Filmmaking during a global pandemic is not the time to be cutting corners or endangering yourself or others to ‘get the shot.’ Passions run high on film sets, but we must adjust to the times. The worst-case scenario of a misstep could be a serious illness or death.

Film schools have an obligation to provide a safe environment, in the classroom and onset. Student producers need to manage productions with the same responsibilities for health and safety as their professional industry counterparts, but it’s a challenge to effectively supervise student film shoots from an administrative perspective. So how can a school adapt and ensure that students are working safely?

I enjoyed Constructing a Story by Yves Lavandier and have kept it on my desk over the last year while finishing my writing and teaching obligations. It has become a fixture, a valued reference ‘for all things writerly.’

This scholarly book is a mind-bending compendium — in an inspirational way — jam-packed with references and examples from a long list of studied works — a life-time of study, really — ranging from comic books to plays to feature films. The breadth of research and resource material alone is staggering.