Today we’d like to introduce you to Mark and Shane Siezega.
So Mark started the company in 1983, back when there was no internet, SLR cameras, or anyone with a clue about what a film location agency was. In order to gain a client base, he had to meticulously go door to door in the Hancock Park neighborhood, and finally landed a gig for the film Flash Dance, followed by the next film Beverly Hills Cop, and the rest is history. Shane (his son) started as one of the photographers in 2007 while studying, then began working as a location agent once he graduated with a business degree.
Has it been a smooth road?
The amount of competition that’s come into this industry is exponential in comparison to when the company first began. People used to squint their eyes & scratch their heads when you told them that you were a film location agent, and now people ask how they can be listed right after you inform them of what you do.
We’re strong supporters of competition & believe it’s healthy for the industry itself. It helps shed some light on the importance of choosing the perfect location for your commercial/photo shoot/ film etc. Other agencies challenge you to have a better eye when it comes to finding exactly what a production company is looking for. Plus, there’s a great code of ethics between location agencies, where no one likes to step on anyone’s toes & steal a job if you’re the second or third agency to call a specific home.
So, as you know, we’re impressed with Universal Locations – tell our readers more, for example what you’re most proud of as a company and what sets you apart from others.
When people ask what we do, the easiest explanation is that if a house or a commercial property were an actor, we’d be considered its agent. Several Productions give us a call on a daily basis in search of a property that will fit their specific needs, and we go through our inventory to find the most suitable property possible.
There are two major strengths that set us apart from others in this industry, and that’s A) Having a substantial inventory of properties (over 5000 homes) and B) Having an eye for what productions are looking for. Property descriptions can have several different meanings to several different people. A “Middle America” home can have a significant amount of contrasting interpretations. It could be an all-brick home surrounded by lush trees, a small traditional home surrounded by a white picket fence, or some could even see it as a white Colonial style home. So, what we try to do best is truly understand what the director’s vision is & help bring that vision to life.
Another important asset of our company is just the simple fact that our entire team is made up of reasonable human beings. The more you work in this industry (or any industry at that), the more you realize that people can over promise and under deliver with anything. If we can’t make something happen for a production company or we know it’s going to be a lot more work at a house than the homeowner is expecting, we’ll tell you. We try to help people understand that things will always work out no matter how big the issue is, it’s just a matter of how you respond to the situation. Life is 10% what happens to you, and 90% how you react to it.
It’s great to watch a job go from a phone call explaining the director’s vision, to watching a commercial & saying “Oh hey I found the location for this project!” It’s also amazing to see how creative some homeowners can be with their properties. I can’t tell you how many times the line “Wow, that is my absolute dream home” has been said in our office.
The thing about this industry is that you constantly deal with an enormous amount of personalities on both sides of the spectrum.
Production members can have egos, and homeowners can be quite particular. Some people expect you to send them options 5 minutes ago, and others have no problem telling you that they’re no longer interested in the shoot within days of the commercial filming. It’s all a matter of steering the ship in the right direction. Homeowners don’t always realize what the full scope of a production is, which can cause them unnecessary stress that will carry over onto our plates. On the other side, some producers don’t understand that they’ve been invited into a home rather than a set, and think they can do anything they’d like. It’s a push & a pull.
Contact Info:
- Address: 24791 Valley St.
Santa Clarita, CA 91321 - Website: www.universallocations.com
- Phone: (661) 505-4150
- Email: [email protected]
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/universallocations/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/UniversalLocations
- Other: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCoK4yRGlA2wEdFf2kx59VHg/videos
Image Credit:
Keenan Siezega
Nils Timm
Shane Siezega
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