Locations
Film Crew Position: Assistant Locations
What does a Assistant Locations do?
An Assistant Locations — also called a Location Assistant or Locations PA — is an entry-level crew member in the locations department on a film or television production. They work under the Location Coordinator and Location Manager to keep the filming location running smoothly from the moment the first truck arrives until the last piece of gear is loaded out.
The locations department is responsible for every real-world place a camera points. Before the camera crew shows up, the Location Manager has scouted the site, negotiated permission to film there, pulled permits from local authorities, and coordinated with city agencies, private property owners, and neighbors. The Assistant Locations makes that groundwork functional on the day of the shoot. They are typically the first crew member on set and the last to leave.
On the production hierarchy, the Assistant Locations sits below the Location Manager and Location Coordinator but works alongside other Locations PAs and, on larger productions, a separate unit of Locations Scouts who are hunting future sites while the current show is shooting. The Assistant Locations is the ground-level operator who executes the logistics plan the department leadership has designed.
The role is physically demanding, requires a valid driver's license, and involves long pre-dawn callouts. It is also one of the most accessible entry points into a professional film crew. No degree is required, and the path from Locations PA to Location Coordinator to Location Manager is well-defined for those who demonstrate reliability, good judgment, and local knowledge.
Productions that run multiple locations simultaneously depend on strong department coordination to stay on budget. Tools like Saturation's film production management software help location departments and production offices track location fees, permit costs, and vendor invoices in one place, reducing the administrative load on a department that is always managing multiple sites in parallel.
What role does a Assistant Locations play?
The Assistant Locations role has three phases: prep, shoot day, and wrap. Duties shift significantly between these phases, but the common thread is logistics support for the locations department and the production as a whole.
Pre-Production and Advance Work
In the days before a shoot at a new location, the Assistant Locations supports the Location Coordinator in advance preparation. This includes posting permit copies on the call sheet, confirming base camp logistics (where trucks park, where the generator goes, where catering sets up), and identifying potential conflict points such as neighboring businesses, school zones, or areas with heavy foot traffic. They may also conduct advance scouting runs, driving the location route to note anything the department needs to flag for the first AD before the shoot day.
Signage and Directional Management
One of the most visible on-set duties of an Assistant Locations is signage. The locations department is responsible for placing directional signs throughout the surrounding blocks so that drivers, background talent, and arriving crew can find the set. The Assistant Locations places and retrieves these signs, which must go up before call time and come down at wrap. Getting signage wrong — missing a turn, unclear arrow direction, wrong holding area listed — creates compounding problems throughout the day as lost crew members call the production office for directions.
Parking Management and Crew Guidance
The Assistant Locations manages where the crew parks on location. On permitted street shoots, they enforce the parking plan, keeping spots reserved for production vehicles, turning away civilian drivers, and managing any conflicts with businesses or residents who need access. On larger productions, they distribute parking passes to department heads and make sure department trucks are in their correct positions before the shooting day begins.
Extras and Background Holding Areas
Background talent (extras) requires a dedicated holding area — typically a tent, a ballroom, or an accessible indoor space — away from principal crew. The Assistant Locations sets up, monitors, and manages this holding area throughout the shoot day. They coordinate with the background AD to ensure extras have water, shade or heat depending on conditions, and that the holding area does not spill into areas the production has not permitted for use.
Neighbor and Community Relations
Film productions that work in residential neighborhoods must manage the relationship between the production and the people who live and work nearby. The Assistant Locations is often the crew member who fields neighbor complaints, answers questions from curious residents, and escalates genuine concerns to the Location Coordinator. Maintaining goodwill with a neighborhood is important not just for the current shoot but for the production company's ability to return to the same area on future projects.
Permit Posting and Compliance
Filming permits must be posted at visible locations throughout the shoot area. The Assistant Locations ensures permits are posted and accessible if a police officer or city inspector arrives. They also verify that the production is operating within the boundaries specified on the permit — not filming on streets or in areas not covered — and flag any compliance issues to the Location Coordinator immediately.
Base Camp Monitoring
Base camp is the staging area where production trucks, talent trailers, and catering are parked. The Assistant Locations monitors base camp throughout the day, managing access, dealing with any noise or idling complaints from nearby residents, and ensuring the space remains organized as departments come and go to retrieve equipment or send crew to holding.
Runner Duties and General Support
On smaller productions, the Assistant Locations also functions as a runner — transporting equipment, documents, or catering between the base camp and the set. They may be asked to pick up location supplies (tape, cones, caution flags), collect permit signatures from property owners, or shuttle cast between locations.
Wrap and Cleanup
When the shooting day ends, the Assistant Locations ensures the location is returned to its original condition. This means removing all signage, breaking down the holding area, removing caution tape and traffic cones, and confirming that the property owner is satisfied with how the space was left. On productions with a continuity requirement, they document the original state of the location with photographs so any damage claims can be addressed accurately.
Do you need to go to college to be a Assistant Locations?
There is no degree requirement to work as an Assistant Locations. The role is an entry-level position that accepts motivated candidates with good driving records, local geography knowledge, and a willingness to start early and stay late.
The PA Entry Path
The most common way into an Assistant Locations position is through general production assistant work. New PAs often start on set in a catch-all capacity — running errands, managing the set perimeter, distributing sides — before they find their niche. PAs who show an aptitude for logistics, enjoy working outdoors, and are comfortable managing public interactions tend to migrate naturally toward locations work. A PA who volunteers for locations tasks, builds a relationship with a Location Coordinator, and consistently shows up reliably is likely to receive their first dedicated Locations PA booking within their first year of working sets.
