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Lori A. Balton (born September 17, 1959) is an American Location Scout whose career spans five decades and several continents. in 2013, Balton was the first Location Profession to be accepted into the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and serves on the Production Design Branch Executive Committee. Her precedent-setting inclusion in AMPAS recognizes the significant contribution that the craft of location scouting makes to the artistry of film, providing a canvas for the director to tell his or her story.
Her body of work reflects the Academy’s determination that Balton “has achieved unique distinction or made an outstanding contribution within her field.” Former Academy Governor Jim Bissell adds, “Unlike the Cinematographers or Editors branch, the Design branch is inclusive and embraces members with an extraordinary body of work from all contributing disciplines that consistently enhance the dramatic design of a film. Balton’s storied career certainly qualified her.”
The list of directors Balton has worked with reads like a cinematic Who’s Who, and includes Robert Redford, Alan Pakula, Mike Nichols, Aaron Sorkin, Cameron Crowe, Ava DuVernay, Martin Scorsese, Christopher Guest, Paul Thomas Anderson, Tony Scott, Steven Spielberg, Michael Mann, Quentin Tarantino, Brad Silberling, Tim Burton, Warren Beatty, Nancy Meyers, Michael Bay, Alexander Payne, Rob Reiner, Ben Affleck, Sean Penn, John Lee Hancock, Darren Aronofsky, Frank Darabont, Christopher Nolan, and Damien Chazelle.
Her credits include: Heat, Argo, A River Runs Through It, Inception, Memoirs of a Geisha, Catch Me if You Can, Seabiscuit, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan, Maverick: Top Gun 2, and Pirates of the Caribbean 4 and 5. A recent jurist for the EUFCN Location Award and the Location Guide’s Movers & Shakers Awards, she has been featured on numerous podcasts, master classes and panels. She an event Ambassdor for the Shooting Locations Marketplace held annually in Valladolid, Spain. She was the co-founder and former president of the LMGI, as well as editor of the Compass magazine. A dedicated 399 Teamster, she also served on the Steering Committee for ten years and co-teaches a class to freshman location pros.
Frequent collaborator, Production Designer Jeannine Oppewall reflects, “Lori has an amazing ability to photograph a location from the viewpoint of the story. She doesn’t just shoot locations. She understands and interprets the script, finding a way to tell the story. She picks a point of view, a place to set the shots. She is a shaman, listening to and looking carefully for what a particular place might be saying. She just seems to know when a location is saying, ‘Take me! I want to be in your movie!’”
Seabiscuit cinematographer John Schwartzman recalls, “We ended up placing the camera exactly where Lori’s location photos were shot. Her ability to interpret a location for the script is uncanny.” Director Michael Bay adds, “I had the pleasure of working with Lori on a number of films—all of which required very specific locations. If it existed—she found it. And if it didn’t exist—she still found it. She is a master of thinking outside the box.”
Personal Life
She grew up with four brothers above the family funeral home in Brooklyn, NY. In first grade, her father drove the hearse around the corner to the Immaculate Conception School, dropping off the Balton clan. She credits her father for her sense of humor, curiosity, and delight in conversing with strangers. Graduating with honors from Cornell University, she received an Masters degree from Boston University, and began her career in Beantown, working on industrials, commercials, and the occasional movie, like "Witches of Eastwick." She met her husband on a forgettable movie about a psychic detective agency and relocated to Los Angeles. The birth of their daughter Cera brought career reassessment. A former Location Manager, Balton focused on scouting so she could carve out time for parenting. The hours were still long, but her presence was not required on set 24/7. Her daughter Cera now works as an Equine manager in Middleburg, Virginia. When not chasing film incentives, Balton continues to live in Venice, California with her rescue dogs. You can follow her work on instagram @wideworldlocations and @lbalton.
Awards Balton's accolades include the LMGI Trailblazer Award, an award shared with filmmaker Spike Lee, numerous California on Location Awards (Location Professional of the Year, 2000 for "The Majestic,"Location Team of the Year, 2005, "Memoirs of a Geisha;" 2010, "Green Hornet;" 2013, "Transcendance;" 2019, "Once Upon a Time in Hollywood;") and nominations (for "Argo," "Saving Mr. Banks," "Hancock," and "Look of Love") and an LMGI Award for the first season of Jack Ryan.
Other Ventures A published photographer, Balton has also written several travel and scouting related articles for The Location Guide and several international Film Commissions.
References "Why Location Scout Lori Balton Has the World's Coolest Jog" Conde Nast Traveler, February 19, 2015; Jessica Ogilvie
"For a Veteran Holywood Scout, It's aAll About Location, Location" Cornell Alumni News, Beth Saulnier
"Lithuanian Roots" Vilnius Film Office, August 26, 2023;
"Location, Location, Location" Los Angeles Magazine, March 15, 2013; Mariel Wakim
"Land of Open Space: This Is Namibia" The Location Guide, November 23, 2023; Lori Balton
"Interview: Airmiles with Lori Balton" Business Traveller, September 30, 2019; Hannah Brandler
"Location Scout Lori Balton Discovers Magic Hours of Lapland/Summer 2017" Lapland Above Ordinary
"Trail Blazer Award: Lori Balton" 2017 LMGI Awards Program Book; Lori Balton
External links loribalton.com imdb.me/loribalton