How can we best set up the production to make sure everyone is psychologically safe and can perform at their highest level throughout?
What does a production need to do to prevent problems from occurring or escalating?
What should we do if something goes wrong during or after production?
Considering wellbeing early in the production process and planning for the most likely eventualities is proven to help prevent issues from occurring in the first place or reduce their impact significantly, whether at a personal, production, or cost level.
Just as the director plans how a shot will be set up, similar plans can be made for wellbeing and overall physical and psychological safety.
Engaging with a wellbeing consultant such as 6ft From The Spotlight can help identify risks to psychological safety and the preventative actions to mitigate and control those risks. We can audit existing strategies and propose improvements, always working to understand what went wrong and how it can be prevented from recurring.
Some elements that we help with include:
- Communication
- Culture
- Dealing with issues, whether personal, management, bullying, or stress-related
- Training and awareness prior to production
- How to prevent issues in each department
- Available support
- Warning signs to look out for
- Support structures
- Coaching of producers and Heads of Departments (HoDs) on preventative measures and mitigation
Our experience with several hundred productions and thousands of days on real sets has shown us what works best for a given scenario, saving producers much time and cost.
Health and Safety law requires productions to carry out risk assessments not only for physical safety but also psychological safety.
6ft From The Spotlight can help producers determine which elements of the production have the highest risk. Is it the duration? The content? The location? The schedule?
Often, the controls are low-cost and effective, especially when tailored to the production rather than being a one-size-fits-all solution. They are definitely more cost-effective than dealing with fallout or accident claims, which detract from the creative process.
Prevention is always better than cure and can help keep all crew and cast safe, as well as keep everyone creative, at the top of their game, and making a brilliant product.
Written by 6ft From The Spotlight Co-Director & Welfare Producer Matt Longley.
