On Location with Julian Newby

Boutique Media International
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On Location is a companion podcast to the annual magazines Location International and Location California, bringing you inside stories from location shoots around the world. We talk to location managers, actors, producers and film commissioners, about the thrills – and the challenges – of filming On Location. On Location is presented by Julian Newby, editor of Location International and Location California magazines.

  1. Aug 31

    How Tom Hanks became weightless in Apollo 13. And other reasons why filmmakers choose to film in Houston, Texas

    In this edition of the On Location podcast, Julian Newby meets Alfred Cervantes, vice-president and executive director of the Houston Film Commission. In his pre-film commission days Cervantes worked on a number of productions that featured Houston as a location, including 1995’s Apollo 13, directed by Ron Howard and starring Tom Hanks. In the podcast he explains how the Howard achieved the weightless scenes in the movie – using NASA's KC-135 aircraft, famously nicknamed the Vomit Comet by cast and crew. Cervantes also explains how, by stacking a 31% state grant with a new 10% local incentive (capped at $100K per project), the city provides a dual-incentive structure that is putting more cash back into producer’s pockets than ever before.  The incentives mean that more TV, feature films are being attracted to the city and surrounding areas, including two features shot there in 2025:Mattress Mack, starring Billy Magnussen; and Eleven Days, an upcomingthriller directed by Peter Landesman and co-written by Kevin Sheridan andbased on the 2004 book Eleven Days in Hell: The 1974 Carrasco Prison Siege at Huntsville, Texas by William T. Harper. The hit Netflix TV series Mo is also set in Houston, where Mo – played by Mo Amer – straddles the line between two cultures, three languages and a pending asylum request while hustling to support his Palestinian family. In the podcast Julian and Alfred discuss why some of us don’t automatically recognise Houston in Film, TV and commercials, and how this is gradually changing as productions become aware of the varied architecture, the sophisticated infrastructure and the favourable economics of shooting in the area. Among the many past productions shot in and around the Houston area include 1970’s  Brewster McCloud; 1984’s Blood Simple; 1990’s RoboCop 2; the aforementioned Apollo 13; 1998’s Armageddon; and 2011’s Sean Penn and Brad Pitt starrer Tree of Life…

  2. Aug 29

    Surviving Earth: what our planet looked like thousands and even millions of years ago

    As the series has finally come to our screens, we revisit the On Location podcast in which we spoke with Walking With Dinosaurs creator Tim Haines about his latest series Surviving Earth. He explains how technology has moved on since his epic Dinosaurs series, enabling him and his crew to film wildlife that existed thousands or millions of years ago, in real-life locations around the world. With over 20 scientists working on each episode, the series visits parts of the world where plants and physical formation are close to those that existed thousands and even millions of years ago.

  3. May 24

    California Film Commission director Colleen Bell on how Hollywood is recovering from a tough few years

    In this edition of the On Location podcast, we meet Colleen Bell, director of the California Film Commission. She speaks with Julian Newby about her role at the Hollywood-based Film Commission, the impact of the six-Oscar-winning film One Battle After Another, and how the film industry across the Golden State is experiencing a revival after strikes and wildfires contributed to a downturn. She also talks about filming on location in California, which she describes as a “whole continent of locations in one state”.  California was in high profile at the 2026 Cannes Film Festival, where American Pavilion held a special California Day highlighting the Golden State’s status as the world’s movie capital.  At the event, Colleen Bell spoke about the newly extended California Film & Television Tax Credit Program, credited as playing a big part in the film industry’s revival there, following a tough few years.  Since its introduction in 2009 – a year after the global financial crash – the Program has generated some $27bn of economic activity and supported over 210,000 cast and crew jobs across the state. For every dollar awarded through the Program, California has seen $24.40 in economic output, $16.14 in GDP and $8.60 in wages.  This edition of the On Location podcast was recorded during the Cannes Film Festival at the landmark Carlton hotel. Issues raised during the podcast are discussed in depth in the latest edition of Location California magazine, which is edited by Julian Newby and published in partnership with the California Film Commission.

  4. Apr 28

    Let’s Play Ball and the Bicycle Race: two of the latest formats from EndemolShine Nederland 

    In this edition of the On Location podcast, we go to Amsterdam to meet Sil Geurtsen and Daan Moonen, two key figures in the development of two of the latest entertainment shows to come out of formats giant EndemolShine Nederland, part of Banijay Benelux – Let’s Play Ball and The Bicycle Race. In Let’s Play Ball, two rival teams of comedians go head-to-head in a race to transport a gigantic ball across urban and rural locations; in The Bicycle Race, six celebrities team up with a partner, friend, or family member to compete in an epic adventure, completed entirely by bike; the first race takes place across India. How do they choose the locations for these shows? Do local authorities or law enforcement ever say ‘No’? What size of crew is needed to follow these crazy races through towns, cities, forests and fields? What kinds of problem do the teams face while on-the-move, competing against rival celebrities? Both shows have been created for Dutch channel SBS6 and are now being developed internationally. At EndemolShine Nederland, Sil Geurtsen, head of programme development and Daan Moonen, executive producer, answer these questions and more …  Let’s Play Ball… see the trailer here https://www.instagram.com/reel/DNalPThqAdH/

