THERE was no escaping the World War Z juggernaut when it rolled into Glasgow to create zombie mania never before seen in Scotland.

It was the most ambitious film sequence ever shot north of the border and the rumoured £260million budget makes it the most expensive horror flick.

It was up to location manager Lloret Dunn to ensure the smooth-running of the entire site long before clan Brangelina rolled into Glasgow Central on their VIP train.

The 20-year film industry veteran believes the success was partly down to the public enjoying unparalleled access to filming.

"The thing with Glasgow is that people are so welcoming and so interested," said Lloret, a mum-of-two, from Hamilton, who has worked on feature films such as Fast & Furious 6, Never Let Me Go and The House of Mirth, as well as TV series Sea of Souls, Taggart and Looking After Jo Jo.

"It wouldn't have worked if we had somehow or other hermetically sealed it off. Life had to go on.

"The key to what we did was allow the people of Glasgow to watch what was going on and therefore feel an involvement in what was happening."

Starting four months before filming began in August 2011, Lloret had to lay the foundations to prepare the huge set.

That meant everything from getting road closure permission and informing local businesses to ensuring that a disabled resident could park his car every day within the filming zone.

"It's the biggest thing I've ever done in Glasgow because of the impact that it had on the city," said the 43-year-old.

"We occupied a lot of buildings. We had special effects make-up in a building in Cochrane Street.

"We had hair and make-up and a background artists' holding area in halls in George Street.

"The old Bank of Scotland building, which has just been knocked down, we took over that building.

"It was a shell. We put the cleaners in, we put health and safety in.

"We made that building costume, make-up, security HQ and dining facilities. We were very discreet!

"There were a million things to think about every day."

Lloret was also responsible for overseeing the work of three security teams, for day-time, night-time and during filming.

She landed the role after a receiving a tip-off from Glasgow Film Office, the body responsible for making the city film-friendly.

When Glasgow City Council sanctioned the ambitious project estimated to generate £2million for the city's coffers, Lloret then sat down with fellow location manager Michael Harm, who has worked on the Harry Potter and Pirates of the Caribbean, to formulate a plan of action.

They contacted all residents and businesses in the immediate vicinity, put up notices on lamp-posts and held public meetings at which concerns could be raised.

"The trick was trying to explain to people the enormity of what was involved," said Lloret.

The film's director, Marc Forster, of Quantum of Solace fame, visited the site with a 'recce posse' in early-June to check their progress.

And excitement reached fever pitch on August 17 when the Hollywood hunk arrived on set.

"Mr Pitt's trailer was in John Street, in the City Chambers property," Lloret said.

"He had his own private accommodation set up inside there.

"He was a positive force. He was a relaxed person when he walked around the set."

The main filming unit involving 200 crew then moved out to a disused supermarket in Cardonald and a second unit moved into George Square for the remainder of the 17-day shoot, which involved almost 700 extras playing the blood-thirsty living dead and their prey.

Glasgow's own Peter Capaldi, better known as The Thick of It's Malcolm Tucker, plays a World Health Organisation director in the film, which sees Pitt's character save his family as zombies invade in the George Square sequence.

But most importantly, did Lloret meet Mr Pitt?

"I chose not to meet him because my job was all-consuming," she said.

"Having said that, I did work on a George Clooney shoot a few years ago and made sure – made sure! – that I met the man himself."

That film was The Jacket, starring Adrien Brody, Keira Knightley and Daniel Craig, which was produced by George Clooney and director Steven Soderbergh's company Section Eight.

Lloret travels around Scotland to scout locations for films, TV programmes and advertisements.

Prior to our meeting, she had just returned from Skye, shooting fashion chain Esprit's autumn/winter campaign.

Born in Oban, she moved to Glasgow at 18 to study drama at RSAMD (now the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland).

She took a course in experimental film-making at GMAC (Glasgow Media Access Centre) after graduation and moved up the ladder from runner to third assistant director to location assistant.

Lloret's businessman husband James looks after their teenage daughters when freelance commitments take her away from home.

She's currently working on an undisclosed feature film, a project so mysterious that the production company use a fictional title in emails.

Moreover, she's only too happy to add her voice to calls for a studio complex to be built in Glasgow, saying more productions would follow.

She said: "Build it and they will come."

l World War Z (15) is out now.

WORLD WAR Z Epic brought Brad to Glasgow and months of planning for Lloret