My Journey as a Location Manager”

At the heart of our Group B student film production under the Department of Film & Multimedia Studies, Faculty of Communication and Media, University of Abuja, I took on the role of Location Manager, unsure of what lay ahead. The story we wanted to tell was vivid, and my mission was to find spaces that echoed its soul.
I began my search in Gwagwalada, a place buzzing with everyday life yet quietly cinematic. It was more than just a location  it was a mood board come alive. The town offered a stunning range, from sun-drenched roads to hidden corners perfect for dramatic scenes.

My first successful scouting led me to the hostels, which became the setting for characters navigating school life. We captured moments in narrow hallways filled with echoing footsteps and the quiet vulnerability of dorm room conversations.
Next was the chapel a space drenched in natural light and serenity. It added emotional weight to one of our more reflective scenes. Convincing the management and arranging our crew’s schedules around services tested both my diplomacy and patience, but in the end, it paid off beautifully.
Our film’s classroom scenes were shot in an actual classroom, where the walls still carried faint scribbles and the air buzzed with familiarity. It gave our production an authentic touch, blurring fiction with real life. Balancing noise control during school hours and managing limited shooting windows was tricky, but we made it work.
Throughout the preproduction phase, I coordinated with local contacts and prepared contingency plans. And during production, I was then to go for on-site logistics  ensuring the crew arrived on time, maintaining location continuity, and handling last minute surprises,rain, noise, or power outages
Reflecting now, I realize this wasn’t just about finding places. It was about bringing the story to life in spaces that felt lived-in and loved. Each location added texture to our scenes and challenged me to think like both a filmmaker and a fixer. 
This assignment taught me that good storytelling starts with strong foundations  and for our film, Gwagwalada, the hostels, chapel, and classroom were more than just backdrops. They were characters in their own right.
I strongly believe that when we summit this film to any film festivals it will  fetch us an award. kudos to my production manager, and director Gracefiled and Ayo respectively.