SOCIAL distancing has been the phrase of the year as we have grown all too familiar with the expectations of living in the new norm.
Some may take the matter mindlessly, while others go the extra mile and move mountains to transform existing practices in the effort to adopt safer protocols, just so operations will not get disrupted any more than they already have.
Much like any other activity that requires physical engagement, the television and film industry had to majorly shift its game plan to avoid production sets from becoming coronavirus hotspots, given that the average number of cast and crew present can be quite sizable.
Rolling in the face of the pandemic
Establishing industry specific standard operating procedures (SOP) itself is not as simple as we may think, “when the first movement control order (MCO) was announced, the film industry was at a standstill – our work completely stopped,” comedian and film director Datuk Afdlin Shauki told The Vibes.
Afdlin is chief executive of Petra Studios and the upcoming movie ‘Baik Punya Ah Long’ is a production of Petra Vision Works.
He noted that even when the situation became more relaxed once the dust settled, there was no immediate news about any agreed upon procedure to follow. The delay lasted a couple of months before crews were able to accelerate the restart of filmmaking.
“We [industry players] looked at the British and the Singaporean production SOPs – even tried to make our own set of guidelines before finally getting the greenlight from the government,” he added.
Afdlin, who just wrapped up the production of ‘Baik Punya Ah Long’, said that shooting with a strict SOP imposed “is completely new because it has never happened before in any of our existing lifetime – not even during our fathers’ or grandfathers’ lifetime.”
According to him, the safety protocols that have been put before local filmmakers also means that they have (extra) costs to take into consideration. This is because logistics and shooting times must be reconsidered.
“For instance, [Baik Punya Ah Long] production shoot is extended from 35 days to 50 days,” said Afdlin, who is also adamant on releasing his movie with a physical premiere once cinemas open to the public again.
Some film productions may be afforded the luxury of extending their deadlines to accommodate the complexities of maintaining a thorough safety procedure. However, many others can't.
Ideally it would be the TV stations or studios (backing up a certain production) to cover the extra expenses but that does not necessarily happen all the time, leaving producers to rely on government incentives, “but I don’t personally hear or am aware of companies getting widely awarded (with monetary aid) for suffering during the MCO – for work that has not happened because production companies had to wind down pursuits and for jobs that were lost,” he added.
"[Referring to the production experience of his new movie] When we apply for licenses to authorise our production plans, the government could have taken that opportunity to stress test a budget (with our crew if they wanted to) with the SOP at play.
“To be fair, I do not think they (officials) even know the extent of the circumstances that the pandemic had brought,” noted Afdlin.
Justifying the risks
Unsurprisingly, the uncertainty of industrywide practices coupled with running expenses lead to practitioners working around the SOP on their own initiative to best accommodate the project – and budget – at hand, where at times safety protocols tend to be taken in a more relaxed manner.
“With the lack of regulation (or attention), everybody ends up risking their lives when they go out to shoot,” shared the comedian.
On who is at fault, Afdlin notes, “it is a difficult predicament – imagine these guys who have not worked for months suddenly get the opportunity to make ends meet and put food on the table, but when you stop them from shooting how are they going to survive?”
“On one hand we feel that safety is important, but the other we also understand that the need to work to support their livelihoods, so it’s certainly a dilemma.”
“However, we were doing a big film where shooting activities are done a lot in public together,” shared Afdlin, further adding that it forces his crew to be rigid in maintaining SOP, “otherwise, the production will be at risk of being reported – someone can just snap a photo and complain about you.”
“My adventures during the MCO were quite challenging in a way where shooting times have been altered. Day scenes seem to not be so bad, but for night scenes (being more restricted) is shortened – we need to clock it by 10pm daily, when normally it can be up to 12 hours (7pm-7am) of shooting.
“Due to this, we have to extend the production days to make up for the lost time. Depending on what kind of budget you are given, each additional day – based on my last production alone – is between RM70,000 – RM80,000, around 30% increase from initial budget,” he added, when asked about the major contributor to cost incurred when the SOP is at play.
Another area adding to the struggles of re-evaluating production plans: “Looking at the script and redesigning scenes involving too many people to adhere to the safety protocols, while at the same time still ensuring that the scenes make sense.”
"Then, there is the risk that we faced with regards to location. Our shoot was based in Klang, so when the area was suddenly marked as a ‘red zone’, we had to find an alternate location at the last minute,” said Afdlin, hinting that shooting during the pandemic will require one to expect the unexpected.
“There were a lot of challenges and the process was not an easy experience, but what I want to express is that we really followed the SOP. We had some of the top stars in our country working for the film and cannot afford one person to be diagnosed with Covid-19 – or else the whole production goes into a shutdown mode.”
A stepping stone
Recalling one of the best decisions made during the production shoot of ‘Baik Punya Ah Long’, the director notes having the set “barricaded so that external factors won’t interrupt progress. Although, we had to hire a full security team to ensure this, but it guaranteed our peace of mind.”
Other additional cost contributors include having to establish the base (designated for vehicles, makeup, wardrobe) separate from the set where the scenes are shot.
“Usually, our base is at the set itself, but we cannot have it that way because of SOP, so it has to be rented out. In a way, we had to conduct it ‘Hollywood’ style by necessity.
“We learned that it served its purpose because movements are contained and safety is more guaranteed,” shared Afdlin, adding he would look at having future productions, provided they have an adequate budget, to follow a similar setting.
“The next movie I'm working on is a science fiction thriller, called ‘Angkasawang’, which follows a chartered accountant collecting debts in space. I plan to shoot it 100% indoors, building the sets and the whole team sticking together, where they do not mix around with people outside the production.
“This is form and fitting today, and it is a mark of how we [filmmakers] are starting to evolve,” he added.
"One thing that I am grateful for is that it [the pandemic] has forced us to change the way we work.
“However, in order for everyone to change, the TV stations and studios need to change because you can’t get the same thing for what you got away with before for the price you ask, and the market needs to respond as well for a higher form of motivation.”
Afdlin’s remarks highlight how the pandemic has forced the government to make certain rules and adjustments, which has allowed practitioners to stop and look at how they have been working and explore ways to improve previous practices.
However, to have the practices be standardised industrywide, “the studios and TV stations need to change,” expressed Afdlin, noting that additional hours should be compensated with adequate budgeting to obtain the same (if not better) quality of production. – The Vibes, December 13, 2020
