Video Production During a Pandemic

The Shoot Must Go On: Tips for Safe, Socially Distanced Video Production

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When the COVID19 pandemic hit, nearly every aspect of normal life was put on hold. As governments, healthcare organizations, and each individual scrambled to determine how to move forward, businesses and brands looked for new ways to produce content of all types to keep their consumers engaged.

Now, over a year since the initial shut down, and with a growing population of vaccinated people, the “new normal” is beginning to emerge. But despite it being normal, many organizations are setting permanent guidelines and best practices to be more cognizant of social distancing measures to reduce anxiety and concerns over personal health and safety.

In the world of video production, where a successful video project relies on numerous professionals with expertise in a specific discipline, social distancing adds complexity and extra attention to detail to ensure shoots can proceed smoothly with clients and crew.

As we and many other video production companies begin to create and make video content for our clients, we’ve established a few best practices for ensuring that quality video content and production can occur while still following social distancing guidelines. Below is our list of tips and best practices.

Hire a COVID Compliance Officer

Keep your crew on shoot day to the minimum amount of people needed on set. Where it’s possible, have support staff remotely on standby should the need arise. The fewer people, the safer the team can feel. It may also help streamline the process on shoot day!

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Consider remote video monitoring

Thanks to modern technology, many video production roles can still be completed remotely using a remote video monitoring system. From the safety and comfort of people’s homes or quarantine workspace, some directors, continuity supervisors, and producers can still be actively involved in shoots and the output by monitoring progress and providing input from their personal devices. This is also a great way to have clients safely provide input on the progress of shoot day. Learn more about this with our sister company, Remote Video Village!

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Testing and quarantine

It doesn’t hurt to require testing for all on-site crew, cast, and supervising members for a shoot. Taking this extra measure with pre-shoot day quarantine, showing up with a negative test result, and full contact tracing will help reduce concerns and stress about exposure. Provide these details during planning, scheduling, and call sheets to make sure essential staff are informed.

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Get creative with scheduling for talent and subjects

When possible, for videos that include interviews or on-screen talent, consider staggering scheduling so people do not come into close contact when others if it’s not essential to the video. Provide a window for shooting each subject, and allow time to sanitize the space before the next individual comes on set.

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Overcommunicate CDC guidelines and safety requirements

It never hurts to over-communicate guidelines set by the CDC and all safety requirements, before, during, and after production. This should be one of the key roles of the safety compliance supervisor. Keeping people informed will instill a sense of trust among team members, reduce stress, and allow people to focus on what matters: producing expert-quality, professional video content.

By following these tips, you’ll be sure that everyone involved in your production will have a safe and healthy shoot day experience. To start a discussion with our team of strategic, creative professionals, click here to schedule a discovery call with our team today.