Emmerdale has resumed filming after being shut down amid the coronavirus pandemic, with a series of special lockdown episodes — the first of which airs tonight — having been produced.
Tonight’s episode is a two-hander, and centres on Lydia and Sam Dingle (Karen Blick and James Hooton) — who are spending lockdown together — and conflict ensues.
Throughout the week, viewers can also look forward to an episode featuring Cain and Aaron Dingle (Jeff Hordley and Danny Miller).
Being the first British soap to resume production amid the pandemic is no small feat, but in order to be able to resume, precautions had to be taken, and here’s all the changes that were made to filming.
Social distancing
Social distancing was employed during rehearsals and filming of the instalments.
Jeff Hordley — who portrays Cain — said: ‘There are new regulations about working in the studio and we are having to adhere to the two meter ruling on and around the set.
‘This means that the scenes are almost choreographed like a dance. So you come into a space and the other actor has to be two meters away and then you will be told to move somewhere else so they can move too. It feels like a dance always keeping a two meter distance.’
Reduced crew
The benefit of a series of two-hander episodes means that there only has to be two cast members on set. However, it wasn’t just the cast that were reduced in this instance, as there were significantly less crew members on set during filming as well.
Karen Blick — who plays Lydia — said: ‘It felt more intimate. But we could sense there was a changed atmosphere. Yet you can sense everyone was desperate to be there and be back to work.
‘We were all so keen to get back filming, but we are mindful this is, of course, a serious situation in terms of health and safety and peoples well being, so that has been observed.
‘There are lots of procedures everyone now has to follow. It is being taken very seriously. It will still be a fun place to work with all the banter and smiling in the corridors, and we are going to make the best of it. We will be back and working, but staying safe.’
Jeff added: ‘Just the essential crew on the floor so the director will be on the floor instead of in the gallery. There will be cameras, sound, a 1st assistant.
‘It has to be kept to a minimum so I think it is going to be unusual but ultimately when you are acting in a scene you are focused on the other actor anyway.
‘Less people on the floor is the right thing to do, as health and safety of course is a priority. We need to make this work and we have to create and live by these new set of rules so that we can make the programme work and carry on transmitting episodes.
No hugging
Of course, social distancing being employed means that cast and crew couldn’t hug one another.
Karen Blick said: ‘The canteen is all spaced out. The booths have all gone. It’s going to feel so different. I think hugging people is another thing I will miss.’
‘The big hugs when we all say hi have had to go. It’s strange having to stand back.’
The actors do their own make-up
With social distancing implemented, the actors will have to do their own make-up from here on out.
James Hooton — who plays Sam — revealed: ‘On the rehearsal day I spoke to the head of makeup and discussed what I’d need to do on the day. Obviously, it’s a great benefit to all of the cast to have the luxury of going into make up and to be done up for work by professionals.
‘But with social distancing that is something that we can’t have as the makeup team can’t have close contact with us so we have had to do our own at this time.’
Online meetings and rehearsals
Ahead of filming, online meeting and zoom rehearsals took place.
Karen revealed: ‘We had an online meeting with a doctor advisor first of all and he spoke about the virus and how it spreads and how we can protect ourselves. We got the chance to ask questions if we were worried or concerned about coming back to work.
‘That reassured everyone there were to be stringent procedures in place and of course social distancing, and so filming with that in mind is very different.’
‘It felt more like creating theatre as we had the reading and rehearsal.
‘We also walked through it and we blocked it on the rehearsal day and marked up our scripts like you would do with a stage play. It was great to be able to iron out little script details before the day of filming.’
James added: ‘Having the opportunity to go in and spend a few hours with the director and block all of the scene and discuss all of the character motivations for the characters has been great.
‘It has been more reminiscent of a theatre job where you get the luxury of rehearsal – so that was great
Scenes were shot in chronological order
It’s usual for soaps — and all forms of telly — to film scenes out of order for convenience purposes, but given that each of lockdown episodes all take place in single locations, the scenes were actually shot in chronological order.
Karen said: ‘The director is shooting it in chronological order which makes a change.’
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