Acting on a Film Set During Covid 19

You might be wondering what’s it like being on a set during the Covid 19 pandemic. Last week, I worked on a video shoot. Initially, I thought about whether I would accept this direct booking.

There were a number of safety questions I needed answered in order for me to feel comfortable and confirm the job.  I found that many things were similar and some very different.

How Things Have Changed

When actors arrive on a film or video set, food is typically supplied
to cast and crew. Generally, there is a “craft service” table filled with drinks, food and snacks. Bigger productions will also have a food truck where meals can be made to order. And, there are long tables filled with hot food. This is a (Union) SAG-AFTRA rule.

To keep everyone safe, on my set, we had individually wrapped items. This way no one was sharing from the same serving bowls. We were all contacted ahead of time and placed our specific orders for coffee or tea.

And, there were water bottles separated on a long table so we were not all
hanging out in the same spot and sticking our hands in the same cooler. Everyone was given
hand sanitizer to use throughout the day.

While crew setup, everyone wore masks. All of my lines were on a teleprompter, so when I first arrived on set, I stayed away from most of the people and asked the person running the prompter to give me a few opportunities to run my lines.

Before we began, there was this voice in the back of my head reminding me to be safe. It is easy to forget about reality while on sets. I had to be vigilant and always remember to take care of myself. Keep a safe distance from others, wear my mask and not touch things on the set that were not sanitized. There was a lot of additional energy used which can be draining.

During the Shoot

During the actual filming, masks were taken off. Fortunately, I was able
to sit 6 feet away from the other two actors I was interviewing. In between takes my mask always went back on.

Lunch Time

I typically don’t like to each much prior to shooting or in between scenes. I found that eating large meals makes me fatigued. So, I brought some energy bars, fruit and other snacks.
Instead of sitting next to the other cast/crew on a set, I stayed away from most of the others. I did talk with a few people, but always kept my distance.

How Things Were Similar

The process of:

• Showing up on set
• Filling out my contract
• Getting into wardrobe
• Waiting for the crew to get everything set
• Continuing to study my lines
• Getting comfortable by talking with the other talent (although further apart)
• Running lines
• Having the director offer additional information to us while shooting (but now from a distance)

felt the same as pre-Covid. Once we actually began shooting, my mind went to its normal place during a scene. I no longer had any thoughts about viruses, safety or anything else. I was just locked into the material.

Wrapping Up

After my last scene was shot, I said my goodbyes, filled out the
paperwork and told everyone how much I enjoyed working with
them.

This was my first time on a set since January. In my entire 34 – year career, I never had to wait more than 5 months to be on a set. It was nice and exciting to be back.

More Work

I found that acting is acting, no matter what is happening in the world. But, I felt more pressure during the shoot. Along with concentrating on my performance, I also had to think about and be careful of my surroundings.

There was a constant radar going off in my head to make sure that I was being smart and safe. It would have been easy to just go with the flow and pretend that everything was normal. Whenever possible, I stayed away from others as much as I could. It was hard, but I am taking Covid 19 very seriously and will do whatever I can to stay safe on a set, for me and my family.

Prepare While Things Are Slow

While productions are slowly building up, this is the time to study,
watch videos, prepare and stay sharp. This will give you the
opportunity to be ready when the massive amount of projects begin
shooting.

What I Learned From This Experience

Before accepting an audition or a booking, I definitely have some questions to ask.

I need to hear what production is doing to protect my and everyone’s safety.
Knowing the location of the shoot is also a decision maker for me.

As of today, I most likely would not fly to a location. I just turned something down that
was shooting in the Midwest. I live on the East Coast, and I would not drive there either.

Honestly, it is such a drag to have to deal with all of this, but our safety and the safety of our loved ones is something that all of us need to take into consideration before walking onto a set.

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Another Helpful Video

Here is another helpful video for you to watch
Secrets to Getting People to Know You On a Set

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Talk with you soon.
Aaron

About the Author: Aaron Marcus

Aaron Marcus has been a full-time actor and commercial model for over 36 years. His new book, How to Become a Successful Actor and Model is an Amazon Best Seller. Aaron has given his seminar: "Book the Job" over 800 times spanning 3 continents. He also offers online workshops. Aaron saves 5 days each month to give private on-line coaching sessions. Subscribe to his Acting and Modeling Quick Tips Channel and have free access to 270 + videos <ahttps://www.youtube.com/c/aaronmarcusactingandmodelingquicktips?sub_confirmation=1.