Shaun Gavin is a Portland based location scout and manager who has worked in Oregon for over 20 years. We recently reached out to Shaun and asked how he got his start – “I’ve always been interested in broadcasting and film but wasn’t sure what I wanted to do. I met my good friend Sara Burton (Girl Scout Locations) when we both were students at the University of Oregon. About the time I graduated, she was already managing locations on Gus Van Zant’s feature, “My Own Private Idaho” and hired me on as a Locations PA. After that I worked on a few gigs as a Set PA on movies and commercials. Somebody saw ‘Locations’ on my resume and asked if I had a camera and could scout. I said yes and never looked back.”
Shaun’s first job as a Location Manager was on the movie, “Good Luck” (1996) which starred Vince D’Onofrio and Gregory Hines. “We filmed in northern California, Oregon, and Seattle. It was a lower budget film and I was a one-man department. It was a great learning experience and a ton of fun”. Over the last twenty-some years Shaun has scouted and managed locations for feature films, episodic television, and countless commercials. “I found that I have a good eye to find the right settings and just as importantly, I understand the logistics involved in filming. A good scout realizes whether or not it’s possible to bring a film crew to certain locations no matter how perfect it may be creatively.”
About working in Oregon, Shaun said “A lot of people don’t realize how much filming actually occurs here. There’s a great crew base and the variety of locations is phenomenal. About an hour west of Portland we’ve got a breathtakingly rugged coastline with sweeping beaches and impressive cliffs. We even have endless sand dunes that people don’t know about. Here in the valley we have farmland and rolling hills rivaling the Midwest. An hour to the east are Mount Hood and the Cascade Mountains. Beyond that is the cowboy country of the high desert with its amazing landscape of sagebrush and Ponderosa pines, mountains and canyons. And of course my home base, Portland, is a very photogenic city. How could I not love working here?! It’s the best job ever! I’ve scouted from planes and helicopters, jet-boats and whitewater rafts, ATV’s and even snowmobiles. It’s like being a paid tourist and I get to find some of the most amazing places!”
For more information contact Shaun Gavin.
