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What were your plans for 2020 career wise and how has covid affected them?

2020 wasn’t going to be a springboard year it was going to be a “carry on doing what I was doing” year. I had planned to maintain and strengthen relationships at work, have some fun shooting and maybe make a few new contacts along the way.

The lockdown impacted me, as it did almost the rest of the globe, with a big slap of reality that shook our society’s foundations and made me realise how fragile our lives are/were. As an industry, we were not forced to close by the Government, and a few shoots took place via Zoom with very small crews. The industry bodies and some individual crew members created the best working guidance procedures to allow us to get back to work, which was a very welcome outcome after a few months of not being on set.

Have you been working since the industry has been back up and running?

The first few pencils began to come in the end of May and I’ve been on set most weeks now since the beginning of June.

How have you found the processes and measures put into place to keep you safe at work? Has anything worked amazingly well or not at all?

Filming commercials you tended to stick 20 people in an average-sized kitchen to film a sausage cooking. The measures have helped to create a safer working environment but it differs from production to production. It differs from the amalgamation of different crew members with their own different views on the pandemic and some sets have felt a lot safer than others.

As crew members, we never know what type of job we are going onto and in commercials, we are not being regularly tested, like they are on feature films. That can and has added a level of stress, to what was an already stressful place.

Keeping 2m apart can be tricky but most crews are respectful of each other. We all want to work and being on different sets with hundreds of different people each week could be a lot more daunting if we weren’t adhering to the protocols.

Have any of these new processes made work life easier for you?

Most of the procedures that pop into my head as I type this haven’t made life easier, but they have aimed to make them as safe as possible. For example, close contact workers need to increase PPE as they are breaking the 2m for an extended period of time which isn’t comfortable or easy to work with but helps protect them. Working out room capacities and managing workflow to maintain a safe working environment has made life harder, made shoots longer, but there is a point to them, which most people appreciate.

Has this year shifted your career focus? 

I can’t say it has. Some crew who were going to springboard this year have taken the step back but it has made me realise that 100% income coming from one revenue stream can make you vulnerable. I always try to make 5 and 10-year plans, which gives me something larger to work towards so the micro of the week to week are stepping stones to that end goal.

You learn a lot of life lessons on film sets, I think. You have your plan for the day, but it very rarely goes as smoothly as you’d hope. Being booked on jobs on a week-to-week basis the threat of no work always looms over us, so a two-month hiatus with no work on the horizon is something that we are hardened to – that being said, you never truly get used to it.

What are your goals for the new year?

Keep being able to provide for my family and writing a kids book that I came up with during lockdown. I got carried away from April to June with a podcast I started in January of this year called the Film Gods. It filled my time talking to crew members across the call sheet to hear their story of how they got in, what they do and advice to their younger self. I would love to carry that on into 2021 and try and get to 200 episodes (currently at 96, but a busy few weeks has stopped the flow).

I have tried to find the positives from 2020 and for me, personally – once the panic of paying bills subsided, I was able to have extended paternity leave, which is time that was very precious. Being on set from 7am-9pm most days means that bath time is a quick FaceTime whilst a camera is moving position or a set is being lit. It brought our little pocket of Surrey closer together and its built friendships locally that have lasted past the lockdowns.

Lets see what 2021 brings.

Check out Isusko’s website.

Listen to Isusko chatting to Bare Arms Founder Ben Simmons on the Film Gods Podcast here.

We are delighted to announce Director of Photography Jon Muschamp has joined Loop Talent.

Jon Muschamp is a London based Cinematographer working on films, commercials and music videos for artists and brands such as Ikea, Noel Gallagher, Madeon and many more.

Jon studied at the prestigious NFTS, where both of his graduation projects enjoyed huge success winning a BAFTA for Best Short Animation for Poles Apart, and the RTS Cinematography Award for his short, Comeback Kid.

His debut feature film The Flood was released through Curzon Cinemas to critical acclaim. The Trap, a short film directed by Lena Headey, premiered at London Film Festival and was nominated for Best Short Film BAFTA 2020.

Jon is passionate about telling a visual story. His work is sensitive and harmonises with the narrative to create a strong and lasting impression with audiences.

View his portfolio here.

We are thrilled to announce Production Designer Natalie O’Connor has joined Loop Talent.

Natalie O’Connor is an Award Winning Production Designer working on critically acclaimed features, television dramas and commercials.

Natalie approaches each project with thorough research and a delve into the depths of characterization in order to make the director’s vision a reality. She loves to be challenged by scripts and has a varied portfolio of projects spanning history – from the Victorian era, to the roaring 20’s, the trenches of WW1, and into possible dystopian futures and alternate realities.

