What is a Fixer

A Fixer in production is the on-the-ground specialist you bring in when you’re shooting outside your usual hub (or even when things get complicated locally). Their job is to translate your vision into reality by dealing with the local logistics, the permissions, the people, the culture everything that could derail the shoot if left un-fixed.

Core Responsibilities

Here are the major areas a Fixer typically handles:

• Location scouting & permissions: Finding locations that match the story and visual aesthetic, then navigating the permits, local regulations, and access issues that might stop you from actually shooting there. Luma Creative+2Phil Archer – Producer+2

• Local crew & equipment sourcing: Hiring trusted local crew members and sourcing equipment or rentals via local contacts often at better rates because the Fixer has pre-existing relationships. Phil Archer – Producer+1

• Logistics & transportation: Managing the flow of people and gear transport, accommodation, schedule coordination, ensuring the set is operational on time and stays that way. Luma Creative

• Community & cultural liaison: Acting as the bridge between your production team and the local community/authorities. They handle language issues, cultural expectations, local politics, and ensure that you are welcomed rather than resisted. Hareketli Ekip+1

• Problem-solving & risk management: When something goes off plan late permits, bad weather, equipment failure the Fixer is the first responder. They anticipate these issues (and their solutions) ahead of time. Wrapbook

• Wrap-up and accounting: After the cameras stop rolling, the Fixer often leads the location clean-up, equipment returns, final paperwork/invoices, making sure nothing is left hanging. Wrapbook+1

Why you’d want one (especially for your goals)

Given your ambition to shoot your own film (whether series, cinema or digital platform) and build a sustainable system, here’s how a Fixer becomes strategic:

• You’ll shoot in multiple countries (you wrote about story across countries), so you’ll face varied legal, cultural and logistical environments. A Fixer helps you enter each new terrain with fewer blind spots.

• As a producer/director with cast-agency experience, you’ll value the ability to focus on creative/talent/story, while someone else handles who drives the bus, books the hotel, clears the street for the shoot.

• They help you optimize budget and time, which is critical when you want the end result to be “profitable and sustainable”. A location delay or permit mis-step can cost far more than a good Fixer. NEEDaFIXER+1

• If you build a network of Fixers in your key future locations, you begin forming an infrastructure (a system) rather than reinventing the wheel every time.

How to engage a Fixer best practices

• Bring them in early, ideally during pre-production, not only when you land on set. Early involvement = better planning and fewer surprises. Movie Mogul

• Be clear about their scope: Are they just dealing with local logistics, or are they acting almost like a co-producer for that region? The term “Fixer” can blur into “Local Producer/Service Producer”. Fixer Argentina+1

• Check their local network & experience: Do they know the hidden spots, local crew, gear sources, permit offices? Do they speak the local language/culture? Critical. Wrapbook

• Define deliverables and responsibilities: For example, list exactly what they will deliver locations pre-scout, permits secured, trucks booked, daily transportation executed, wrap-report submitted.

• Budget for them: Yes, it’s an expense but think of it as insurance against chaos. The cost is often justified by what you save in time, mistakes, risk. World Production Services

• Make them a part of your team culture: To get the best results, the Fixer should be aligned with your creative vision not just a service vendor but a collaborator who understands the tone and goals of your project.