Overview: The Production Footprint and the ORD Location

Planes Trains and Automobiles, a beloved 1987 comedy directed by John Hughes, is tightly linked to the Chicago area. The principal airport sequence was filmed at a familiar hub for travelers and film crews alike: O'Hare International Airport. This choice wasn’t random. O'Hare offered the scale, long runways, and varied concourses needed to stage a cross-country journey in a single narrative arc. The production benefited from a robust network of nearby facilities, studios, and postproduction resources that allowed rapid turnarounds on a tight shooting schedule. While ORD was the centerpiece for the airport scenes, the production also used surrounding Chicago locations to recreate the look and feel of multiple gateways, connecting corridors, and airline service zones where the main characters chase a seamless, if chaotic, travel experience. The ORD footprint extended beyond a few select gates. It involved careful planning to minimize disruption to real passenger operations. In practice, the crew synchronized with airport authorities to designate specific times for set dressing, blocking, and camera placement. This approach reduced risk and allowed for authentic crowd movement and ambient noise without compromising safety. In parallel, interior sequences were often shot in controlled studio environments or adjacent facilities, ensuring visual consistency across day and night scenes. From a training perspective, ORD’s involvement offers a practical case study in harmonizing production needs with a living, high-traffic environment. The film demonstrates how to secure permits, negotiate with airport operations, and design sequences that feel organic while remaining within strict safety and security boundaries. This section provides a framework to translate those real-world lessons into actionable training content for location scouts, production managers, and safety officers. Key data points you can use in training materials: - ORD is consistently among the world’s busiest airports, averaging tens of millions of passengers annually in pre-pandemic years and maintaining substantial throughput through fluctuations. This context helps trainees understand peak-time planning, noise considerations, and airside/terminals coordination. - The Chicago region offers a dense ecosystem of studios, equipment houses, and post facilities that reduce transport time between locations, a critical factor for training teams operating under tight daily shooting windows. - Coordination with airline and security personnel is essential. Training should include realistic simulations of security clearance checks, gate access protocols, and interdepartmental communication channels. Practical takeaway: When teaching location-based production planning, use ORD as a template for the scale, risk management, and cross-functional collaboration required to film in a major public hub while preserving authenticity and safety.

Training Plan Framework for Location-Based Film Production

This section outlines a detailed, repeatable training framework that helps teams plan, execute, and debrief airport-based shoots. The framework is designed to be modular so you can adapt it to ORD-like environments or other large transit hubs. Each phase includes objectives, deliverables, checklists, and real-world tips drawn from industry practice and the Planes Trains and Automobiles production context.

Phase 1: Pre-Production Scouting and Research

Phase 1 establishes the foundation for a safe, efficient shoot. Trainees learn to map the site, identify constraints, and build a permissions matrix that aligns with both creative goals and operational realities.

• Objectives and success metrics: Define the minimal viable scenes, turnaround times, and safety thresholds. Document how each scene will be staged, shot, and reviewed.
• Location mapping: Create a site map that highlights terminal zones, airside access, service corridors, baggage areas, and public-facing spaces. Use overlays to plan camera angles that avoid interfering with passenger flows.
• Permits and liaising: List permit types (filming, security clearance, road closures if needed), responsible departments, and lead times. Establish a single point of contact for rapid decision-making.
• Logistics and schedule modeling: Build a draft timeline that anticipates rolling closures, power needs, and gear moves. Include buffer times for security checks and weather variances.
• Risk assessment and safety briefings: Conduct a risk sweep focused on slip hazards, crowd management, and aircraft movement patterns. Draft emergency response protocols and contact trees.
• Examples and templates: Provide checklists, permit request templates, and a sample risk matrix. Include a one-page executive brief for stakeholders to approve quickly.

Phase 2: On-Site Execution and Safety

Phase 2 translates planning into practice. Trainees learn to manage on-site operations with attention to safety, workflow, and local regulations. This phase emphasizes communication, checkpoint reviews, and real-time problem solving.

• Daily briefings and gate passes: Start with a pre-shift briefing covering scene goals, safety rules, and access restrictions. Use color-coded badges and a central call sheet to track who is allowed where.
• Equipment staging and power management: Plan for generators, power distribution, and redundancy. Map electrical routes away from public areas, with visible cable management and trip hazards mitigated.
• Traffic and crowd control: Integrate with airport security, with trained safety stewards guiding crew movements and maintaining public access boundaries. Document any deviations from the plan in a live log.
• Contingency planning: Prepare for delays due to weather, security revisions, or equipment failure. Maintain alternative shot lists and backup locations if needed.
• Quality control and continuity: Use daily dailies or quick-turn previews to verify continuity. Establish a single source of truth for wardrobe, props, and set dressing to prevent mismatches.

Phase 3: Post-Production Debrief and Knowledge Transfer

Post-production reviews capture lessons learned and turn them into repeatable practices. Focus on documentation, knowledge transfer, and process improvements that enhance future shoots.

• Debrief framework: Gather input from all departments, focusing on safety, efficiency, and creative outcomes. Use a standardized form to capture observations and data.
• Data compilation: Archive permits, location photos, and incident logs. Create a searchable knowledge base that teams can reference for future airport shoots.
• Process improvements: Identify bottlenecks and develop updated SOPs. Update risk matrices and communication protocols based on field experiences.
• Team training pods: Build small, peer-led training groups that can quickly onboard new crew members using the ORD case as a benchmark.

