0025: How COVID Affected My First On-Set TV Booking
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Show notes
Hey there, hero!
I didn’t see this coming, but I happened to have been fortunate enough to be one of the first actors back to work on a network TV show after production resumed a few weeks ago.
Although I’m still under NDA, I wanted to give you a look behind the scenes of my shoot day, especially since Access Hollywood did a story on my particular “intimate” scene in their look at production during the pandemic. You’ll see your boy in the story.
I can’t say what the show is, although I am told it should air on 8/12. If I don’t hear anything about a delay in the airing, I’ll update these show notes with the show, network, airtime etc.
And I’d love to answer any questions that I’m able in the comments below.
Raw captioning:
i just wanted to share with you what’s
happened to me
in the past couple of weeks the biggest
biggest event of which is i
was one of the first actors to work on
a network television set on a show
since production began to be production
again here in los angeles and my
experience was
interesting and amazing and lovely and i
thought i’d share it with you in this
episode
of the vo heroes podcast
[Music]
if you blinked you missed me last week
on access hollywood when they ran a
story
about how hollywood and other production
centers
are dealing with the post-initial
covid shutdown
studios were shut down for months when
the pandemic began
and after some study and some very deep
planning
and some very smart people got together
and said hey we could produce
if we did this this this this and this
with the cooperation
of the networks and the studios
and the unions uh both the production
unions and the performance unions
uh the crew unions and the actor unions
and i was really fortunate to get a
phone call the day production began
again and said hey
could you come in for a day’s work on
such and such a show now
my non-disclosure agreement with that
show
i i don’t quite understand how this all
works i do understand how non-disclosure
agreements work
but i’ve kind of been outed already
because access hollywood
did an episode or did a story during one
of their episodes last week
about the very scene that i shot
on this particular show because it was
an intimate scene
now before you get sick to your stomach
i wasn’t being intimate with anybody
but i was an observer and no it wasn’t
one of those kind of
scenes either um anyway they they showed
how
they put this whole scene together and i
can tell you this just in general
without mentioning the show or the
network or what i did or what they did
um i was a uh part of a
three actor scene where two actors were
having
a relationship issue and
i was an observer slash participant
the two actors kiss in the scene
i don’t kiss anybody but i am
shown to observe that kiss and again
forgive me for being so cryptic
because they don’t want me to talk about
it until the day before the show
airs that’s what it says and yet
they did a story on access hollywood in
which my face appeared very briefly
and you know i said one of my lines very
briefly
so i’m trying to i’m trying to follow my
nda but also tell you what happens so
imagine a triangle of me and two other
actors
right i can see both of them they can
see me but mostly they’re paying
attention to each other
and at the end of the scene they kiss
and how that happened was covered in
very
very clear detail in the access
hollywood
uh story which i would send you to
if i could find an on-demand way of
saying hey go to this link and you can
watch that particular
night’s airing of access hollywood and
this particular story
but i can’t find anything anywhere if
you find something please let me know
but they’re not on on demand on my on my
cable my my u-verse
uh i can’t find it on the web i so and
let me just describe what what happened
um male female
me this is how this is all set up male
female facing each other
when the kiss occurred they shot the
male
actor kissing not another not the
actress involved
but a mannequin and they shot from
behind the mannequin so you could see
kind of the mannequin’s hair
and the dress that was matched with the
actress’s dress
and you could see mostly the actor’s
face and
so you got kind of the notion that the
actor was kissing
the actress uh then this is even more
interesting
when the actress when they shot her
angle the actress
was kissing what appeared to be a live
human being and it was but it wasn’t the
actor
that had been cast in the the show
it was the actress’s husband
who happened to be the same height as
the
actor in the show and they dressed him
up in the same outfit with a wig that
matched
the actor’s hair and so that particular
thing
that particular shot from over his
shoulder was with a live human being
and it was just fascinating we
whenever we weren’t on camera were
feeding lines to the other actors
when i was on camera they did nice tight
close-ups i don’t even think they did
any dirty shots
uh meaning shots where a mannequin would
have been in
in the shot and the social distancing
that we all
engaged in was covered by a covid
coordinator
a coveted safety officer on set
at one point one of the camera people’s
cable pullers the people that
keep the camera from rolling over cables
got a little too close to me and the
covid coordinator stepped in and moved
him away
and kept the distance between us so
there’s somebody observing
from the moment i arrived at the set
from the moment i pulled in uh at the
drive
through gate i was uh i was my
temperature was taken
i was surveyed about whether or not i’d
come into contact with anybody with
covet in the last
you know 14 days um i was
told to keep wearing my mask no matter
what when i went through
um makeup my makeup artist
lovely makeup artist was wearing full
ppe
so not only a mask and a face shield but
also
uh clothing covering a a a suit
um uh you know one of those suits that
you see in the shots of hospitals that
they do is almost like a
um a dress a surgical gown
and she also said please be careful when
you put your mask on
to pick it off in a particular way that
wouldn’t
move any of the makeup there wasn’t much
makeup but they did have some
and i was touched up on set as well with
throwaway
brushes like the moment that the onset
