Philip Stevens learns how social distancing is affecting soap production
By Philip Stevens
Published: June 4, 2020
Philip Stevens learns how social distancing is affecting soap production
target=_blank title=Share on LinkedIn class=share-linkedin> Philip Stevens learns how social distancing is affecting soap production
https://www.tvbeurope.com/production-post/how-emmerdales-production-team-has-created-a-new-filmic-language title=Share via Email class=share-email>
The Covid-19 pandemic halted production of ITV's Emmerdale on 20th March. But on 20th May, a phased return to recording was initiated with stringent health and safety measures in place to protect cast and crew.
All scripts and stories will adhere to the government guidelines and medical advice at the time of production, emphasises senior production manager, Nader Mabadi. If the guidance was to change, we would consider the impact on our team and the story, before retrospectively amending the scripts. We are playing stories that allow for some latitude to embellish, it's easy to turn a hurtful look' into a slap', for example.
Although adhering to all the guidelines, Mabadi says that the content will not expressly acknowledge Covid-19. Some of these will be obvious and others hidden through cuts and camera illusions. We try to tell human stories from our society and sometimes that means taking on a topical issue. Any references would go through a compliance and negative check. We have a duty as a broadcaster to behave responsibly, respectfully and lawfully.
New schedule The shooting schedule calls for a slight reduction in episodes from the pre-lockdown timetable. Previously, 13-14 episodes were completed within the two-week production cycle, at present that has been cut to 12.
Mabadi reports that the time frame for shooting an episode remains much the same, although less is being completed each day in order to maintain adherence to guidelines. We have editorial measures in place that have dramatically simplified the content. There are only 14 scenes to shoot for each episode instead of 20, there are more two- and three-hander scenes instead of complicated set-ups with six to seven people. That ensures we can keep social distancing for cast and crew. We have no fourth walls in play, no scripted design, costume or make-up requirements, no stunts, no special effects, reduced background action, less props, and no food consumption. Where we were doing ten scenes a day, we are now doing six or seven, but mathematically that still equates to a similar number of days given the mitigations.
Crew and cast adhere strictly to the two-metre rule The scripts are calling for more use of domestic sets. Where a scene does need to involve more than three people, these will be shot as two conversations in isolation and stitched together in the edit to create the appearance of one scene. The cast members will still be exercising social distancing in the scene; it just helps us manage those on the floor and gives everyone space to perform. Some of the sets are quite compact, so to help we have reduced to single camera working when required. That keeps crew numbers to a minimum.
Before shooting restarted, Mabadi and the production's Health & Safety risk manager assessed each set and decided that some were too compact to be used during the time of restrictions.
Being creative As far as camera moves are concerned, Mabadi says that these will be a little less dynamic in order to social distance. Luckily, our camera teams are still being very creative with their lens work. We have reduced down from three to two cameras in studio. A lot of our location grip equipment requires two people to operate safely, track and dolly, ladder-pod etc so we have had to impose some restrictions.
While those restrictions are in place, programme directors will work from the floor, rather than the gallery. Only the vision operator and script supervisor can be safely accommodated in the production control room. They will be seated more than two metres apart with a Perspex shield separating them as an additional safety measure.
Many scenes are restricted to two actors on set Although all cameras are ISO'd, previously, a vision mixer would also produce a guide cut version of each scene. However, for the time being this practice has been dropped. As we are only using two cameras and reducing the gallery down to two people, we have created more flexibility on the studio floor to concentrate on our safety measures. We want to avoid scheduling pick-ups if possible so the more raw data we have the better.
He goes on, We have stopped all guest location filming. We will only be filming at the Emmerdale Village or extensions of the Village over which we have complete control of and can implement our risk management strategy.
Remote resources Editing, using Avid Media Composer, is carried out both within the Leeds studio facility and remotely from home locations. We have facilities and infrastructure so that the editor and director can work collaboratively from adjacent suites at the centre, explains Mabadi. With home editing, we are using laptops as a remote control for the edit suites in the Leeds facility. The machines there still do all the heavy ingest, so we don't ever run the insurance risk of physically taking any rushes out of the building.
He says that directors, editors, producers and production have all been utilising Google Meet, Zoom and many other video conferencing software.
Grading and dubbing will still be done at Leeds due to the more dedicated control surfaces and the controlled environment required, such as lighting and a sound proof room. These are single occupancy rooms and lone roles.
Mabadi concludes, It is testing us in new ways and asking us to think differently about how
Europe Stories
05/01/2027
Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be ...
04/08/2026
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, t...
04/07/2026
April 7 2026, 19:00 (PDT) Detective Conan: Fallen Angel of the Highway Opens in...
01/06/2026
January 6 2026, 05:30 (PST) Dolby Sets the New Standard for Premium Entertainment at CES 2026
Throughout the week, Dolby brings to life the latest innovatio...
14/05/2026
At Spotify, we're focused on making every listening experience feel intentio...
14/05/2026
Spotify recently welcomed songwriters, artists, executives, and music students t...
14/05/2026
New articulations, ostinatos, Motion Scoring Articulation Sets & more
Sonuscore's flagship cinematic string library has just been treated to a significa...
14/05/2026
World-class studio opens on T rkiye's Aegean coast
P r Recording & Residence have announced their official opening, introducing a new world-class reside...
14/05/2026
Now supports channel layouts up to 9.1.6
Nugen Audio have just released an update for their AI-powered dialogue intelligibility and compliance tool. Set to ...
14/05/2026
New recordings & one-key chord tool
UVI have just announced the release of Orchestral Suite 2, a ground-up redesign of their all-in-one symphonic orchestra ...
