Filming During Covid:

I thought it might be useful to say a few things about the shoot I was on a few weeks ago. It was my first time on set in a year. We were due to shoot this project in April but then lockdown happened. I was working for a broadcaster, but on low budgets.

The thought of shooting while we're in a pandemic was nerve wracking to begin with. We did all of our prep over zoom, which presented its own challenges. Normally I would have rehearsal time with actors, but this was tricky. Luckily I had brilliant actors who more than delivered.

The shoot was in Cheadle/Stockport. Manchester was already in a local lockdown, so we were hugely restricted with locations. This was a challenge in itself. But, as we always do in this biz, we pulled it together. Now the recce, the DoP and I travelled down for that - separately.

Recce was a day, everyone fully masked, hand sanitiser, minimal people on recce so we were taking pictures and videos for the departments that couldn't be at the recce.

For the shoot, we weren't tested beforehand, but did have to complete a covid questionnaire the night before.

We had a tiny crew, think a short film skeleton crew. This helped a lot in some locations, it would have been impossible to have lots of people in interior locations.

Day 1, before we began, we lost 2 crew members to possible corona exposure. Then during the day we lost another.

I should mention, none of them had symptoms themselves, they knew people that did, that's the level of safety that we have to think about. Once they knew those people had tested negative they were back the next day. We did have to source more help though.

One thing that helped us a lot was having a designated covid safety officer. If you've got a shoot coming up then I highly recommend you ask your funders to give you money for this. Having someone whose job is to be on it with all covid safety lets you focus on the job.

We were given covid packs - bags with masks, sanitiser, wipes and gloves. We had temperature checks several times a day, mask changed, someone telling us when we could and couldn't take our masks off, being told when we were too close to each other. It was a pain, but needed.

Once we were in the shoot, we almost forgot we were in masks and it felt like a normal shoot. As a Director, at points I had to do extra checks for covid safety on some blocking, making sure that the actors were safe, but it didn't hinder us too much.

We were on a 5 day shoot, with minimal crew. So I think it was easy enough for us to handle the whole thing. However, I can imagine for bigger shoots, and larger numbers of people, it's going to be insanelya expensive to make the work happen. Covid testing is a must on big shoots

This is where the cost comes in. You need someone, or a team, that can carry out covid tests if someone is presenting with any symptoms.

Low budget/short film shoots - If you have to shoot now then get yourself a covid safety officer. It will make your life so much easier.

Hopefully that useful in some way. I know some shoot are happening with the shorts programme up here so maybe this will help with that.

My experience was mainly positive. The anxiety was always present, but it didn't stop me from doing the job. We had to shoot when we did.

We had to deliver as part of a bigger programme. I wish we could have had the writers on set, that's the only thing we couldn't do. I like having writers on set when I'm directing, it's good learning for them and I feel they should be part of that process if they want to be.

The post process is being done remotely. So I'm not in the edit physically, but I am seeing cuts almost daily and sending over notes. I've also spoken to the editor on a phone a few times, same with all the other elements - graphics, music and so on.

So, again, a new way of working but we adjust. We deliver end of this week (hopefully!) so I can share the finished products next month when they're released. We've had a really fast turnaround.

If you can delay your shoot then do, wait till the numbers start to go down again. If you can't then build in the ways that you can keep safe - covid safety officer, ask people if they can isolate as much as possible beforehand and be extra careful on set.

Oh! And I forgot to say, having a mask on all day is killer on your ears (I guess moreso for me because I had a hijab on as well). So I highly recommend getting mask extenders, it made the whole having a mask on all day experience less painful.