makeup person
touched me up she disposed of
her brush so there wasn’t even any reuse
of that
uh costuming wardrobe
was on me and i got paid a little extra
for doing it it’s called a wardrobe bump
i brought my own suit
my own crazy loud tie because that’s
what the character called for
uh my own shirt pants shoes everything
and i brought a number of selections
that i had sent them pictures of the
night before
and they disinfected them with a steamer
and then selected the ones that they
wanted me to wear
brought them to my dressing room and
left them on the door
outside the dressing room and then
knocked on the door and they told me
they were going to do all this this was
all in the
in the note that i got from casting and
this was not something that i had to
audition for this was an
offer so the casting director simply
called up and
offered me the part and that was lovely
i didn’t have to do any at home
auditioning and i’m like hey i could do
that if you want me to but no it was
just an offer
from the moment it all started to the
moment it finished up it was
really comforting to know that the union
the production office
the cast the crew everybody worked in
unison
to make these safety protocols fit
both the health requirements and the
production requirements
of the show and i will be able to tell
you
probably on the 11th of august because
the show the episode’s supposed to air
on the 12th
i’ll be able to tell you what the name
of the show is where it is what network
it’s on how
to see it here in the states anyway it
is a worldwide distributed show so
eventually it will go to other countries
so if you’re watching this
uh in another country where this
particular show is popular you’ll be
able to see it at some point
it’s not a big part it was maybe if if
everything was normal
it probably would have taken about a
half an hour to shoot all told
um it took slightly longer than that
they did have their they must have done
some rehearsals in terms of how people
moved around
i’m talking crew wise camera uh it was a
multicam shoot
excuse me camera uh
grips uh sound the sound guy
uh was you know showing me how he had
wiped everything down and
and so there was a lot of disclosure as
well as really
important and uh
particular approaches to things so i
felt safe
and interestingly enough it didn’t get
in the way of my acting
because so much goes on on a set anyway
that can distract you from your acting
but even all that even though i was
fascinated with all that and i was
actually making mental notes so that i
could make this video
um they they didn’t distract me from the
acting now the acting wasn’t
particularly stressful or demanding
but at the same time you still have to
remember all the things that you need to
do as an actor
whether or not you’ve spent most of the
time in your dressing room on set
at the studio walking the hallways going
from a set to
where you uh are headed wearing a mask
and in my case
glasses um it was just a really
interesting thing and it’s the new
normal
it’s what’s going to be happening
everywhere no matter what and producers
and editors and directors are going to
be coming up with really interesting
ways
of cutting scenes together so it doesn’t
look like
there was a mannequin or a sex doll
because they’re using sex dolls
for really intimate scenes
um or significant others
you know where the the actor or actress
who has a husband or a significant other
who resembles
the scene partner the actual actor who’s
a scene partner and can step in for them
there’s going to be all kinds of cool
things it’s not going to be cgi
i don’t think although who knows um but
for the most part
it was just a fascinating thing happy to
answer any questions that you have
i may have to be cryptic about my
answers leading up to
the air date but once that happens then
you can also certainly if you’re
watching this after that you can
certainly ask as well
and i will update the show notes once i
can
with the name of the show the network
etc
but it was fascinating and it was kind
of cool to be one of the first actors
back
so uh what are your thoughts on this are
you scared to go on set are you scared
to go in studio
in terms of voice work are you scared or
are you cool because with voice over
we do almost all of our work from home
and more and more of that work that we
would go to a studio for
we are applying technology to do from
home
so having said all that tell me what
your thoughts are
are you trying to figure out how you’re
going to
continue to be an actor to be a voice
talent in this
uh coveted uh normalized world where we
still haven’t solved the problem likely
not going to for quite some time
what are your biggest challenges what
have you been thinking about what is
what makes you curious about this let me
answer questions about
how things work on set i’m pretty
familiar with you know with my union
activity
and also talking with the people
involved in creating the protocols on
the production side of things
on the show’s staff i have a pretty
interesting insight into how all those
things
were put together the testing the by the
way i had to go
get tested and that was
um interesting i mean you see it all the
time on television
and clearly the vast majority of
americans have not been tested and so
it’s kind of like
hi i wonder what’s that like to have
that thing shoved up your nose
well there’s what it’s like um
and was cleared and there was a little
nervousness about getting cleared in
time to work on set
they actually had to reschedule my shoot
a little bit because of the
the testing results not being back as
quickly as they
thought they would be what is it that
maybe has you thinking
what has what what can i answer for you
let me know in the comments below please
if you’re gonna give me a comment do so
on voheros.com where this
video will live uh not necessarily on
youtube because that’s where the
conversation really gets interesting
because it’s
mike tribe and actors and voice talent
that follow what we do here uh so let me
know i’d be thrilled to answer the
questions for you and
uh it gives me hope that
we are not going to all be sitting
around twiddling our thumbs forever
uh and in fact we’ll actually be able to
get back to work
so i’m david h lawrence the 17th i thank
you so much for watching and for
listening
and i’ll see you next time.
