First shoot back after covid19
We just completed our first shoot back after COVID19 and it was interesting and exciting to work out a new way of doing things. We had two shoot days to complete for the second half of our Fairmont Spa shoot that we started in Mexico - our goal was to capture a variety of micro and macro nature shots, plus some shots with talent.
We wanted to share how we approached things differently with COVID19. We had spent the last couple of months putting together our COVID19 Safety Plan so had a good guideline to follow.
CASTING
We had to cast a total of 3 talent - one female for Day 1 and then a male + female combo for Day 2. We relied on Digital Casting and requested e-books from one of our favourite agents over at Reel Athletes. We already had an idea of who we wanted to work with so in this case we didn’t request casting videos from a short-list - just a recent photo from each to see their current hair length & style (especially with the lack of hair services during COVID!). Given that we wanted the male + female on D2 to interact we also chose to go with a real life couple and requested that in our casting brief.
LOCATIONS
Originally we were supposed to be shooting this portion in Tofino and had already lined up all of our permits there. When the Province announced that they were still not recommending community travel in May we decided to pivot our plan, cancel our Tofino permits and stay close to home. Luckily in B.C. there is no shortage of amazing spots!
We decided upon one heli day to get some large scale mountain/snow/ocean shots in the Sea to Sky Corridor. We had multiple discussions with our pilot over at Talon Helicopters on locations but also on COVID19 safety. We would limit the crew in the heli to the bare minimum (Photographer, Drone Pilot, Video DP, Talent), all crew had to wear face masks, the machine would be fully sanitized before, during and after the flight and all crew had their designated seat with headset pre-sanitized. Photo Credits: Carlo Wein, Hubert Kang, Kelsey Wheeler.
For our second day - we were excited to be the first permit back in the District of North Vancouver! The permitting process was more extensive than usual as on top of the regular application requirements we also had to show our COVID19 Safety plan and give details on how we were going to execute the plan in regards to this specific shoot. For both of our permits - City of Van&Parks Board and the DNV we had to have a dedicated Staff Liaison officer with us to ensure we were being safe but also to answer questions from the public. We also had to reduce our shoot pace slightly to work around public and give people extra space and time to pass safely. All of our locations were exteriors so it was generally easy to maintain distance, and then if we had to come within 2m of one another we would ensure we had our PPE on.
STYLING / HMU
For the heli day we organized a video conference call the morning of our shoot between Eileen and our HMU artist - Sonia. Sonia helped Eileen get ready and then gave her some tips on how to maintain while out on the helicopter, as well as giving her a small list of products she should bring with her. Hubert dialled in midway through to approve the look.
Wardrobe was probably the trickiest part as at the time we didn’t feel comfortable with a full pull and fitting. We knew that Matt & Val had the appropriate fitness wardrobe for D2 so could rely on asking them to bring what they had (selecting from photos sent before the shoot) but for D1 we needed to pull a dress for Eileen. Our stylist Sarah pitched some online options and then went to the store - we wanted to limit her shopping time and exposure by pre-selecting. It was a good learning experience as the store stocks were not accurate and Sarah ended up having to grab options that were as close as possible to Hubert’s preferences. She cleaned everything and bagged it all 48hrs before the shoot. Eileen kept the dresses afterwards as returns weren’t allowed.
CREW & EQUIPMENT
This shoot was pretty small - we had to keep to a maximum of 6 so that included myself, Photographer, Video DP, Drone Op and 2 talent. The equipment was all owned by the people operating it and we had plenty of wipes and sanitizer around if we did need to help carry or share equipment. I sanitized the radios before and after use.
SCHEDULING & CATERING
We definitely adapted some scheduling to allow for COVID19 - I organized 30 min pre-calls for the team to sign their health questionnaires and conduct our safety meeting for the day. I ensured everyone had their own PPE and handed out anything the team needed. Instead of doing Crafty/Catering all crew were given a meal per diem for the day to handle their own food. For D1 we had a shorter day with the heli so the team just ate before crew call and brought their own snacks and then for D2 I scheduled a 2.5hr extended lunch break so that everyone could go home and eat at home if they wished. And overall, I would say that I put less shots and more time in the schedule to give everyone time to sanitize as they needed and to work around the public.
Overall I’d say that it was the perfect shoot to come back with - we were able to do all EXTERIORS in quiet locations around the public with a small crew. We didn’t have the client on set and were able to adjust our styling protocols to work for us. It was really, really nice to see everyone on the team - from the DP to the permit liaison to the talent - working together to come up with solutions. It was also REALLY, REALLY nice just to be back at work again and you could feel that creative energy and excitement throughout the team!
We can’t wait for the next one!