Film School and Related Education
Film school is not required, but it can accelerate networking. Students who attend programs at schools like USC, UCLA, NYU, or Chapman gain access to student productions that replicate the department structure of professional sets. Working as a locations PA on a student film — even an unpaid one — gives early-career crew members a structured introduction to the department hierarchy and the practical reality of managing a shooting location.
Some candidates come from adjacent backgrounds that translate directly to the role. Urban planning, hospitality management, event coordination, and tour management all develop logistics skills and public-facing communication abilities that are immediately useful in the locations department.
The Location Managers Guild International (LMGI)
The Location Managers Guild International (LMGI) is the professional organization for Location Managers and Location Scouts in the United States and internationally. Membership is not open to entry-level assistants directly, but LMGI is an important organization to be aware of as you build your career. Their events, resources, and networking opportunities provide visibility into what Location Managers are looking for in their assistants, and knowing the organization exists signals professional awareness to senior crew members.
LMGI also publishes educational resources on the craft of location management that any Locations PA can study independently, regardless of membership status.
IATSE Awareness and Union Pathways
On union productions, locations work is covered by IATSE. The specific local varies by region. In New York, locations crew may fall under IATSE Local 600 or Local 161 depending on the production structure and job function. In Los Angeles, the IATSE Basic Agreement governs minimum rates and conditions on major studio productions. Non-union independent productions typically hire Locations PAs without union affiliation, and working these productions is a standard part of building the credits and connections required to eventually qualify for union membership.
Getting Your First Job
The most reliable way to get hired as a Locations PA is through a direct referral from a Location Coordinator or Manager. Build relationships with locations department members through film industry events, PA networks, and community film boards. In major markets, local film commissions maintain crew lists and sometimes post crew calls for productions filming in the area. Registering with local film commission crew lists is a low-effort, high-visibility move for anyone trying to break into locations work in their market.
What skills do you need to be a Assistant Locations?
The Assistant Locations role is technically straightforward but operationally demanding. The following skills separate candidates who advance quickly from those who struggle in the role.
Local Geography and Navigation
An Assistant Locations must know their market's streets, neighborhoods, traffic patterns, and parking regulations. Productions don't have time to wait for a Locations PA to look up directions or figure out which side of a street is sweep day. Deep local knowledge — the kind that comes from years of driving a city — is a genuine competitive advantage. Knowing that a certain block near a studio always has a parking dispute with a nearby restaurant, or that a particular permit zone requires 72-hour advance posting, is the type of institutional knowledge that Location Managers and Coordinators value in their assistants.
Driving and Vehicle Operation
A valid driver's license is a non-negotiable requirement. The Assistant Locations spends a significant portion of their day behind the wheel — placing signage, running advance routes, picking up supplies, and shuttling crew or equipment. Some productions require an assistant to drive large passenger vans or box trucks. Knowing how to drive a 15-passenger van in a tight urban alley without damaging it is a practical skill that comes up more than most expect.
Permit and Documentation Management
Filming permits are legal documents, and the production's right to occupy a location depends on them. An Assistant Locations needs to understand what a permit covers, where it must be posted, and what falls outside its boundaries. They also manage sign-off paperwork with property owners, distribute location releases, and ensure that every party who has agreed to allow filming has signed the appropriate documents before cameras roll.
Communication and People Skills
An Assistant Locations represents the production to the public. Neighbors, business owners, police officers, and curious bystanders all encounter the locations department before they encounter any other crew member. The ability to have a calm, professional conversation with an angry neighbor, redirect a police officer to the correct contact on the production, or explain to a business owner why a film truck needs to block their loading dock for four hours is a skill that directly affects the production's ability to complete its day.
Logistics and Problem-Solving
On a busy shoot day, the Assistant Locations is managing multiple simultaneous tasks: parking plan, signage, holding area, neighbor relations, permit compliance. When something goes wrong — and it always does — they need to triage quickly and communicate clearly. Can they solve the problem themselves, or does it need to go to the Location Coordinator? Making the wrong call in either direction wastes time and creates bigger problems.
Physical Stamina
Locations PAs are typically the first crew members on set and the last to leave. Call times before sunrise are standard. The physical demands include walking the location perimeter repeatedly, carrying signs and equipment, standing outdoors in variable weather, and maintaining focus and good judgment at the end of a 14-hour day. Physical conditioning and tolerance for outdoor work in heat, cold, and rain are practical requirements, not preferences.
Neighbor and Community Management
Productions that damage their relationship with a neighborhood find future permits harder to secure. The Assistant Locations manages the day-to-day relationship between the production and the surrounding community. This includes responding to complaints quickly, ensuring the crew respects agreed-upon noise limits, and keeping the production footprint within the boundaries the location agreement specifies. Handling these interactions well — with patience and genuine respect — has a tangible effect on the production's long-term reputation in a market.
Attention to Detail
Missing a sign costs the production time when crew members get lost. Forgetting to retrieve a cone cone creates a liability. Failing to document original location condition before setup creates disputes at wrap. The consequences of inattention in the locations department are immediate and visible. Strong Locations PAs develop a checklist mindset — running through every detail before moving on to the next task.
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