Super cool David H Lawrence XVII Looking forward to watch it. It will be interesting to see then I’m sure I’ll have questions after that.
Covid Coordinator – new job in Hollywood
interesting re: BYOW = bringing your own wardrobe = SMART 😀
9:11 (cough) DOH!!! no coughing on set!
😛
nice to hear they found a way to act without CGI
exciting things starting back up again! YAY!
how awesome that you were one of the 1st to get back to work in Hollywood.
can’t wait to see the scene you were in and have you on my show tomorrow to talk about this a bit… without revealing the show.
gosh – it’s like watching Heroes again!
you’ve got me in suspense now!
The story seems to be here:
https://www.accessonline.com/videos/denise-richards-spills-tricks-to-filming-bold-the-beautiful-amid-covid-19-mannequins-wigs-more
Well, at least *I* didn’t spill the beans.
Don’t blink is right. About 0:0:24 mark.
Way to go @david ! Isn’t it great to be a CD’s go-to guy?
It is. I’d been in for them a couple of times before, and this one they felt was right.
Creativity and ingenuity at its finest! I love the way people in our industry are thinking outside of the box. Thank you for sharing this message of hope that things can still get back to normal. It seems like in these times actors that are “cleared” and tested for vivid could be utilized more as recurring even with different wardrobe, etc
*covid not vivid entertainment … not starting any rumors ?
Congratulations on the booking and by offer!! Thanks so much for sharing the info before and on set! Did they set up the test for you? Was it at the studio? How many days between booking and test and then being on set?
They set up the test, not at the studio, and it was two days before the shoot.
Ah thanks! I have seen some others post who have had tests daily. 15 minute tests.
I loved the almost-inside look at TV (and movie, I hope) production. Creative solutions! And congrats on being one of the first back to work.
Seeing these creative solutions put into moron will spark other solutions for other industries. Bravo! Thanks, David.
Great positive share David. I was curious as to how and when the industry would return. You gave a wonderful insight on the process. Happy to hear my Coach was offered the job on his talent, you David!
Thank you so much for this! Very informative. It makes me feel much more comfortable taking an on set job. I live in NYC, so most of us don’t have a car and my one concern is how we would get to a location shoot. I still don’t feel comfortable taking a train or subway and it’s not clear yet how those challenges of transportation will be solved. Thanks again.
Thanks for the interesting window into Covid Hollywood. I did a vo job in June. I had to do it in studio because it was an update to a previous piece recorded in January and had to match. They made it very easy and contact free. I went in in mask and only took it off in the booth. The staff who let me in and the engineer were masked and kept their distance. The client and project manager called into the session from home. They had called me at home the morning of the recording to ask screening questions (temperature, etc). Testing in our area was not really available and results were taking 10 days to come back, so there was no swab testing. I realized that it was the furthest I had been from home since February 28th. It was nice to feel secure that they were taking care as much as possible.
oh- and I brought my own water and headphones.
Thanks, David, this was really helpful. It lets me know what the high bar should be for non-union sets, particularly having a COVID Safety Coordinator. While not all non-union sets will comply with union standards, I can at least make an informed decision whether or not I wish to participate.
thank you for sharing your experience with us, David! totally fascinating & heartening.
i’m also curious about their approach to air quality/ventilation. i’m very happy for all of the precautions they took with your set. wonderful! but i do wonder/worry about a lot of people in one room for a longer period of time… (that said, they did take your vitals, so that’s great. i wonder if they’ll start to implement quick tests…)
Hi David. Very important and well thought out info. I love the creativity that went into your scene. Very smart thinking. I, too, experienced the same feeling of comfort and safety as I was quarantined on Tyler Perry’s studio lot for 2 1/2 weeks while shooting SISTAS. We were tested every 4 days (As well as twice prior to arriving in Atlanta on a private plane) and maintained social distancing and mask wearing the whole time. Because we were in a “bubble”, no one in or out, we maintained Covid negativity and we’re able to shoot our whole season. It is a strange new world, this new normal.
