Practical ways to produce in lockdown.

Things are bloody strange at the moment... there’s a lot of uncertainty and some very serious issues for the world to solve. As our new reality continues to sink in, we are all having to look ahead and plan for how to operate in this new world. To try and help, the team at Studio Yes have compiled a list of practical ways to produce during global domestic incarceration.

Mashing up / editing is one method that we’re familiar with at Studio Yes and involves using pre-existing content and new elements to create comedy and strong messages. Examples include ‘Theresa May Loses it’ (which amassed over 100 million views) or smaller set ups such as ‘Trump and Putin’s ‘first’ handshake’ and BBC Sports App’s ‘Postman Pat’ TVC. Other people's innovative examples of creatively repurposing content includes Harvey Nichols ‘Love Freebies?’, where faces were animated over CCTV footage of people stealing from their stores and Holsten Pils' ‘John Wayne’ commercials that dubbed old footage from a John Wayne movies to make him appear to be talking about and drinking Holsten Pils. 

Stock and archive can be highly effective when applied with intelligent creative using copy, voice over, music and sound design. Stock footage doesn't have to be this anymore either, there’s a real rise in high quality content available through companies such as Vimeo Stock, Filmsupply and STALKR. Getty Images’ self promotion film ‘COMA’ is a strong example as well as Apple’s classic 1997 ‘Think different’ ad that used archive footage in a powerful way.

User generated content (UGC) that has been filmed on mobile phones, webcams, GoPro’s and other consumer products is incredibly accessible to film makers and advertisers. Either via briefing consumers directly or licensing existing content that’s already been made and has an audience base. Google Chromebook’s ‘For Everyone’ campaign shows an effective use of UGC and Virgin Media’s advert ‘Stay home, stay safe, stay connected’ was released last week and is already making reactive use of #StaySafe content.

Music is arguably just as important as the visuals to any given film. The power of recognisable music in film is massive and if we’re spending less on large scale productions we can shift that money over to the music side of life. Amazon Music's 'Somebody to love' TVC featuring Queen's iconic track uses simple animation and music to great effect.

Animation remains relatively unaffected at the moment, as producers, directors, animators, voice over artists and musicians can all pretty much work from home, and in our experience, often prefer to! Habito’s ‘Hell or Habito’ campaign is a strong example of a wild and shareable use of animation whilst Apple’s ‘Don’t blink’ commercial uses simple typography / motion graphics that packs a real punch.

Experimental techniques is still yet to be fully realised in the world of film production and perhaps the limitations of quarantine could be what the technology needs to reach its highest heights. VR has the incredible ability to transport us to other places and worlds, making it now more than ever an attractive antidote to the confines of the home. Alternatively, we believe the use of 360 video is a huge untapped resource and offers a wide range of production and creative solutions to our current WFH situation. By using 360 video as a practical method rather than solely a creative aesthetic, filmmakers can film a whole scene from one camera and then point the audience to their desired focus point at any given time, without having to predetermine the shot on set. Hugo Keijzer’s short film ‘The Invisible Man’ uses 360 technology to create a single take short film. The exploration of innovative filming equipment can also open new doors allowing filmmakers to produce iconic and mesmerising films such as Daniel Avery’s music video 'Illusion of Time’, directed by Sam Davis, that was produced with a relatively nimble set up.

Talent-led content is another fantastic opportunity to be drawn from whilst almost every celebrity in the world is currently twiddling their thumbs at home right now. Briefing the relevant celebrities / creators / influencers to create content from their homes in the form of videos and images is even more accessible than ever. The Late Show’s ‘live’ at home performance by Dua Lipa complete with band and backing dancers makes for a heartwarming relatable watch.

Isolation studios is an idea we're trialling at the minute in which we brief households that contain filmmakers and actors (of which there are strangely many of in our Studio Yes network) then get these creative and practical teams to create content entirely from within their homes. Although this idea may seem strange, we can do a lot with very little equipment these days, with a range of shorts and successful features having been shot either partly or entirely on iPhone such as Apple's 'Shot on iPhone 11 Selena Gomez' that uses a simple set up to create a high end looking film. We’re putting 'isolation studios' in to practice with a whole host of original content being produced for our entertainment channels. Watch this space!

Photography is another means of producing content without the need for vast amounts of kit and large crews. A simple, clear design with some strong typography can be just as impactful as a large-scale shoot. This remains very much achievable in the lockdown era - not least because many photographers today have access to home studio setups. Marmite’s ‘Lover’s don’t spread the hate’ and KFC’s ‘FCK’ campaigns are great examples of simple images and well written copy.

We hope you have found these ideas useful. Whilst these times can feel uncertain and producing can seem daunting, it’s worth remembering that there is an abundance of talent out there who are chomping at the bit to make great work. 

With limitations often come exciting creative opportunities. Producing in lock down is no different. With these techniques and some original thinking, there’s absolutely no reason why you can’t create films that are as good as, if not better than what you’d make at any other time.

If you have other ideas, please share them! We’d love to hear from you [email protected]