Getting creative with ways to create art during a time full of lockdowns, mandatory face masks, and restrictions.
Being a film student in college can require all sorts of ways to combat creative problem solving. Add in being a film major in the middle of a pandemic and that can bring forth a whole new wave of problems to sort out. I wasn’t quite sure what to expect arriving back to Hawai’i Pacific University this past fall: what would my classes look like, would they be completely online, what would filming be like with masks on? Little did I know that all of those thoughts would become the least of my worries when Hawaii's new statewide lockdown order came along and was put into effect on August 27. This meant that all individuals were only allowed to leave their place of residence for essential purposes, including grocery shopping, medical services, and participating in any ocean activities, such as surfing, paddle boarding, and swimming. How was I supposed to go out and shoot my own footage if I wasn’t even supposed to leave my apartment? It was now time to figure out a solution.
As time went on, I continuously had my three roommates volunteer to be my photography subjects and actresses for every film I had to make. I even began to get creative with how I could switch up my filming locations. For example, I went on to create a photoshoot in my bathroom, using the white wall and dark space that it offered, as well as my camera gear and projector. In terms of filmmaking, every synopsis for every short film I have created thus far in my semester has centered around taking place indoors, in a bedroom or the hallway of my unit. Most of my professors gave us the option to use non-copyright videos in replacement of shooting our own footage, but that wasn’t going to be good enough for me. I even went on to create a complete 3 minute music video using all of my past travel footage from my past year living in Hawai’i.
Now, as restrictions have been easing, we are now allowed to shoot inside or outside with five or less people. My most recent project is focused around recreating a parody of the famous television series, “The Office.” To do so, I must increase the number of scheduling production days in order to properly separate crew and cast into groups of five or less. We must wear masks at all times behind the scenes, although the actors can take their masks off temporarily as we shoot a scene. We must follow social distancing orders and respect other individuals' space. To put simply, even now, as Hawai’i is out of lockdown and into the tier system, my creative problem solving is continuing in all aspects of my lifestyle.
Everything has been working itself out and I have been able to finish every project this semester during the middle of a pandemic all by shooting completely original footage. I was my own writer, producer, director, audio, camera, and editor for every film I completed, which was much different than having one single role for past student productions I have worked on. Needless to say, it wasn’t the easiest, but when there's creativity involved, there is always going to be a way to get it done.
Written By: Emma Williams