Neutrality is central to our work as WBFs. It means being able to listen to the point of view and lived experience of each different person that comes to us without taking sides and without prejudice. Each person deserves to have their challenges listened to with empathy and warmth and the WBF is trained not to bring preconceptions to their sessions with cast and crew. Neutrality means being able to provide our services across all departments and all job roles too.
So how does the WBF maintain this neutrality in practice? It’s a priority for every WBF when they join a production. The first step in the quest for neutrality is to make sure that as WBFs we check in with every single department. We’ve been recruited by 6ft From the Spotlight for our own career experience in the industry and we come from backgrounds in production management, locations, art department etc. Each WBF has personal knowledge of the industry and the pressures it brings.
We’ll always touch base and make a connection with every single department – first by attending pre-production meetings and then by making face-to-face contact across the board every day that we’re on set. That way we build up our reputation as someone who’s there for everyone.
As WBFs we’re often liaising with a Producer, Line Producer or Production Manager when we turn up for our day on set. Since we’re typically there only a couple of days a week, we may not always be right up to speed on where tensions are starting to pop up between or within departments. It’s useful if senior staff can flag up any pressure points that have arisen – here’s an example: a lighting assistant has been dismissed for their poor performance, and the production manager suggests that the WBF checks in with the whole team to see if anyone wants a chat about how they’re feeling. Some of them might feel sad that a colleague they had a daily joke with or sat at lunch with has gone, some of them might be worried that their own performance is under observation.
Good communication and a heads-up from producers like this are important for filling in the gaps on what’s happening across the shoot. Being an approachable free agent is essential for neutrality. So, although you might see the WBF having the occasional chat at the coffee truck with a producer, they won’t spend long periods in the production office. You’re more likely to see them sitting with different teams at lunch, hanging around the tea table alone or perhaps popping up in the crowd tent or next to the medic.
Another important way in which the WBF gains the trust of cast and crew is that they understand there are always two sides to a story – and sometimes three, four or more! The WBF will offer support to all parties involved in a dispute or where there’s a personality clash, for example. They will support the mental health of all involved, but will keep an open mind about the situation that has developed. It’s by not taking sides that the WBF helps different colleagues to see others’ points of view and to explore better ways of working together.
Maintaining neutrality lasts right through to the wrap party! WBFs love being invited, but you’re unlikely to see them dancing on the tables into the wee small hours. We are still open and available to support until the end – some crew may have been keeping their mental stress well-hidden during the busy shoot and will suddenly feel that the party is their last opportunity to pull the WBF aside and have a heart-to-heart – or will maybe ask for a chat on the following day or two.
Ultimately, maintaining neutrality as a WBF involves embodying trust, empathy, and professionalism at every stage of the production process. From the first introduction to the final goodbyes after wrap, the WBF strives to be a steady and impartial presence, ensuring that every individual feels heard and supported. By staying true to these principles, the WBF fosters an environment where cast and crew can thrive – proving that impartiality and care go hand in hand in promoting wellbeing on set.
Written by 6ft From The Spotlight Wellbeing Facilitator, Ruth Wallace
