2022 Macon Film Festival

Location Scouting & Management and Their Impact on Your Film

Description: Location scouting and management are critical components to the success of any film, large or small. In this session Andi Behring and Will Ellis will discuss scouting for projects of various sizes, how location management made them better directors and producers, and share some tips and tricks for making the most of your locations.

Andrea Behring, who goes by Andi, was born and raised in Los Angeles, California. She often also goes by the nickname of “&D", which is her production company logo. She attended Sacramento State on a full athletic scholarship, was the team captain on the track and field team, and also set the school record in the indoor shot put. She graduated in 2011 with a double major in Film Production and Digital Media, and moved to Georgia soon after to start her career. She now lives and works in Stone Mountain, where she writes, directs, and produces her own projects, as well as directing television shows full time. She also loves to location scout and put the puzzle together. Andi was the long time location manager on The Vampire Diaries, Black Lightning (pilot), Let’s Be Cops, Triple 9, and the first four seasons of Dynasty. Andi went on to direct four episodes of Dynasty as well (Episodes 315, 404, 505, 513) and most recently also directed an episode of the new CW sci-fi show, Tom Swift (Episode 109). Andi has been featured in over 50 film festivals worldwide, and in 2021 she was awarded "Best Director" in the Tokyo International Film Festival. Her previous short Treatment was also selected as the Audience Choice for Narrative Short Film in the Macon Film Festival in 2019. She is back this year, along with producing partner Will Ellis, screening her new film Attest, a thriller that she wrote and directed, which is featured in the “Here for the Twist” short film category.

William K. Ellis was born and raised in Covington, Georgia. He attended Georgia College & State University in Milledgeville, and gradated in 2011 with his degree in Mass Communications.  Will currently works all around the state of Georgia as a location manager and scout for various feature films, commercials, and television shows. Most recently, he was the location manager for the upcoming horror film entitled Oak, which shot in Thomasville. Will has also worked in the locations department on Queens, Life Sentence, Dynasty, Rectify, Devious Maids, Impractical Jokers: The Film, and The Vampire Diaries, among others. Will has also started producing independent projects, and teamed up with Andi Behring to produce the short film Attest, which screens in the Macon Film Festival’s “Here for the Twist” short film category. Will currently lives in Norcross with his girlfriend Lindsey.