One practical safety measure: ensure that cast and crew stays as small in number as possible.
As of the writing of this article, most communities in the U.S. are carefully navigating how to safely reopen. Over the next several months, towns and cities will be monitoring and enacting the appropriate phases that best address the current state of the ongoing struggle against the COVID-19 pandemic.
Unfortunately, when it comes to the spread of the disease, corporate worship gatherings are broadly acknowledged to be one of the most potentially dangerous environments. Fortunately, many churches have invested in the process of building film and video ministries ready to effectively engage their congregations through channels like social media, web, live streaming, and video on demand.
Directors should ... utilize creative staging, longer lenses, wireless monitoring, and creative editing to ensure safety is maintained while filming.
It’s entirely likely that churches won’t be able to return to unrestricted worship experiences until well into 2021; film ministries can serve as a bridge to help cast vision and bring unity of spirit to congregations dispersed by social distancing. Video is easily the safest, most effective methods available for communicating broadly. Best of all, it’s a powerful tool to help build a church’s sense of emotional connection over the limitations of distance and time.
As church film teams begin the process of prudently relaunching and expanding the work of their film teams over the coming weeks and months, here are some safety measures leadership can put into place to ensure the safety of crews, cast, and congregations.
Safety Measure #1: Follow Basic Safety Precautions
Film team leaders need to clearly communicate the expectation that their teams and cast will observe basic safety guidelines when working together on set. These measures include things like observing social distancing of at least six feet between individuals, regular use of hand sanitizer, and wearing face masks at all time. Team leaders may also want to consider using a portable thermometer and have all cast and crew do a quick check at the beginning of filming sessions.
Film team leaders need to clearly communicate the expectation that their teams and cast will observe basic safety guidelines when working together on set.
For the sake of effective communication, a short exception window for face mask wearing can be created for only the person being filmed, but this window should last for the time when they’re actually performing to camera. Directors should also utilize creative staging, longer lenses, wireless monitoring, and creative editing to ensure safety is maintained while filming.
Measure #2: Keep the Cast and Crew Smaller
During this specific season of time, volunteer team development will likely need to take a backseat to crew and cast safety. This means film teams should ensure the cast and crew stays as small as possible, while minimizing the number of people actually handling gear, which will considerably reduce the potential infection vectors.
Lean into the opportunity of this season by focusing their development instead on the pre-production and post-production stages until it’s safe to resume on set life with fuller cast and crews.
In the meantime, leaders should be sure to communicate the “why” of what’s going on to film team volunteers and interns. Lean into the opportunity of this season by focusing their development instead on the pre-production and post-production stages until it’s safe to resume on set life with fuller cast and crews.
Measure #3: Film in Larger Spaces
Simply put, larger spaces trump small spaces when it comes to reducing the risk of inadvertent infection between crew and cast members. Places like sanctuaries, gymnasiums and large studios are preferable to poorly ventilated smaller offices or classrooms. Filming outdoors whenever possible is best.
While it might take a little more planning and preparation, explore the possibility of having worship teams lip-sync to pre-recorded music when filming on a crowded set.
On the flip side, avoid filming projects where people are shouting or singing together in any kind of proximity. While it might take a little more planning and preparation, explore the possibility of having worship teams lip-sync to pre-recorded music when filming on a crowded set. Yes, this is a tall order, but as much as possible leaders need to take responsibility for the safety of our crews.
Measure #4: Model Best Practice Onscreen
No matter where a leader stands on finding the right balance of safety and freedom, it’s important to remember that many viewers will be seriously put off by seeing people standing too close together onscreen. The same is true for seeing multiple actors not observing safety masks when standing or sitting closer together. Keep in mind that the goal of church media should be to engage, illuminate, and inspire, and it’s probably not worth alienating a large section of an audience by portraying poorer safety practices.
One great exception to this rule would be when the cast members are obviously part of the same family. Videos featuring married couples and families with kids will usually bypass those negative reactions, so consider leaning into life-change stories and scripted content like short comedies centered around families on lock down.
In conclusion
Ultimately, the most important rule of relaunching your film team during this season needs to remain "Better safe than sorry." It is a pain? Yes, of course it is. But this season won’t last forever, and no film project is worth someone getting seriously sick over, or even dying for.
There’s still so much about COVID-19 and how it’s transmitted that we don’t understand. One thing we do know, however, is how easy the disease is to transmit unknowingly. When you look back at how you and your team handled this specific moment in time, make sure it’s not with regret.
