Firsthand with Spielberg in Birmingham

For one week in September, streets in the Jewellery Quarter area of Birmingham city centre were transformed into the American city of Columbus, Ohio, complete with U.S flags and American style ‘WALK/DON’T WALK’ crossings. Birmingham played host to legendary Hollywood director Steven Spielberg (you may have seen some of his work: Jaws, Jurassic Park, E.T …) as he filmed his latest movie, Ready Player One, based on the Ernest Cline novel.

Lucky enough to live in Birmingham, I visited the film set every day of the week, and all I can say is that I’ve never experienced anything like it before. From car chases, to fight scenes, a car set on fire and even a drone being used for aerial shots, I saw all kinds of scenes being filmed while an assistant director marched around the set with a megaphone shouting at the extras, and yelling ‘cut!’ – ironically, it was just like you see in the movies.

American police cars raced through the cobbled streets of Birmingham that day / Image: Aaishah Rauf

Where Spielberg goes, surely others will follow and eventually take notice of what the UK, outside of London, has to offer the film industry.

Spielberg was quoted saying he chose the intersected area of streets in Birmingham because they ‘had the right look’. For those not familiar with Cline’s novel, it’s set in a futuristic America, in the year 2044. Mingling with the crowds of onlookers, it was clear that the locals weren’t sure whether to be flattered or offended that their neighbourhood resembles a dystopian America that has been destroyed by climate change, and is so derelict that people prefer to live in a virtual reality. What was apparent from the crowds was the open amazement, bordering on confusion, as to why a director of Spielberg’s calibre would want to film here.

Image: Aaishah Rauf

Well, he’s not the first director to choose the U.K as a filming location. Scenes from the recent Marvel film, Captain America: The First Avenger, were shot on a street in Manchester, re-designed to look like 1940s Brooklyn. Over the summer, the Trainspotting sequel was filmed in Edinburgh and only a few weeks ago, scenes for Transformers: The Last Knight (starring Mark Wahlberg) were being shot in Newcastle city centre.

Locals weren’t sure whether to be flattered or offended that their neighbourhood resembles a dystopian America that has been destroyed by climate change, and is so derelict that people prefer to live in a virtual reality

The interest that events like this bring to the city is also coupled with plenty of opportunities for the locals. I asked a girl from the hired security team how she had got a job on the set of a Spielberg film (I mean, if that doesn’t look good on your CV, what does?); she was a student at Birmingham University student whose tutor had contacts within the film company and knew they needed people to ‘police’ the area. But even she had to admit that it was difficult to spot Spielberg, who kept a low profile due to the crowd.

Surely, the presence of such a prolific director as Spielberg in the city will draw the eyes of other big names. After all, this is not an unknown director making his debut. Where Spielberg goes, surely others will follow and eventually take notice of what the UK, outside of London, has to offer the film industry.