“Action.” Cameras rolled, talent moved on cue, and producers kept time. The first day of our Kawasaki Engines brand photo and video shoot had begun. This wasn’t just any shoot. Sure, we’ve produced hundreds of shoots for our clients before, and have risen to any challenge thrown our way. But this was different. This was a shoot during COVID-19.
Planning for a major shoot during a pandemic is no easy task—especially when the pandemic is constantly evolving. Luckily, our dream team didn’t skip a beat. We followed a combination of BCW/WPP guidelines, in conjunction with Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidelines, World Health Organization (WHO) recommendations, Maryland state directives, and recommendations outlined by the Association of Independent Commercial Producers (AICP). Some of those precautions included:
- Keeping an essential crew only, with remote viewing opportunities made available
- Restricting crew to no travel outside the state of Maryland for 14 days prior to being on set
- Issuing a health questionnaire to confirm the health status of all in-person crew members
- Checking temperatures and confirming wellness of crew members upon entering the set
- Requiring the usage of masks and gloves—provided by production—and maintaining six feet of distance whenever possible
- Scheduling deep cleans of interior locations bookending the shoot
- Requiring frequent hand washing and regular hand sanitization.
- Disinfecting high-use surfaces and workstations throughout the shoot day, and sanitizing equipment before passing to another operator
In order to reduce extra exposure, our Kawasaki Engines clients watched from their homes in Michigan. Yet we made sure they were included every step of the way. We instituted video conferencing to confirm picture lock and gather real-time feedback. We shared a Zoom live feed so they could provide feedback at all times. Even though our client team was hundreds of miles away, they had instant access to our full creative and production teams throughout the day, and said they felt like they were an integral part of the production crew.
“2020 has certainly been a uniquely challenging year in many ways. One of the challenges we were faced with was how to pull off a two-day photo and video shoot in the middle of the pandemic. Originally scheduled for March in Louisiana, plans changed suddenly when the entire state went into a stay-at-home order and only essential work was permitted. After rescheduling our shoot to Maryland in July, we were still faced with the reality that it was not feasible for the Kawasaki Engines to travel from Michigan to Maryland. The HZ team quickly went into action and developed a plan and solution. A remote photo shoot was put into action and the results are spectacular! Utilizing technologies like Zoom, Google Hangouts, and FaceTime, the marketing team at Kawasaki Engines was able to be a part of the action in real-time. We were able to evaluate shots as they happened. We even had the eye of the camera by being able to see what was being filmed on one of the video cameras.
The ability to think outside of the box is just one of the reasons we value our relationship with HZ. We couldn't be more pleased with the output of this project, and it wouldn't have happened without the creativity, passion, and expertise of the folks at HZ.”
– Tiffany Young, Marketing Manager, Kawasaki Engines USA
The end result? The work was better than ever, and no safety was compromised. Proving that even though the preparation and production of our shoots may look a bit different in the days of COVID-19, the standard of what we create is never sacrificed.
Learn more about HZ Productions and how we can help you with your video and photography needs!