Natalie’s passion for storytelling has seen her work on visually rich films including The Black Prince, the true story of Maharaja Duleep Singh, the last king of the Punjab, and his life long quest to reclaim his faith and empire. Natalie’s challenge here was in designing sets from both high-born Victorian England, as well as flashbacks from the final days of the Sikh Empire in Lahore. The feature involved a huge amount of research into the period and the epic real life story, which resulted in Natalie winning two awards for Best Production Design.

Natalie has a broad creative background which has taught her a number of practical skills, informing her work as designer. As well as being a trained scenic artist, she has acquired a good knowledge of set construction over ten years of designing enormous scenic frontages and interactive late night venues at Glastonbury Festival.

Most recently Natalie designed feature The Laureate, set in the roaring 20’s, as well as feature 23 Walks, a modern-day story portraying total realism.

View her portfolio here.

We continue our Guest Blog series on ‘Working in 2020’, speaking to our industry friends about how Covid has affected working life across the Film, TV, and Advertising industry.

We chatted with Francesca Zerenghi, founder of Cinegirl; a digital magazine aimed at empowering women working within the film and tv industry.

Covid has caused huge changes across the TV, Film, and Advertising industries. With productions back up and running, and trying to navigate filming amidst Covid and ever-changing rules, we spoke to some industry friends about how things have changed for them.

Here’s what Lorraine Snow, Freelance Creative Operations Manager working at agencies such as Ogilvy, Wonder & McCann had to say:

What were your plans for the year and how has Covid affected them?

I was contracted at an Events business overseeing their studio covering a maternity contract when Covid hit. Being events, it was very sudden and we found ourselves furloughed – me until I finished my contract. Slowly but surely all of our large events got cancelled – usually the country we were holding the events put limits in numbers which ruled them out entirely.

Have you been able to work at all?

I have been very lucky. I was able to get a contract back at one of my favourite places and whilst I couldn’t take in and enjoy the view of the Thames from Sea Containers house, I quickly got to work managing the creative teams. We have a big social and content department which have begun shooting again – it was a very busy August and early September seeing all of our work hit production.

Do you have any work plans coming up or are you back at work already?

Apart from 2 months of being on Furlough, I have been lucky enough to work through.

How has Covid altered your normal working practice?

It has entirely changed how we work – everything we do now is online. We are slowly heading back to the office but it’s incredibly well managed to ensure it is covid secure.

Have you had to diversify your normal working practice in order to wfh?

I wasn’t contracted whilst the agency got online at the start, but by the time I arrived in early June it was a well oiled machine, the process lent itself quite easily to online management and I’ve made friends over Zoom. It’ll be nice to see everyone in person again.

How will Covid affect your normal practice when you go back on set/ the office?

I imagine it will continue as it is for a while but perhaps we will start hosting meetings in real life as well as online together. I think we will be applying covid secure measures to shooting anything for the foreseeable.

In your experience, how is the industry overcoming the boundaries put in place by Covid?

Incredibly well, everyone we have dealt with has been solutions focused, I feel that the industry is all about finding ways to make things work and things changing and being agile has always been part of what makes it great.

Have you found budgets have been affected by extra protocols?

Yes but only because of the recession we have found ourselves in, not the protocols – people are nervous at the moment. We are still producing some great work though

Do you have a new career plan since the outbreak? Has it shifted your focus?

It hasn’t entirely, it’s made me take stock and also consider moving further away – WFH is going to be more of a way of life.

We chatted with Lorraine in early September.

We are delighted to announce Director of Photography Paul Mackay has joined Loop Talent.

Paul Mackay is an accomplished Cinematographer working on award winning features and shorts, television dramas, commercials and music promos.

Paul lensed the highly acclaimed short Home directed by Daniel Malloy, starring Jack O’Connell and Holliday Grainger which won a BAFTA for Best Short. His first feature We The Kings directed by Lauren MacKenzie won Best UK Feature at Raindance.

Paul regularly shoots for high end commercials, working on campaigns for brands including New Balance, Cadburys & Vodafone.

Check out Paul’s portfolio.

We are thrilled to announce Hair & Make Up Designer Bernadine Long has joined Loop Talent.

Bernadine is a hugely accomplished Hair & Make Up Designer with over twenty years experience working in Commercials.

Bernadine’s passion for the craft is fuelled by the immense scope and variety each job brings. Varying from creating latex arms to building sky high wigs, to working with celebrities on press junkets and the glamour of the red carpet, Bernadine’s array of skills has allowed her over the years to work with some of the best directors, brands and names in the business. Bernadine brings enthusiasm, passion, and dedication to help creatively produce the directors’ and clients’ vision, no matter how complex or simple the job may be.

Bernadine is based in the UK and Spain, and is able to work internationally.

