merthyr Tydfil
“The practical exercises, big discussions and external speakers were all most useful.”
Gemma Galey-Jones, Norfolk
“All the presenters were professional and informative. Paul Bach’s presentation was amazing – so inspiring to us as potential Location Managers. The course has been like a ray of sunshine in my life – thank you all!”
Nina Langrish, Cardiff
“I would definitely recommend the course to anyone interested in becoming a Location Manager.”
Course Tutor
Lowri Thomas
Lowri trained as an Assistant Floor Manager and then Production Manager at BBC Cymru Wales during the mid 1990s before going on to become a freelance Location Manager, working mainly for the BBC and Cardiff-based company ‘Gaucho’. Lowri’s credits include POBOL Y CWM, DOCTOR WHO and HOLLYOAKS as well as numerous commercials, low budget feature films and countless other productions (live and recorded) for BBC and S4C. Lowri’s role as a Project Manager for the BBC Roath Lock project also involved liaising closely with productions such as Upstairs Downstairs, Dr Who and Casualty.
Finlay Bradbury
Finlay Bradbury has worked in locations on a number of Hollywood blockbusters – location managing for James Bond thriller SPECTRE, romantic comedy BRIDGET JONES’ BABY and Disney musical INTO THE WOODS. He’s also scouted for locations for Tim Burton’s MISS PEREGRINE’S HOME FOR PECULIAR CHILDREN and X-MEN: FIRST CLASS, and worked on superhero hits CAPTAIN AMERICA: THE FIRST AVENGER and THE DARK KNIGHT. You can view his IMDb here.
Gareth Skelding – Location Solutions
Gareth Skelding has been a Location Manager since 2001. After working in production initially and working his way through the AD ranks, he quickly realised that he had an eye for a shot and an imagination for selling ideas to directors. This, coupled with the determination to get a film crew into the most challenging of locations (but more importantly getting them all out again safely) has made Location Solutions the go-to company in Wales. Locations Solutions’ recent credits include THE BASTARD EXECUTIONER (20th Century Fox), DA VINCI’S DEMONS(Starz/BBC Worldwide) SET FIRE TO THE STARS (Mad as Birds Films), JACK TO A KING (YJB Films), SHERLOCK (Hartswood), DOCTOR WHO (BBC Wales) and TORCHWOOD (BBC Wales,Starz/BBC Worldwide).
Andy Dixon Facilities
Facilities by ADF provides serviced vehicle hire for television and film productions in the UK and Europe, specialising in on-location support for dramas and major features. With a smart, efficient hire fleet including artiste trailers and departmental trucks for costume, make-up and production, as well as diners and honeywagons.
Owain Gillard – Location manager, ALM & location scout
Recent credits include Byw Celwydd (TV drama for S4C); The Collection (TV drama for Amazon Prime); Barclays Bank Commercial; The Bastard Executioner (TV drama for FX); Tricked (ITV); Rosebud The Movie (Tiger Aspect); First Great Western Commercial (RoLo Productions).
Sophie Pinch – Location Manager
Sophie’s credits include TV series ROCKET’S ISLAND, Channel 4’s NO OFFENCE, TV mini-series CLOSE TO THE ENEMY and BETWEEN TWO WORLDS.
Iwan Roberts – Location Manager
Recent credits include DOCTOR WHO series 7-10, BBC’s A MIDSUMMER NIGHT’S DREAM and the British comedy-drama film SUBMARINE.
Paul ‘Bach’ Davies – Location Manager
Paul ‘Bach’ Davies has a wealth of experience in Locations. His credits included Y GWYLL / HINTERLAND, THE BASTARD EXECUTIONER, SHERLOCK, DOCTOR WHO and TORCHWOOD to name a few.
Wales Screen Commission
Wales Screen is a small but dedicated and knowledgeable team within the Creative Industries sector of the Welsh Government. Established in 2002 (as the Wales Screen Commission) they have assisted thousands of productions over the years. Wales Screen works with international and domestic projects of all shapes and sizes. From short films to feature films, photo-shoots to commercials, documentaries to dramas, and provides invaluable assistance to productions filming in Wales. Wales Screen assist with:
* Location scouting throughout Wales where resources permit (productions can also access a range of freelance location managers/scouts via their database that could be hired on a pre-agreed daily rate).
* Sourcing freelance crew, facility companies, accommodation.
* Logistics such as road closures.
Ali Yassine – Cardiff Film Office
Cardiff Film Office is a not-for-profit organisation dedicated to attracting, promoting and cultivating film, television and commercial production throughout the Welsh capital city. They are a division of the City of Cardiff Council and manage filming and photographic shoots for the capital city of Wales – the most film-friendly city in Wales. Cardiff Film Office are proud to have worked on some of the biggest projects in film and TV, and equally satisfied to have delivered for the smaller shoots as well. From blockbuster movies and cult science fiction drama to commercials, still shoots and music videos, they service the world’s media in Wales’ capital.
Jan Wilkins – Creative Risk Solutions
Jan is the Founder of Creative Risk Solutions the only specialist Media Insurance Broker in Wales. Jan has over 30 years’ experience in the TV/Film insurance sector working with AON Pinewood for many years responsible for the management of the S4CBroadcasters scheme prior to setting up Creative. Productions include; HINTERLAND, THE INDIAN DOCTOR, SUE PERKINS CITY OF JOY, RICHARD HAMMOND MIRACLES OF NATURE, MICHAEL SHEEN – FIRE UNDER THE CROSS, S4C drama’s BYW CELWYDD, ANITA, ALYS.
Lubas Medical
A provider of pre-hospital training and medical personnel which offers medical training and paramedic support. The company’s relationship with television corporations such as the BBC has developed since providing medical cover for the first series of Doctor Who and have since provided ongoing paramedic support on the sets of productions including: Casualty, Torchwood, Children in Need and Upstairs Downstairs (to name a few).
Liverpool Locations
Liverpool Locations source and manage film locations for Feature Films, TV Dramas & Commercials and is run by sisters, Faye and Claire Newton. They have a huge private database of locations and contacts in the city. They have over 33 years combined experience filming across the UK & the North West, with Liverpool being their specialty. With its historic buildings, stunning architecture and film friendly attitude, Liverpool is now one of the most filmed cities in the UK.
This programme is supported by Creative Skillset’s Film Skills Fund, with BFI’s Film Forever National Lottery funds.
