In an effort to get to grips with the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on advertising, Commercial Producers Ireland (CPI) have launched a new set of internationally recognised, best in class work guidelines to ensure TV commercials can be filmed safely and without any detrimental impact on agencies’ creative standards.
CPI claims to contribute over €30 million to the national economy annually.
Arrow Films owner Anne-Marie Curran said the CPI, which she chairs, was the first film industry grouping in Ireland to roll out Covid-19 work guidelines. Curran said that like so many sectors of Irish business, CPI had to reassess its work practices and come up with clever solutions to allow the sector to operate and survive through the pandemic.
The CPI represents 21 companies making TV commercials.
“As producers are essentially creative problem solvers, we took on the challenges and found new ways to allow shoots to happen safely,” Curran said. “Trust and reliability are core to our work and we must show high standards to brands and agencies. Everything we do for our clients, ultimately reflects on them, so it’s vital that maintain high standards.”
Challenge
Paul Holmes (left) of Red Rage Films said every job is a challenge but producers are pretty good at finding solutions. “Initial lockdown restrictions on movement and meeting in person were soon overcome with the developments in online conferencing and remote working. Realising now that this actually works, can be a game changer in our industry,” Holmes added.
“To give you an example of the new protocols at work, we recently shot a commercial in a studio in Wicklow. The ad agency was in Florida and the client was in Boston, none of them travelled to Ireland for the shoot. We communicated remotely with 26 people in all in Boston and Tampa, running through each stage of the production and shoot.
“It’s a new way of operating but the outcome’s the same,” he said.