We had our fourth event in January, before coronavirus came along and made us decide to shut further and satellite in-office events down indefinitely – no matter how much we were looking forward to them. But instead of thinking how we could get people down to chill safely, or giving up on the idea entirely, we threw all our curiosity and effort into how the idea might be explored online. For us, that started with YouTube – it just showed the most potential for all the things we wanted to try.

www.in-development.co

Loop Talent are delighted to welcome Director Of Photography Bertrand Rocourt to the roster.

Bertrand is a Cinematographer hailing from the French Alps, where the natural beauty of his surroundings heavily influenced his work. He has shot several projects in the region including Sommet, which won the Kodak Award for Excellence in The Craft of Filmmaking.

Bertrand has a varied portfolio of work in film, commercials and music promos, with particular expertise working on projects with animated and surreal multiformat elements. While at the NFTS he shot Fishboy directed by Anita Bruvere, and more recently he shot Frank’s Joke directed by Ed Bulmer at Partizan, nominated for the Grand Jury Prize for Best animated short at SXSW 2020. Other collaborations with Partizan’s Ed Bulmer include Sarah’s Puppet which was nominated for a British Arrows Craft Award in 2019, and music promo British Bombs for Decklan McKenna, which won a Silver Ciclope Award.

Bertrand has experience with 35mm, 16mm, Digital formats, VFX and motion control. He is based in London and Paris and able to travel internationally.

The pandemic has caused huge changes across the TV, Film, and Advertising industries. With productions back up and running, and trying to navigate filming amidst Covid and ever-changing rules, we spoke to some industry friends about how things have changed for them.

Here’s what Ceri Forsdick, Head of Client Services at S3 Advertising Agency in Cardiff, leading advertising campaigns for clients such as Clogau Gold of Wales, National Farmers’ Union, and Rutherford Cancer Centres, had to say:

What were your plans for the year and how has Covid affected them?

Our plans at the Agency always revolve around Client Marketing work. Usually, the Spring/Summer period is the busiest time at the agency. Once Covid hit and the country went into Lockdown, our ability to create advertising campaigns via AV Creative was halted because of the rules around shooting.

Have you been able to work at all?

Yes, the agency was up and running throughout the time period. We actually found that during that time more than ever, support was needed for our clients to ensure their marketing plans could continue, evolve and adapt to the strange times. We have actually still been through one of the busiest Summer periods to date at the agency, despite everything.

How has Covid altered your normal working practice?

We had to adapt our working practices. In terms of video production, we have created some advertising campaigns entirely via animation – so no ‘real people’, at all. We also created a ‘lockdown’ advertisement for Clogau Gold of Wales, which used photography from a local Welsh photographer, who was taking photographs of the community on their doorsteps, to reflect the mood of the nation at the time. https://www.clogau.co.uk/tv/

Have you had to diversify your normal working practice in order to work from home?

Yes, we have. We have quite a unique, funky office, in the heart of Cardiff, which was a hub for our creative team. Working from home technically, we were enabled straight away, but we have had to get used to doing everything over Microsoft Teams instead of in person. In an industry where so much of what we do is about creativity and collaboration, it has not always been easy, but we have adapted, and we have had very successful ideation and brainstorm sessions over video calls even.

How has Covid affected your normal working practice in the office / on set?

We have to adhere to the guidelines and keep up to date with them as they are ever changing. We have had to have less people on set, and we’ve had to put more time and effort into organisation before the shoot itself in order to cover off the new practises which need to be instilled. We have had to shoot from a distance, instead of using closer shots which means our concepts have had to change a little, and therefore the output has changed too.

In your experience, how is the industry overcoming the boundaries put in place by Covid?

The industry will adapt, and now we are able to shoot once more, that is the main thing. Creating great content will always be a priority, so we will find ways to ensure that happens via creative thinking and putting in place the extra processes that we need to.

To take an example with EastEnders and how they are using new techniques in order to be able to carry on making the show; using forced perspective so that cast members can appear to be in close proximity, and using dummies in place of the actors for close scenes between the two actors, and using Perspex screens for actors who have to be in close proximity and lighting it in such a way that the screen is invisible!

Have you found budgets have been affected by extra protocols?

Yes, we are having to add in additional layers of budget in order to meet the extra protocols.

With Wales coming out of Lockdown 2 did you put any specific measures into practice this time round?

We haven’t conducted any shoots during this lockdown, so as to adhere to the Welsh lockdown guidelines strictly. We managed to reschedule shoots before the lockdown started, which was lucky. Clients are understandably feeling nervous about conducting activity during a lockdown period, so we have to respect that while also trying to do the best work for them. As this lockdown has a set time period attached to it, it is much easier for us to pause for the duration and look to schedule work once the lockdown lifts.

www.s3advertising.agency