Friends remember film location manager killed at San Francisco's Twin Peaks

SAN FRANCISCO (KGO) -- The death of a San Francisco resident at the Twin Peaks overlook over the weekend has shaken those in the local film industry.

RELATED: SFPD says suspects stole man's camera before fatal Twin Peaks shooting

The victim, 71-year-old Edward French, was well known in the commercial production business.

French was probably involved with any car commercial shot in the Bay Area. One person called him one of the best locations managers.

French was often with a still camera, shooting locations for possible commercial shoots.

It may have been why he was at Twin Peaks Sunday at 8 a.m. when he was shot while being robbed.

Police say the two people responsible were after his camera.

"It's really shaken the Bay Area film community to its core," said French's friend Sean House.

The special effects specialist met French 20 years ago. He says he was one of the Bay Area's best location managers.

"He could talk to anybody. A location manager has to walk up to a house because the director likes the look of the house," House explained. "Knock on the front door, and say to the residents, 'Hey can we bring 60 people and film in here,' and get them to say yes."

Police describe the suspects as a 20-something black male with shoulder-length dreads and a black woman in her late teens. They say they took off in a dark gray Honda Accord with rear-end damage.

Twin Peaks has had its share of car break-ins in recent years. Last year, two men were killed in an early morning shooting.

Still, French's death comes as quite a shock.

His passion, however; carries on through the countless number of people he's trained over the years-- including Susana Greason Robbins, executive director of San Francisco's Film Commission. "He explained things well," she said. "He had the sense of humor when things were tough to make a joke about it, and how hard it was-- but just made everybody laugh."