"Criminal Minds" Big Winner At 2014 COLAs

A large crowd – perhaps the largest in the show’s history – gathered for the 20th annual California On Location Awards (COLA) held at platinum sponsor The Beverly Hilton’s facility. While old friends reconnected and the elite members of California’s location management, scouting and permitting service happily congratulated this year’s nominees, the affects of run-away productions were not far from attendees lips. Some people were returning to California for the first time in the past two to three years from Georgia, Montana and Louisiana, hoping the increase to the California incentives will help create more local work in the upcoming years. A common denominator experienced by those who’ve worked outside the California state lines is that the work force can’t compare to that in the Golden State.

“It’s a big problem. If you don’t get the good crew base right away, you are stuck,” said one production designer who wished to remain anonymous.

Assembly Member Raul Bocanegra was on hand to assure the production elite on hand to celebrate the best location managers, assistant managers and locations that there is hope around the corner in the form of the increased incentives that will make California a more competitive force and keep production jobs local. The crowd enthusiastically applauded Raul’s efforts in getting bill AB 1839 passed and his continued commitment to preserving the local production community. The moods were high as the evening turned to the main course: presenting awards to the deserving individuals and teams keeping California front and center in the cinema and small screen(s) alike.

“Criminal Minds” was the locally set production that walked away with top honors for “Location Team of the Year – Episodic Television, Full Season” and “Location Team of the Year Episodic Television, Single Episode” The evening’s other big winners included “American Sniper” (Location Professional of the Year Studio Feature Motion Picture) and “Mad Men” (Location Professional of the Year Episodic Television, Full Season) and “Interstellar” (Assistant Location Manager of the Year Feature Motion Picture)..

Below please find a complete list of the 2014 COLA winners: Patrick Mignano, Location Manager - Location Professional of the Year Studio Feature Motion Picture, “American Sniper” Gregory Alpert, Location Manager – Location Professional of the Year Independent Motion Picture, “Burying the Ex” Scott Poole, Location Manager – Location Professional of the Year Episodic Television, Full Season, “Mad Men”

Peter Martorano, Location Manager – Location Professional of the Year Episodic Television, Single Episode, “Beverly Hills Cop”

Peter McClafferty - Location Professional of the Year Still Photography, “Hitchcock”

Jason Wisch, Location Manager – Location Professional of the Year Music Video, “Happy”

Andrew Harrison, Location Manager – Location Professional of the Year Reality Television, “American Dream Builders”

Patrick Riley, Location Manager – Location Professional of the year TV Commercials, “Mercedes Benz”

Marc Meeks - Assistant Location Manager of the Year Television, “The Mindy Project”

Justin Harrold – Assistant Location Manager of the Year Feature Motion Pictures, “Interstellar”

Chris Baugh, Location Manager, Mike Betz, Key Assistant Location Manager, Justin Harrold, Key Assistant Location Manager, David Park, Key Assistant Location Manager, Michael Soleau, Key Assistant Location Manager, Keomanee Villaythong, Key Assistant Location Manager, Sophia Ochoa, Assistant Location Manager – Location Team of the Year Studio Feature Motion Picture, “The Gambler”

Robin Citrin, Location Manager, Lori Russell. Key Assistant Location Manager, Robert Paulsen, Key Assistant Location Manager, Ron Haynes, Key Assistant Location Manager, Michael Glaser, Key Assistant Location Manager, Justin Harrold, Key Assistant Location Manager, Sophia Ochoa, Assistant Location Manager, Shelly Armstrong, Location Department Coordinator – Location Team of the Year Independent Feature Motion Picture, “Taken 3”

Jefrey T. Spellman, Location Manager, Walter Roshetski, Location Manager, Tada Chae, Key Assistant Location Manager, Phill Kane, Key Assistant Location Manager, Jodi Leininger, Key Assistant Location Manager, Leslie Morrow, Key Assistant Location Manager, Kristina Santoro, Key Assistant Location Manager, Gary Watt, Location Scout, David Van Dam, Set Assistant Location Manager – Location Team of the Year Episodic Television, Full Season, “Criminal Minds”

Jefrey T. Spellman, Location Manager, Walter Roshetski, Location Manager, Phill Kane, Key Assistant Location Manager, Jodi Leininger, Key Assistant Location Manager, Leslie Morrow, Key Assistant Location Manager, Gary Watt, Location Scout, David Van Dam, Set Assistant Location Manager – Location Team of the Year Episodic Television, Single Episode, “Criminal Minds”

Jonathan Gordon, Location Manager, Justin Besemer, Location Manager, Greg Lazzaro, Location Scout – Location Team of the year Television Commercials, “Maserati”

Public Employee of the Year, Federal – Charlie Whitman, National Park Service

Public Employee of the Year, State – Rhonda Weber, Caltrans

Public Employee of the Year, County – Curtis Markloff, San Bernardino County Fire

Public Employee of the Year, City – Cindy Shamban, City of San Francisco

The COLAs are presented by FLICs : The Film Liaisons in California Statewide. For more information about FLICs, please visit: http://www.filmcalifornia.com/