I had to have a nasal swab test at the end of May due to knee surgery. It was intense. It felt like my brain was being swabbed. I have been reading about using mannequins on set for intimate scenes- so interesting. And also, a creative work around. I am glad that the COVID compliance officer was on set and on top of it. I know it’s a new position but that does make me feel safer to return to big sets. I have booked a couple of small things (both NON UNION) that didn’t a require a compliance officer but many safety measures were put in place and adhered to. As an actor who works both Union and Non Union gigs based on where I live- bringing wardrobe has been a big part of career but I can see how it might become more of a thing for smaller roles or day players that don’t require specialty costumes. Bottom line is if you don’t feel comfortable you should be your own best advocate on set. For me, there is definitely apprehension but I try to make sure I set myself up for success and also quarantine the rest of the time to keep others safe. Thanks for sharing your experience. Looking forward to watching the show.
Our bold and beautiful David …. found this on YouTube …. https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=DKo8V2n1_GM
Once again, thank you!
This was just fantastic David. Thank you so much! I, like you, feel inspired and more hopeful from your experience, as well as more informed. Having watched the recent SAG-AFTRA webinar on new protocols, it was great to hear how all of them were implemented to the letter. CONGRATS on the gig and here’s to more!!
Congrats David, and thanks for sharing your on-set experience! I recently booked my second ever on-camera job and did the filming this past Saturday (woohoo!!!). We were shooting in a part of New Hampshire with no active cases of Covid and only 7 confirmed cases on record. There was no Covid Coordinator, there was about 14 people on set, and only a couple of people were wearing masks for a short time. We were fist-bumping after a good take. Social distancing occurred in the form of people being careful not to shake hands or hug, and people were reminded to wash their hands. It’s interesting to see how different things are depending on where you are. I look forward to seeing your part on the show.
This really is fascinating! Thanks for the very clear glimpse into “How they’re doing it.” Comforting to know what’s going on.
Thanks, David. Just heard about this after an informal SAG-AFTRA meeting in DFW. This is indeed informative and a FANTASTIC testimony for why the UNION is so important to us performers. I am wowed my the precautions and ingenuity. Thanks for sharing!
First thing….Congrats! Thanks for letting us know about your experience.
This really alleviated a lot of my concerns. Thank you for sharing your experience On this episode. I have a little less stress because of it. ??
I got a text the other day from a local CD asking about my availability for a film being shot in Philly starting in October. Here’s what’s involved for BG in this film:
“We want to check your availability for HUSTLE on 10/6/2020 and show your pic to the director. You’d be a (U) Maintenance worker and be paid $178/8. It’s shooting in PHILADELPHIA PA. Please reply ASAP. This role will also be required to be Covid tested on 10/2, and live in a production-supplied hotel for three days previous to the shoot date. All days are PAID. Reply Y if available. Reply N to decline”
I checked with the local SAG AFTRA office to see if we get paid to go and get tested, like we do for a fitting, and they said yes. This could be a very interesting experience. I hope I book it, if only so I can spend three days in a hotel like I’m on vacation.
That’s awesome! Keep us posted!
Will do. I have this inactive blog about my life as a background actor called “Don’t Blink!” that I may revive if I book this, seeing as I’ll have three days to myself and my Google Chrome laptop doesn’t work with Audacity, so I can’t work on my podcast, or the audio books I’m doing (four for one author over the next two years, thanks to your teachings), or my music, since Google Chrome also doesn’t work with Muse Score. Ah, first world problems…
Well, I didn’t book the job I mentioned, but I DID book a day on “Mare of Easttown”, an HBO series starring Kate Winslet. One day of actual work was paid as two days, as I spent the day before actually shooting getting a COVID test and quarantining in a Holiday Inn 10 miles from where we actually shot.
This was so different from what I’ve become used to working background. Over the weekend prior to my working I had to watch training videos from Warner Bros., the Georgia Film Academy (those are the best ones I’ve seen. David, you should look at them as examples for the VO Heroes section on industrials) and HBO, taking quizzes to make sure that I understood the concepts. I had to send pictures of items from my wardrobe for those folks to pick out what I should wear that day. I filled out my voucher virtually (the tidiest they’ve ever looked). I got my temperature taken, a second COVID test an a N95 mask when I arrived on set. Lunch was ordered on a green menu and delivered in a brown bag. There was one other background person, not the usual slew, and I was the only one used that day, driving my car in and out of a shot for 1/10th of a mile. A pretty easy day overall.
I hope that a lot of these practices stay in place, like filling out the voucher online and having my wardrobe OK’d before I leave from home, but I’ll be glad when I can see everyone’s faces again.
So interesting!! Are there links to those GA industrials?
This should do the trick (https://www.georgiafilmacademy.online/courses/gfa-covid-19-general-prevention). You can enroll for free and check out what they’ve developed. Like I sand, the best training videos I’ve ever seen.