When we ask contributors to share their stories on camera, it’s essential we take steps to protect their mental health and wellbeing. This responsibility falls under a production’s Duty of Care, a legal obligation to safeguard everyone involved in the production from physical and psychological harm. In this blog, we explore why this is so important and offer some practical suggestions that productions can implement.
Why?
Working with contributors has the potential to be extractive, exploitative, or even harmful. Showing genuine care for a contributor’s wellbeing through your interactions and production planning can help them feel safe and confident. They’ll be more inclined to consider your reasonable requests on their energy, time and access to their stories if they trust in your intentions. You’re also more likely to capture genuine, authentic content from confident contributors.
A focus on care can also benefit the crew and the company’s working culture. When wellbeing is prioritised in decision-making, it positively impacts how people feel about their role. Crew members are generally happier when they see that wellbeing is important, and this includes contributors being treated well. Putting care at the forefront can also impact your reputation as a company that people want to work with, crew and contributors alike.
How?
In addition to treating contributors with dignity and respect, there are several practical steps you can take to support and protect their wellbeing:
1.Setting the Scene
- Assign a main contact person for the contributor who will also be present during filming. Inform the contributor that they can openly share worries or concerns with this person, and reassure them that concerns will be taken seriously.
- Provide contributors with as much relevant information as possible before filming. They might not be familiar with the filming process, and could easily feel overwhelmed. Before filming, inform contributors about key details such as the number of crew members, the estimated duration of the shoot, and the plan for the day. Put yourself in their position and encourage questions.
- Document your expectations (e.g. through contributor agreements) prior to filming, and review these verbally at the start of shooting. If changes occur, as they likely will, communicate them to your contributors promptly and clearly, using straightforward language.
2.Establishing Good Boundaries
Having clear boundaries can help foster a safe and respectful working environment. Here are some suggested guidelines when interacting with contributors:
- Take a mentoring approach over a friendship-building one. Avoid sharing excessive personal information and refrain from getting too involved in contributors’ personal lives. Keep conversations relevant to the production.
- As much as possible, limit communication to work hours and use work-issued mobile phones, if available. Don’t follow or accept friend requests on social media. If necessary, create separate work accounts for social media communication.
- Maintain appropriate physical boundaries and avoid unnecessary contact. Before filming, inform contributors about any proximity required by the crew and explain the reasons for it. Always respect a contributor’s personal space and take any requests for breaks seriously, regardless of the reason.
3.Promoting Wellbeing
To enhance wellbeing on your production, consider:
- Conducting a Stress & Mental Health Risk Assessment. This helps identify potential stressors for crew and contributors.
- Providing Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) training for your crew. Similar to physical First Aid, MHFA helps you recognize signs of mental ill health and provide initial support.
- Display posters highlighting wellbeing measures and available support in high-traffic areas like drinks tables and bathrooms. Also share wellbeing resources via email and on call-sheets. Organisations like the Film & TV Charity, Mind, and the Samaritans offer valuable free support.
- Appoint a WellBeing Facilitator specifically for your production. The WBF serves as a confidential, third-party contact for anyone involved in the production. They are trained to support mental health and can assist with all the measures mentioned above.
- When working with vulnerable contributors, consider engaging a professional psychologist. If your production involves children, employ chaperones and ensure proper safeguarding training is in place.
These are just some suggestions to help you create a supportive and respectful environment for everyone involved in your production. For additional guidance, do check out The Whole Picture Toolkit from the Film & TV Charity, which offers excellent advice for all levels and stages of production.
If you have any questions or want to learn more about engaging a WellBeing Facilitator on your production, please contact us at 6ft From The Spotlight. We’d love to hear from you at info@6ftfrom.org
Written by 6ft From The Spotlight WellBeing Facilitator Carys Mol. Carys works as a WBF across film, drama, and unscripted TV and consults on vulnerable contributor care, company culture, and promoting wellbeing on productions.