  5. Mar 2

    Atlas of the Universe: director Paul Negoescu and location manager Andrei Stehan on filming in the Romanian countryside

    In this edition of the On Location podcast, Julian Newby meets director Paul Negoescu and Location Manager Andrei Stehan to discuss the Romanian-Bulgarian coproduction Atlas of the Universe,  which tells the story of 10-year-old Filip travels with his father to a nearby town to buy new football boots. When his father gets sidetracked by an old friend, Filip, played by Matei Donciu, has to make his way on his own. A mistake at the shoe shop – Filip was given two right shoes – triggers an unexpected adventure as he walks through the countryside to the big city in search of the left shoe. Along the way, he befriends a stray dog, who he names after his favourite football player; and he meets a young girl, Edith – played by Johanna Mild – who helps him to feel less alone in his quest. As he attempts to fix the error made at the shoe shop, Filip takes his first steps toward independence and growing up. The film was shot in and around the Romanian town of Vălenii de Munte. It was produced by deFilm (Romania), in co-production with Screening Emotions (Bulgaria) and Avanpost Media (Romania). The production is supported by the Romanian Film Center, Romanian Government, Eurimages, the Bulgarian National Film Center, Magic Lab, CinemaCity, Magic Shop, Romanian Television and Upfar Argoa. International sales are with international agency Pluto Film.    See the film’s trailer here

  6. Feb 23

    Crime 101: Location Manager Robert Foulkes on choosing the highs and the lows of Los Angeles for the Chris Hemsworth heist movie

    In this edition of the On Location podcast we meet veteran Location Manager, LA-based Robert Foulkes, who tells us how some of Crime 101s locations were chosen. In the movie, Mike Davis (Chris Hemsworth) is a master jewel thief who specialises in meticulously targeted robberies, which take place along the 101 freeway in Los Angeles. Ahead of what could be his biggest-ever heist, he teams up with disillusioned insurance broker Sharon (Halle Berry). Detective Lou Lubesnick (Mark Ruffalo) has spotted a connection to the 101 robberies and is determined to prevent the big one from happening.   The film’s star-studded cast also includes Barry Keoghan as the psychotic biker Ormon; and Nick Nolte as the underworld fence, Money.  Crime 101 is based on the 2020 Don Winslow novella of the same name, adapted by director Bart Layton – who chose both the super-wealthy areas of Los Angeles, as well as the gritty side of the city, as backdrops to the story – from Echo Park and West Hollywood, to the coastal areas of Venicee and Santa Monica.  Watch this tour of Los Angeles with Robert Foulkes here And see the film’s trailer here Crime 101 is a production from Amazon MGM Studios, Raw, Working Title Films and The Story Factory, directed by Bart Layton. Hemsworth produces alongside Ben Grayson; who he worked with on 2025’s Chris Hemsworth: a Road Trip to remember.

  7. Jan 23

    One Battle after Another: supervising location manager Michael Glaser on the film’s chaotic trek across California

    In this edition of the On Location podcast, Julian Newby meets Michael Glaser, supervising location manager on One Battle After Another.  The film follows Leonardo Di Caprio as Bob, a permanently stoned former activist living off-grid in Northern California with his daughter Willa. Years after a radical political movement he once belonged to collapsed, Bob is drawn once again into a widening conflict as old allies and enemies resurface. One Battle After Another explores how cycles of resistance, violence, and ideology repeat across generations. Michael Glaser talks about the challenges faced by his team, cast and crew, as the film traveled across the state of California, from the redwood forests and desert highways to borderlands and detention camps … Watch the film’s trailer https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=feOQFKv2Lw4 One Battle After Another, behind the scenes on location https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kAinlvxGvdA Explaining the references to the TMZ: https://film.ca.gov/locations/la-studio-zones/

  8. 10/04/2025

    Passport Properties: in search of luxury, exotic and historic real estate

    In this edition of the On Location podcast, Julian Newby meets luxury real-estate broker Billy Nash, host of the new global travelogue series Passport Properties. Billy is joined on the podcast by the series’ executive producer Leland Sandburg and together they talk about their cinematic journey through some of the world’s most extraordinary homes.  But this is not just about wealth and luxury; the series also focuses on the culture, the history and people that shape the communities they visit. Nash’s storytelling and eye for design have earned him comparisons with Anthony Bourdain — using real estate, instead of food, as the lens to understand the world. Passport Properties is set to be delivered in January 2026 with global distribution secured with Blue Ant Studios. And meanwhile the series was introduced to international buyers at this year's MIPCOM, the annual international content market that takes place in October, in the city of Cannes on the French Riviera.

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About

On Location is a companion podcast to the annual magazines Location International and Location California, bringing you inside stories from location shoots around the world. We talk to location managers, actors, producers and film commissioners, about the thrills – and the challenges – of filming On Location. On Location is presented by Julian Newby, editor of Location International and Location California magazines.

Information

  • Creator
    Boutique Media International
  • Years Active
    2023 - 2026
  • Episodes
    24
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Boutique Media International
  • Show Website
    On Location with Julian Newby