Video during Covid-19: what are your options?
With lockdown easing, but the threat of Covid-19 on our minds, what's the latest thinking on film shoots and what video options are currently available? Last week, we did our first video shoot since the start of the pandemic and, while it was great to be back on set, it's clear we haven’t returned to business-as-usual just yet. We've boiled down the latest thinking and safety guidelines, and even included a check-list for you to use, ‘cos we’re nice like that.
Making a video during Covid-19: what are your options?
“Classic” Film Shoot
Following guidance from the Advertising Producers Association (APA), some production companies returned to filming in late May. Shoots can certainly go ahead, but there’s a lot more preparation to do to make sure they’re safe. Production companies need to make a clear plan and communicate it to the cast and crew. We made sure to read the APA safe shooting guidelines and updated our risk assessment accordingly. We’ve also condensed the key points into a handy checklist which you can download below and use ahead of your shoot to make sure you’re fully prepared.
Remote Film Shoot
During lockdown, industry professionals quickly adapted techniques to allow for video recording with little or no in-person contact. Even though restrictions have now eased, this sort of approach might be advisable when filming a high-risk individual, or someone who doesn’t feel comfortable being in a room with strangers yet. The downside, of course, is the loss of a certain amount of creative control and production quality.
Animation
At Flying Object, we continued producing quality video throughout lockdown with a slate of animation projects for our clients. Animation can be produced to a very high standard with no need for in-person contact, and can be a great choice for a number of creative briefs.
Looking to commission video? Here’s 5 things to think about.
The show goes on: Covid-19 and its attendant restrictions should not prevent you from commissioning the video you want for your brand - its execution may just look slightly different.
Budgets might flex: Anticipate some small incremental costs to cover areas like PPE, transport and so on; adding in an extra remote shoot for an at-risk interviewee would be a more significant addition. From our side, we’ll do the best we can to limit overages and be transparent about what costs what.
Things might change: Local lockdowns, changing rules - it’s all possible and no-one can guarantee what the near future will look like. We can promise to do what we can to mitigate changes and stay on top of the latest best practice .
Should you be on set? Generally we advise clients to attend shoots. Ask yourself how comfortable you feel, and we’ll work around the best solution for everyone. If you do attend, expect to wear a mask.
Now’s the time for new thinking: Lockdown hasn’t frozen our creativity. Indeed, along with other agencies, we’ve learned a huge amount during this time. We might emerge with answers to your brief that you haven’t tried before, or a new and better solution to something that’s been done a hundred times.
To chat more about your video options, get in touch via our contact page.
Whether you’re planning a shoot yourself or just interested to know how things are changing, we’ve pulled together a handy checklist for safer shooting. You can view and download it here.