Case Study: ORD-Scale Logistics in a Training Exercise

Using ORD as a focal point, this case study demonstrates how to translate a real-world airport shoot into a robust training exercise. It covers stakeholder coordination, scheduling discipline, safety protocols, and analytics-driven improvements. The aim is to equip trainees with a reusable playbook applicable to similar hubs and scenarios.

Stakeholder Roster and Communication

Key players and their roles include airport operations leads, security liaisons, union representatives, local government contacts, location scouts, production managers, and safety officers. The training module emphasizes establishing a formal communication plan, a single point of contact for daily sign-offs, and a shared incident-reporting channel. Case-based simulations help trainees practice negotiating access windows and resolving conflicts among diverse stakeholders.

Timeline and Day-by-Day Workflow

A typical ORD-like shoot day includes pre-dawn setups, mid-morning gate access checks, a lull during peak passenger movements, and late-afternoon rehearsals. Trainees learn to align camera blocks with airport quiet periods, coordinate equipment delivery during off-peak times, and maintain a visible production presence that respects passenger privacy. A sample day might include:

• 5:00 AM: Crew access and setup in non-public zones
• 6:30 AM: Run-throughs with stand-ins to minimize disruption
• 9:00 AM: First take with airside coordination and safety monitors in place
• 1:00 PM: Contingency shift in case of security checks or weather changes
• 6:00 PM: Wrap and secure equipment for handover to night crew

Logistics, Permits, and Risk Controls

The ORD case highlights the necessity of robust permit management, secure chain-of-custody for equipment, and clear risk controls. The training module demonstrates how to document permit timelines, secure backup access options, and implement a layered risk reduction strategy that covers crowd interactions, aircraft movements, and emergency responses. Practitioners learn to design scalable risk matrices and to conduct drills that simulate security escalations without compromising the real-world environment.

Data, Verification, and Real-World Applications

A rigorous training plan must reconcile historical facts with operational realities. This section explains how to verify shooting locations, corroborate with archival materials, and translate insights into practical training content for future productions.

Data Sources and Verification Techniques

To ensure accuracy, combine primary sources such as production notes and interviews with secondary sources like studio histories and reputable journalism. Create a citation ledger and cross-check with official airport archives or city permits where possible. For ORD, the primary claim is that the airport served as the main filming location for the airport sequences; triangulate this with location permits, production stills, and time-stamped shoot reports.

Archival Materials and Interviews

Archival materials provide color and nuance. They include period schedules, call sheets, wardrobe logs, and behind-the-scenes interviews. Integrate these into training modules as case excerpts. Encourage trainees to analyze how production teams solved real-world constraints, such as lighting in busy concourses or managing bystander safety during long takes.

Real-World Applications for Trainees

Beyond ORD, apply the framework to other large hubs and transit corridors. Use the ORD case to teach: - Permitting negotiation and stakeholder engagement - On-site safety planning tailored to high-traffic environments - Scalable shoots with minimal disruption to public operations - Post-mortem analysis that feeds continuous improvement

Best Practices, Practical Tips, and Visual Aids

Effective training blends theory with hands-on practice. The following practices anchor the framework in real-world success.

• Scouting checklists: Include access routes, vantage points, and noise considerations. Use a modular checklist that can be expanded for different airports.
• Shot-block diagrams: Create visual plans showing camera placement, subject movement, and audience corridors. Include 3D sketches or simple floor maps to aid memory.
• Communication protocols: Establish a single source of truth for updates, with a daily stand-up and a post-shift debrief.
• Safety drills: Run quarterly drills covering emergency response, crowd-control scenarios, and equipment safety checks.
• Data-driven reviews: Use metrics such as incident rate, access window adherence, and budget variance to evaluate performance.

Frequently Asked Questions: 7 Professional Q&As

• Q1: Which airport was primarily used for the airport sequences in Planes Trains and Automobiles?
  A1: O'Hare International Airport in Chicago served as the primary filming location for the airport sequences.
• Q2: Were there other Chicago-area locations used in the production?
  A2: Yes, the production utilized surrounding Chicago-area facilities and studios to supplement ORD, creating authentic cross-country travel visuals while keeping schedules tight.
• Q3: What is a core takeaway for training crews about filming in busy hubs?
  A3: Clear permissions, defined access windows, robust safety plans, and strong on-site coordination are essential to minimize disruption and maximize safety.
• Q4: How can new production teams verify shooting locations and permits?
  A4: Combine production notes, interviews with crew, archived permits, and official airport communications to triangulate facts and ensure accuracy.
• Q5: What role do risk assessments play in airport shoots?
  A5: They establish safety boundaries, define response protocols, and help teams anticipate and mitigate incidents before they occur.
• Q6: How can training be made reusable for different airports?
  A6: Build a modular framework with scalable checklists, templates, and SOPs that adapt to varying security regimes, gate structures, and schedule constraints.
• Q7: What metrics indicate a successful airport shoot training session?
  A7: On-site access success rate, adherence to schedule, number of safety incidents, and post-shoot debrief score across departments.