Test shoots
As Producers when undergoing test shots our main focus was with health and safety and how we can have a production space that looks great, but that also is practical and safe due to us having multiple people at all shoots. "A Producers job is to overcome obstacles" (Brown et al, 2016:13) and that is exactly what we had to do with test shots; hence our solution was something rather creative.
We decided to create a miniature version of our set design, as this way we were able to be "good problem solvers" (Brown et al, 2016:13) as that is essential when producing and by having a model set we were able to mark out any health and safety risks that could occur when shooting with the shots that had been planned. It was vital for us to plan out the health and safety dangers of the set as we have a duty of care (Brown et al, 2016:64) and we need to make sure that we adhere to it, hence being able to see visually what the risks around the set may be, enabled us to then further our learning opportunities.
Throughout the production process the set idea was constantly changing, hence we had to "find quick solutions" (Brown et al, 2016:13) to any health and safety changes that may have arisen and then come up with a new plan. For example when we decided to suspend the banner from the hanging trussing two days before the production, we had to quickly think all the safety implications that we could put into place. We got the cameras set up and by using the small model to mark out where people are standing, we worked out that it adds no risk to the production as it was suspended safely and also had safety chains, along with nobody standing directly underneath it. In reflection, I feel so glad that we created the miniature set as it enabled us to take a Producer approach with test shots as we could safely supervise the production set (Kellison, 2008:14) and plan ahead rather than thinking of some of the health and safety implements on the day.
Fig. 1 The miniature set
As you can see from the photograph above (Fig. 1), we used small coloured flags to indicate any potentials dangers. The code we used is as follows:
- White flags indicate props that will be free standing therefore there may potentially be a risk if they either fall over, or anyone on the production may trip over them.
- Yellow flags signal any trip hazards, this may be a piece of set, or cables on the studio floor.
- Blue flags were used to indicate where water will be on the studio floor.
- Green flags were placed to highlight in which areas there needs to be enough room for social distancing.
- Finally, Red flags are there to show danger with anything that could fall from above.
Fig. 2 The Diamond
The first area that we looked at that carried potential risks was the diamond area shown in Fig. 2. As you can see by the flags there are three risks indicated with this area, and they include social distancing, a trip hazard shown by the yellow flag, and then also a prop close to the area which is the monitor. This area of the set it a 3.5m by 3.5m diamond and it stands at 10cm tall. To help with planning out safety measures for this area we reviewed the script and worked out that the maximum amount of people standing on this platform at a time would be three, however two of them were on a covid bubble meaning that we still needed to make sure social distancing was in place, but with two bubbles rather than three. This meant that we needed to allow for a 2 meter social distancing gap, and when creating a diagram we worked out that the minimum size of stage that we would need would be 3m by 3m. We then took this a step further because this then lead to another danger. Due to the social distancing, it meant that the talent would be stood quite close to the edge of the platform area. Following on from this we decided to add 50cm extra each length of the platform as this meant that nobody would be standing near an edge hence preventing anyone from falling off of it. This example alone proves how good it was that we created the miniature set and used flags to help identify risks as we could then see cross overs with how being in control of one risk can then cause another. In turn it was so important to work this out during the test shoot stage as it meant that when it came to production time we were prepared and in control (Small, 2000:5) of these possibilities.
Fig. 3 The circle area
The next area that we reviewed the health and safety risks for was the circle area shown in Fig. 3. Originally we had planned to have an elevated circle platform measuring in 3m diameter, however after then working out the logistics of social distancing, as well as the risk of having hight bar stools on the platform we decided that it would be too much of a risk to pursue. This was a moment where as Producers we had to make a big decision between following through with our set design plans, or making the set as safe as possible and of course we had to put health and safety first (Small, 2000:4). Jonathan then came up with an effective solution to the design side of it as he suggested that the curved Trending letters can just mask the shape of the circle. This was a great and quick solution which is important in television (Brown et al, 2016:13), however it did then lead to another risk of the letters needing to be freestanding so they would become a trip hazard. To overcome this, we spoke with the set constructors and they suggested putting backing onto the letters so that it would be harder for someone to trip over them. I felt really pleased with this solution, as not only was it going to look how we wanted it to and fit with the tone of the show (Brown et al, 2016:121), but it is also as safe as it possibly can be.
Fig. 4 The standing hashtags
In Fig. 4 it shows the freestanding hashtags which were scattered around the edge of the set. These are highlighted with a white flag as they are a prop that carries risk of either falling over, or they could be a trip hazard. To solve these issues it seemed rather simple as we could weigh them down with sandbags to ensure they they did not fall, and then we placed them in areas where nobody should near to walk near. This was where test shots were then crucial as they were able to locate whether or not the safety measure we had put into place such as the sandbags could be seen in shot. Furthermore after working this out we were able to start moving things around slightly so that no measure could be seen. This was a great learning opportunity as I thought that overcoming health and safety problems would be quick and easy, however there is so much more work that goes into it and you always have to ensure safety (Brown et al, 2016:63).
