Stansted Airport was turned into a temporary film location for a high-budget suspense movie.

Using the words “guns” and “airport” together creates a tense situation. However, I find myself on the airside of London Stansted airport, past security, surrounded by a large group of around 100 individuals. Some of these individuals are visibly carrying guns, ranging from small handguns to powerful assault weapons. While airport police are present, they seem to be simply observing the situation. Or perhaps they are actually actors dressed as airport police?

Welcome to Stannywood, the location of a temporary movie production set.

At 11:18pm, an announcement is made saying “All passengers clear”. Throughout the day, tens of thousands of passengers have left or returned home from the Essex terminal on hundreds of flights. There are currently no planned arrivals or departures for Ryanair, easyJet, or Jet2 for the next few hours. As a result, the top low-cost airport in the UK can now go back to being used as a film location for the exciting action movie, One More Shot.

The shooting is about to commence at Stansted, one of the top four busiest airports in the UK. This applies to both literal and figurative senses.

The completed project will debut on Sky starting January 12th. One More Shot showcases numerous final departures, but not in a positive manner. The individuals handling the dispatching are armed with semi-automatic weapons instead of wearing high-visibility jackets. Interestingly, all crew members off-camera are wearing high-vis jackets, except in cases where it may be reflected in the large steel and glass “studio.”

Shooting footage in the non-secure areas of an airport presents its own set of difficulties: personnel must be present to prevent interference and ensure the camera is not unintentionally capturing airlines in a negative light.

The difficulties increase for filming in the airside area. All individuals must undergo a thorough background check. If they are approved, their challenges are far from over. They must also complete the standard security measures (no sharp objects, no liquids over 100ml…) while being accompanied by an authorized airport escort.

This still holds true even if the director only desires to shoot a happy scene similar to Love Actually.

If you have rented out Stansted airport for a feature film that includes frequent gun deaths occurring at a rate of one per minute, you will require exceptional cooperation.

The director, James Nunn, explains, “People often react with surprise and ask, ‘What? Are you insane?'” Every night, he and his team, including the cast and crew, are racing against a tight deadline.

You are running out of time. By 3 or 4 in the morning, flights resume as passengers are eager to travel to Faliraki or other destinations.

Creatively, James is content. “It appears amazing because you’re in a global airport.”

The airport in question is known as “Washington Baltimore.” It is likely that the real Baltimore Washington airport did not want to be associated with a shooting range, so they allowed the imposter airport to use their name with precision.

Based on the YouTube trailer, the scenes in this video are more frightening than being a passenger on the incorrect Boeing 737 Max 9 or attending a stag party in Lodz at Stansted. Even the seemingly harmless shuttle train for outlying gates is depicted with extreme brutality, surpassing anything I have witnessed while flying, including the 2am flight from Ibiza to Doncaster.

The main plot revolves around terrorists smuggling a dangerous “dirty bomb” into the Washington DC area. The protagonist, Jake Harris (portrayed by Scott Adkins), is the only one capable of stopping the impending disaster. However, things take a turn for the worse throughout most of the film. In the end, despite a high body count, the majority of characters have a happy ending, except for those who meet their demise due to the terminal effects of the bomb, with a death toll comparable to that of an Airbus A320.

Stansted is the ideal location for filmmakers. It looks far more “airporty” than many other terminals. Norman Foster’s 1991 design is a flourish of steel and glass, with a sense of space created by the sail-like roof – and, handily, views out across the airfield.

The director’s goal is for the entire 102-minute film to give the illusion of being shot in one continuous take. Unfortunately, this cinematic Nirvana is not feasible at Stansted due to various logistical challenges. Some scenes were also filmed at Tilbury Docks in Essex. As someone with an untrained eye, I could not detect any transitions between the scenes.

The director of the movie, James Nunn, mentions that there is a nine-minute continuous shot in the film. This shot is one of the longest ever captured, and it was accomplished under the strict limitations of an international airport.

“Everyone’s expression was one of confusion and surprise.”

If you are familiar with Stansted Airport and observe the filming, you may be curious about the recent changes. The section where I observed the filming is near the incline leading to gates 81-88. Upon further investigation, I found out that the catering area is now located downstairs in the gates 90-93 section, which is typically used for boarding passengers. The meals being served resemble typical airline food, fittingly enough.

The team in charge of designing the airport has been working hard to remove the “Stansted” feel, placing signs in areas designated for “First and Business Class”, a concept unfamiliar to the majority of travelers using this Essex airport. American symbols such as stars and stripes can be seen throughout the walls. The predominant airline appears to be Air Xence, although upon closer inspection, the recognizable blue and yellow of a Ryanair jet can be spotted on the tarmac.

As on any film set, dozens of professionals from make-up artists to lighting staff are required to deliver the results. No doubt about the individual of greatest interest: the armourer, who has brought a bag of a dozen sub-machine guns to the party. A real police officer guards them (and the occasional knife) at all times.

The most notable scene in the movie is a battle involving guns and knives on the shuttle, known as the Track Transit System (TTS), which links the main terminal to distant gates.

James anticipated that they would not allow them to do it. However, after proposing the idea, they were surprisingly supportive and had no objections.

“There is currently an ongoing, uninterrupted battle taking place on the TTS. The fight has lasted between one to two minutes on a moving carriage traveling at 28mph. Suddenly, Scott activates the emergency brake and the carriage comes to a complete stop.”

At the end of the movie, “Rob Prior and his team of engineers for the Track Transit System” are recognized and thanked. The Radisson Blu Stansted and all of its staff are also acknowledged for allowing the hotel to serve as a production hub.

The performers and the performance are outstanding. However, the overly emotional storyline and constant rapid progression make it difficult for me to suggest subscribing to Sky Entertainment solely for the purpose of watching One More Shot.

Unless you are someone who enjoys one-shot films or a frequent flyer at Stansted Airport looking to uncover its hidden world, or maybe you’re interested in creating a documentary that follows the difficulties of filming action scenes in a bustling airport.

James Nunn acknowledges that they underestimated the difficulty of the task at hand. He explains that each day, they need to bring 100 crew members onto the airport premises, which cannot be done quickly.

Creating a movie is a remarkable feat, and on top of that, we must experience small miracles on a daily basis.

I pondered if James’ experience has ruined airports for him.

“Definitely. Cruises starting from now.”

The film One More Shot will be available on Sky Cinema starting from 12 January.

Source: independent.co.uk