When the studio that’s producing My One and Only sent a script to the Maryland Film Office, “we could see that it called for locations in a number of major cities during the 1950s – none of which were Baltimore,” says Kathi Ash, project manager for the office.

Sending a script to a state’s film office for suggestions on where to film is typically one of the first steps in the production process. For My One and Only – a movie starring Renee Zellweger that recently wrapped up six weeks of shooting in Maryland – the Film Office had to come up with locations that would stand in for New York, Boston, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh and St. Louis – all circa 1954.

Scouting locations is one of Ash’s prime responsibilities. She’s had plenty of experience in that capacity, having worked as a location manager and production coordinator in the film industry before she joined the Film Office in 2002. Her film and television credits include Tuck Everlasting, Blair Witch II, Liberty Heights, Homicide: Life in the Street and Guarding Tess.

Last week, she was scouting locations in Cecil and Kent counties. Sometimes she travels alone. Other times, she has a resident expert with her – like the director of tourism for Cecil County.

Ask permission
When she sees a house or a building that might be right for a particular scene, she’ll knock on the door and ask permission to take photos of the property if the owner indicates interest in having the property considered for the production.

“If no one is home,” she says, “I’ll leave a note with my card – I won’t take the picture then. I always ask for permission.” Even for government-owned buildings – especially ones that are sensitive to security issues – it’s a good idea. She jokes that if she were to take out her camera in front of certain buildings, “I’d have a bunch of rifles pointing at me.”

Ash, along with other members of the Film Office, will assemble a digital package of location photos to send to a studio or production company in response to the studio’s script submission and query regarding locations. She can tap into the Office’s online bank of location photos or obtain new images as she scouts for just the right location. When she’s looking for locations, she usually has a particular project in mind.

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