Finalist Selection & Judging
Once the nomination process has closed, a volunteer committee drawn from Film Liaisons in California, Statewide (FLICS) gathers all of the nominations received and prepares an official first-round ballot. In August, the ballot is distributed to FLICS offices throughout the state, each of which casts one vote per award category to establish a set of finalists.
FLICS voters devote their primary attention to the 350-word written section that accompanies each ballot. This is why concise descriptions of jurisdictions, locations, etc., and stunts/pyrotechnics are so essential during the nomination process. Consideration is also given to how well the nominee communicated with the local FLICS office and cared for the community during production.
Once the results of the FLICS vote are in, the list of nominees is narrowed down to a list of three finalists per award category, who are then notified of their finalist status by COLA volunteers.
Finally, just before each year’s awards program, finalists’ work is reviewed by a distinguished panel of judges that includes veteran location professionals, producers, unit production managers and industry union representatives.
The finalists and winners are recognized at the year’s California On Location Awards event.
