Hi, and welcome back to Sophie’s Choice, where I give you my personal input on everything film!
Today, we’ll be discussing what it was like filming before covid and what it’s like now during/after Covid-19. As you all probably know, as it’s hard to miss, a global pandemic started at the beginning of 2020. Once the pandemic was really bad, no films and no TV shows were filmed during this time because everything was so uncertain. Well, it really changed a lot and I’m here to tell you what and how it feels.
Before COVID
In these uncertain times, we can be certain that shooting before COVID involved very little testing, face masks, standing 6ft apart as much as possible and certainly no stress that if one person catches it everyone will and especially, there was no COVID team, which checked that all of these things are being done properly by the cast and crew. There was no quarantine when flying in from a different country and everything was a bit simpler.
It gets even worse in the winter when there’s flu season, when every little cough and runny nose means you might have to get tested twice because what if?
Crews weren’t made into different groups based on how close they come into contact with important people such as actors and the first team (1st AD, Director, DP) and catering wasn’t split into seated areas made specifically for those groups as well as being half a buffet and half handled by caterers so it doesn’t get contaminated by our grubby little overworked hands.
After COVID
Of course that means that all the things that I’ve just mentioned have been implemented after COVID calming down since 2020. Filming wasn’t even really happening in 2020 because of how hard it hit every industry over the year.
It's been an overwhelming year that has changed our lives in so many ways.
I just hope that we take this in stride and keep working and making the TV shows people grow up with and films that we love.
COVID might still be with us now but getting vaccinated and still taking precautions will help in the future.
Stay safe and keep healthy!
Sophie’s out!