14/05/2026
Two new arrivals & expanded factory content
Rob Papen's all-encompassing plug-in and virtual instrument collection has just been treated to another upda...
14/05/2026
Embed QR codes into DAW sessions
FSK Audio's latest plug-in doesn't process audio, but serves as an organisational tool that allows QR codes to be e...
14/05/2026
Rohde & Schwarz transforms spectrum complexity into situational awareness and ef...
14/05/2026
Rohde & Schwarz and Quantum Systems join forces to redefine EW and C-UAS-enabled...
14/05/2026
Rohde & Schwarz showcases STANAG aligned ARDRONIS Counter UAS capability at NATO...
14/05/2026
Code of Silence has won the BAFTA for Best Drama Series at Sunday night's ceremony at the Royal Festival Hall.
The series, starring Rose Ayling-Ellis and w...
14/05/2026
Vivid Broadcast was embracing remote production long before it became the industry norm. Now, with Calrec's True Control 2.0-enabled Argo M and Type R conso...
14/05/2026
RT is today publishing the earnings of its top 10 highest-earning presenters for 2025, ahead of the publication of RT 's Annual Report 2025 later this year...
14/05/2026
What can I watch on UKTV and stream on U this week?
This week on UKTV and the free streaming service U, viewers can watch a range of new and returning programm...
14/05/2026
The high-stakes chase thriller from Oscar- and BAFTA-nominated writer Matt Charm...
14/05/2026
Back From The Brink airs Sunday 17 May and Sunday 24 May at 6.30pm on RT One an...
13/05/2026
13 May 2026
VEON Delivers Strong Start to 2026 1Q26: Revenue 17.0%, EBITDA 17...
13/05/2026
Thousands of props donated from Skys longest-running original seriesWednesday 13 May 2026
How a neon windmill from A League of Their Own ended up in a dogs'...
13/05/2026
SAN JOSE, Calif. - May 13, 2026 - Harmonic (NASDAQ: HLIT) today announced that I...
13/05/2026
A definitive portrait of one of Ireland's most influential musicians
New TV documentary airs Monday 18 May on RT One and RT Player at 9.35pm
Watch the...
12/05/2026
Spotify is where fans and artists come together, turning discovery into somethin...
12/05/2026
Features patented Marco-MMC clocking technology
Black Lion Audio's latest release combines the company's expertise in clocking with their renowned p...
12/05/2026
New Track Panel, sequencer upgrades & more
Following their recent public beta release, Reason Studios have announced the full release of Reason 14. With the...
12/05/2026
Rohde & Schwarz presents its advanced solutions for power electronics testing at...
12/05/2026
aconnic AG (ISIN: DE000A0LBKW6), Munich, has developed a modified fund raising p...
12/05/2026
FOX Announces Schedule for 2026-27 Season FOX'S POWERFUL NEW SERIES PIPELINE FUELS A BREAKOUT SEASON WITH RETURNING HITS AND BOLD NEW STORYTELLING ACROSS ...
12/05/2026
Customer demand for data continues to grow in the first quarter of 2026 at Magya...
12/05/2026
The latest drama underscores Sky's continued investment in regional production and Welsh creative talent.Tuesday 12 May 2026
Wales takes the spotlight in S...
11/05/2026
As Eurovision fans gear up to celebrate the 70th anniversary of the iconic song ...
11/05/2026
Pela primeira vez na hist ria, o Brasil figura entre os oito maiores mercados de...
11/05/2026
New desktop instrument focused on tactile performance
Bastl Instruments have announced the Kalimba, a new desktop instrument that combines physical modellin...
11/05/2026
Compact sampling workstation gains new features
1010music have announced the blackbox 2, a new version of their compact standalone sampler designed for DAWl...
11/05/2026
Performance-focused sequencer with microtonal control
Berlin-based KOMA Elektronik have announced Monoplex, a new 42HP Eurorack sequencer designed for hands...
11/05/2026
Boasts wireless control from mobile devices
The latest iteration of IK Multimedia's compact amp and effects modelling pedal expands on the capabilities ...
11/05/2026
Spans traditional orchestral and experimental sounds
Sonora Cinematic have recently released the third instalment in their Transfigured Orchestra series, de...
11/05/2026
Our exhibition coverage
Watch all our SUPERBOOTH 2026 video coverage in one place. Check back to this page regularly as we will be updating with more video ...
11/05/2026
aconnic AG (ISIN: DE000A0LBKW6), Munich, is participating in the Equity Forum Ge...
11/05/2026
Bounteous Acquires Cartesian to Accelerate Enterprise AI
May 11, 2026
Business Assurance
News
Acquisition enhances deep data and analytics capabil...
11/05/2026
11 May 2026
VEON Shareholders Re-elect Board and Chairman, Reaffirming Confiden...
11/05/2026
Fox Corporation Reports Third Quarter Fiscal 2026 Financial Results NEW YORK, NY, May 11, 2026 - Fox Corporation (Nasdaq: FOXA, FOX; FOX or the Company ) t...
11/05/2026
Arvato Systems Becomes a Member of InsurLab Germany
Collaboration in the insurance industrys leading innovation network
G tersloh - Arvato Systems has joine...
11/05/2026
Pirate Predator uncovers new information from victims and survivors of abuse on ...
10/05/2026
RT ALL-IRELAND DRAMA FESTIVAL WINNERS ANNOUNCED DURING GALA AWARDS STREAMED LIVE ON RTE.IE/CULTURE
Kilmeen Drama Group hailing from Rossmore, Co. Cork Scoops ...
09/05/2026
New desktop instrument focused on tactile performance
Bastl Instruments have announced Kalimba, a new desktop instrument that combines physical modelling, F...
Philip Stevens learns how social distancing is affecting soap production
