From holding virtual fittings via Zoom to shooting in a summer camp-style quarantine bubble.
"I'm going to have to relearn how to do my job," says costume designer Salvador Perez, on a call. "Anything we used to do is out the window. It doesn't matter how we used to do it. There's a new way of working — for the time being."
Working From HomeShot in the actors' real homes , "Love in the Time of Corona" was prepped, planned and designed from home by Deena Appel. Originally thinking the job would be "three weeks of consulting" from home, "it turned out to be nine weeks of non-stop [work]," she says, on a call, who works regularly with creator Joanna Johnson on "Good Trouble" and "The Fosters.
Accustomed to in-person collaboration, going virtual has been an adjustment for her: "Everybody is in a square box and is squinting their eyes and looking at your designs and you're not sure, 'Are they liking it or they can't see the detail?'" But May appreciates the opportunity to "engage my creativity and just feel the unknown."
In such close contact with talent, costume teams will undergo regular Covid-19 testing, from once a week to every three days, depending on the scope of work and production. The use of PPE is also required, with exact union guidelines being determined. Natalie Bronfman recently returned to "See," which also shut down in March, after shooting the season two premiere. On the Jason Momoa-starring sci-fi series, she oversees four divisions of 57 team members and essentially runs a custom-building factory: sewing, metal- and leather-working, age-ing and dyeing, etc.
Receiving an Assist From the Actors To reduce touch points, actors will have to take on some of their own costume tasks. "We've left the Hyatt and moved to the Best Western version," says Messam, who now leaves garment bags hanging outside cast trailers for pick-up. "We're all happy to get back to work, so however we can do so that we're complying and safe."
Because of the strict precautions taken, Walker enjoyed working closely with the cast and having peace of mind to concentrate on her craft. "We did the fittings and we all wore masks. It was pretty much business as usual, just a lot more PPE and protocol," she explains. "The quarantine's nice because it takes away the guesswork."
"This is changing us all forever — and hopefully in positive ways — by learning new technologies, learning to be flexible and learning how we can work going forward," Appel adds. Additional days need to be factored in for quarantining costume pieces for up to 72-hours before fittings, too. It's even more of a math formula for Bronfman, whose custom-built costumes for "See" involve modular components that each require sanitizing and quarantining before moving to the next step.
The longer-lead schedules will also hopefully avoid that 11th hour scramble designers usually deal with, especially with last minute casting, per Perez: "They can't bring the actor in at 9pm on Thursday night and have them work 6am Friday. That doesn't happen anymore."
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Supernatural and More TV Shows Resume Production Amid the Coronavirus Pandemic - E! OnlineSupernatural has resumed filming for its final season, joining many other shows that have begun or are preparing for a return to production amid the coronavirus pandemic.
Read more »
Australia Launches Insurance-Replacement Fund to Restart Film, TV ProductionThe Australian government has opened the Temporary Interruption Fund that is designed to overcome the problem of production insurance and swiftly get cameras rolling on films and TV shows. The A$50…
Read more »
Airbnb Confidentially Files IPO PaperworkHome-sharing giant Airbnb has filed confidential paperwork for an initial public offering paving the way for a potential public markets debut later this year by skleb1234
Read more »
Robert Pattinson’s ‘The Batman’ Resuming Production in September“The Batman” will resume shooting in early September in the U.K. at Warner Bros. Studios Leavesden, according to insiders. The comic book adventure was roughly seven weeks into producti…
Read more »
Call the Midwife Christmas special confirmed as filming resumesThe BBC drama Call the Midwife will be back at Christmas
Read more »
‘Stranger Things’ star Gaten Matarazzo working at local New Jersey restaurant amid production halt‘Stranger Things’ Star Gaten Matarazzo Working At Local New Jersey Restaurant Amid Production Halt (via Fox411)
Read more »