Fig. 5 Another standing hashtag
Fig. 6 The studio floor
During the rehearsal time when testing the shots that we will be needing, a huge health and safety implication that we face was the electronics on the studio floor. We had five cameras set up; one on a tripod, three on tripods with wheels, and then a tripod on a track. As well as this we had multiple tungsten lights scattered around the set and all of these equated to have a vast amount of cables. This was a real risk because not only are they are trip hazard, but they also obstructed the fire escape (Small, 2000:395) which is obviously a real danger to anyone that is on the set. In this scenario we got all the cameras set up for the test shots in the studio, but then worked out how to limit the risks (Brown et al, 2016:63). We started by being fortunate enough to be using green cabling as it was bright and stood out on set hence this already reduced the risk of it being a trip hazard. We then used the cable covers and Jonathan kindly taught us how to safely wrap up the cables, and we assigned two members of the production team to be cable bashers which also really helped to pull back the risk (Brown et al, 2016:63). We then had the challenge of having tripods that the production team could easily trip over, thus as Producers we made the decision for safety reasons for only the camera operator to be able to touch or go near their camera, this then stopped others unnecessarily walking near cameras when they did not need to, hence reducing the risk of them tripping over. As well as this it helped with reinforcing covid safety and preventing cross contamination. Again this was another great learning opportunity for me as I had to rely on others to adhere to the safety rules (Brown et al, 2016:62) in order to establish a safe set and this was a challenge as I like to be as involved as I can be with ensuring that everyone is being safe, but I could not be everywhere at once hence I had to prepare as much as possible for risks but then leave it up to the production team to stick to the plans we had put into place.
Fig. 7 Water on the studio floor
The last immediate risk that we realised when testing the shots during rehearsal time was with having water on the studio floor. Admittedly, this sounds like a big risk as it is water with electrics and this should always be avoided where possible (Small, 2000:119). Additionally if the water were to spill it could also be a trip hazard (Small, 2000:129)for those near it. This meant that we had to put as many safety measure into place as possible, so we began by assigning two members of the production crew to be in charge of the water and to always be watching it. We then decided that it was safest to not practice with the water and to keep it in a sealed bottle at all times when not in use. Finally we made the decision that when striking the studio at the end of production, the last thing to leave the studio would be the water to prevent it being carried over any electronics as this could cause a big danger (Small, 2000:119). These sorts of "crucial choices are ones that a Producer has to make" (Small, 2000:4) as they are in charge of everything to do with safety, thus it is quite a big pressure to come up with preparations and control measures because if they go wrong they could cause unwanted harm. Nonetheless it is such a great chance for skills development with understand how complex safety can be in a tv studio, and how well planned and thought through everything has to be.
In conclusion I feel really glad that we created the miniature set in order to help us with health and safety choices, as it meant that during the test shoot period we could really think practically about how our plans and control measures were going to work
List of Illustrations:
Fig. 1 Emmerson, S. (2021) The miniature set
Fig. 2 Emmerson, S. (2021) The Diamond
Fig. 3 Emmerson, S. (2021) The circle area
Fig. 4 Emmerson, S. (2021) The standing hashtags
Fig. 5 Emmerson, S. (2021) Another standing hashtag
Fig. 6 Emmerson, S. (2021) The studio floor
Fig. 7 Emmerson, S. (2021) Water on the studio floor
Bibliography:
Brown, L., Duthie, L. (2016) The TV Studio Production Handbook. London: Bloomsbury Academic.
Kellison, C. (2008) Producing for TV and a New Media: a Real World Approach Oxford: Focal. At: https://myuca.uca.ac.uk/webapps/blackboard/content/contentWrapper.jsp?course_id=_70230_1&displayName=Reading%20List&href=%2Fwebapps%2Fblackboard%2Fexecute%2Fblti%2FlaunchPlacement%3Fblti_placement_id%3D_300_1%26course_id%3D_70230_1%26mode%3Dview%26wrapped%3Dtrue (Accessed 15/04/2021)
Small, R. (2000) Production Safety for Film, Television, and Video Oxford: Focal Press. At: https://myuca.uca.ac.uk/webapps/blackboard/content/contentWrapper.jsp?course_id=_70230_1&displayName=Reading%20List&href=%2Fwebapps%2Fblackboard%2Fexecute%2Fblti%2FlaunchPlacement%3Fblti_placement_id%3D_300_1%26course_id%3D_70230_1%26mode%3Dview%26wrapped%3Dtrue (Accessed 16/04/2021)
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