Seven logistically-challenging filming locations, and how to conquer them
Think “tricky places to fly in and out of” and you might picture Himalayan precipices or Antarctica’s Ice Runway. The truth is, depending on where you’re based, who you’re hiring and what you’re filming, difficulty isn’t always down to a remote location. So often, it’s a complex juggle of inbound and outbound destinations that won’t match up, with direct flights the stuff of fantasy.
Here’s a countdown of seven of the trickiest destinations that make aircraft chartering the best way to keep the drama strictly on camera.
7. Dubrovnik, Croatia
A popular choice for cinematography, but also golden hour selfies, thanks to its crystalline waters, dramatic landscapes and mellow vibes. Despite high demand, Dubrovnik is not well serviced with scheduled flights, which are often booked out by holiday travel well in advance. Availability is further limited by a short summer season. Chartering your own aircraft not only avoids the tourist crowds but also gives you total flexibility to suit your schedule.
- 25% cash rebate
- Extra 5% for filming in less developed regions
6. NEOM Bay, Saudi Arabia
Combining clean, cutting-edge tech and breathtaking scenery, this gigaproject, sited on the Red Sea, is being positioned as a major hub for international filmmakers. It attracts a lot of interest, but only one airline services its airport, and there are no direct flights - simply not practical for the complexities of most units. If you want to go, and many do, chartering a direct flight from the most convenient UK airport to you is far better value for time and money.
- 40% cash rebate
- $50,000 min. expenditure on documentaries and animation
5. Teeside, North Yorkshire
Proof that a place doesn’t have to be far-flung and exotic to problematic to a travel planner. Local airports in the UK can be tiny, like this one, but if they’re the closest to your studio, they make sense to fly back into after a shoot abroad. Sometimes, all you need is a 30-seater jet to get your crew home and back to work without delay or convoluted plans.
4. Ouarzazate, Morocco
This tongue-twister is a tempting choice for directors seeking a sense of authentic antiquity. Home to the Atlas Studios, Ouarzazate was put on the map by the 1962 shoot for Lawrence of Arabia. Although it offers a good-sized runway, OZZ is not well served. Only 3 carriers land there, and from a very limited choice of departure airports. Just a short hop from many ideal European locations, a regional jet, seating perhaps 100, can be just the ticket.
3. Interior, Spain
Sometimes a filming schedule isn’t as simple as A to B to A again. It might require multiple locations within the same area. For one streaming service drama, Air Partner masterminded an internal flight plan for a crew of 120 to zip between Malaga, Palma Majorca, Barcelona and Paris, before returning back to the UK. All in quick succession, all completely taken care of.
2. Zanzibar, Tanzania
With its pristine coasts and burgeoning film industry, Zanzibar attracts documentary filmmakers like Attenborough attracts wildlife. The issue here is the size of its airfields: shorter runways aren’t suitable for larger carriers. It makes sense to split the passengers across smaller light aircraft and have everyone arrive together, with cargo, close to where you need to be.
1. Innsbruck, Tyrol
With the popularity of celebrity competition shows undimmed, some productions involve years of return visits. Innsbruck is exactly the sort of place to film a high-altitude clash between household names and a challenging winter sport. Working against you here, though, are a tight ring of mountains, bristling with telegraph poles, and reliably horrible weather. This requires specialty aircraft, crew and, unsurprisingly, pilots. Sourcing them, to meet your schedule, requires strong relationships with the few authorised airlines. Resulting in less terror generally for your insurance team, not to mention your talent.
Avoiding expensive delays
Line producers regularly have to face the fact that some destinations are not serviced by regular airlines at all, or only at certain times of year. Seasonal availability varies, and who’s filming schedule is guaranteed to coincide with it, or the weather? Budgets and tempers get stretched unnecessarily when you have to pay for production days just for waiting to catch a flight.
Get your full unit there, in a timeframe that makes efficient sense, with a partner that is not restricted by any of the above. Chat to one of our team today - we’ve been working with the Film & TV sector for 65 years.
