In 2015 Robin received a COLA Award (California On Location Award)
In October, the annual California On Locations Award (or COLA) was hosted in Los Angeles honoring the BEST of the best for location work. With over 500 industry executives and professionals attending, you bet it was a night of big names.
2015 On stage receiving the COLA
We want to feature a local talent who took home an award at this year’s celebration for her work in San Francisco and beyond, Robin Kincade.
Robin was born in a small town called Gardnerville, Nevada - a beautiful valley in the picturesque high desert. She has been a location scout since 1994 and got her start with Spectrum Films. She loves seeing new places and being comfortable in the world - she especially loves showing off San Francisco to her clients and telling the stories of the City. “I love EVERYTHING about San Francisco, but mostly the people. The people make a place. The people who work in my industry and the people who don’t. This city has exceeded my idea of a lifestyle and I am thankful to live here each and everyday. For locations, we have so much to offer, it’s hard to think of a favorite location. So let’s just say that the thing I like best about SF and locations is that each corner, every turn, there is something special.”
Some notable productions that she’s been involved in include “America’s Most Wanted,” Apple, “I Almost Got Away With It,” Nike, Netflix, Paramount, Rachel Ray and many major networks including ABC, NBC and CBS.
No wonder she received the award for Location Manager of the Year for Reality Television - Partisan Pictures “Gold Mountain.”
“Gold Mountain” is a 3-part documentary about the Chinese immigrants that came during the 1800’s to seek a new life. It tells of their struggles and enslavement in the mining industry during that time.
Robin remembers some “unique challenges” in recreating the time of this documentary: “Some of the scenes took place on a ship so getting on the Balclutha was important. But as their schedule is so full with educational programs, it was going to be challenging. They really worked hard to fit us in and it was helpful that we could shoot at night as they were all interiors. The images came out great.”
Debbie Brubaker, Producer, Robin Kincade, Locations and Beverly Lewis, Placer Film Commissioner
Beverly Lewis, Film Commissioner of the Auburn Film Commission, nominated Robin for this special honor while on this job. Here are some quotes from Beverly’s nomination: “Finding workable and affordable locations for large scale recreations of the Chinese experience in California’s early years, from the Gold Rush era, the building of the Transcontinental Railroad, and into the early 20th century was Location Manager Robin Kincade’s daunting assignment.”
“Many of the more remote locations posed logistic challenges not found in city settings: no cell phone service, high fire danger and campfires scenes were planned, mountain lions, no tigers, but yes bears, snakes, deep, rocky canyons and a major river with rapids...Consider what it takes to build 100 feet of a track: ties, rails, horses, mules, period tools, tack and food for the animals - Robin helped secure many of these items locally!”
“Robin’s challenges weren’t restricted to our high Sierra Locations. Her locations included the Balclutha, the historic tall ship in the US National Park in San Francisco...She started and finished each day with a smile and a thank you. Robin is a consummate location manager. I wish she could be cloned!”
We do too.
San Francisco Film Commission
SF Film
