I recently gathered up my experience as a graduate psychologist, cognitive behavioural coach, and Mental Health First Aider for my first on set role as a Wellbeing Facilitator. Having worked previously as a 1st Assistant Director and Intimacy Coordinator, it was really inspiring to find another rewarding crew role and I am keen to expand upon my experience as a WF.
The film is called CONTACT HOURS and aims to start a conversation about suicide in the student population. So psychological safety and cast / crew wellbeing were front of mind for the production team from the start. With Rose Rowkins, a suicide prevention trainer, and the best practice guidance from The Film & TV Charity, I covered:
Pre-production
On set
Post-production
Email me for a more detailed case study about the project.
For future roles I'm particularly interested in the role of the WF when dealing with content related to climate disruption.
The film is called CONTACT HOURS and aims to start a conversation about suicide in the student population. So psychological safety and cast / crew wellbeing were front of mind for the production team from the start. With Rose Rowkins, a suicide prevention trainer, and the best practice guidance from The Film & TV Charity, I covered:
Pre-production
- Core team buy-in and communication - Rose and I joined weekly production team meetings.
- The Mental Health Risk Assessment - this covered content-specific issues (suicide, but also alcoholism, father / son relationships, absent mothers) and also risks such as work-related stress, team cohesion issues, and heat-related wellbeing issues given that we were filming in July.
- Working Well With Me Plans - this enabled us to have awareness of pre-existing issues for each individual, the ability to observe changes in behaviour if someone was potentially struggling, and to implement mitigation strategies such as 1-2-1s, coaching, and mindful communication across the team.
- A #WellbeingTipOfTheDay sent via WhatsApp to the Heads of Department during the week before the shoot.
On set
- We dealt with a 30-degree heat wave using cool zones, hydration stations and additional breaks, as well as mindful language regarding the heat and its potential causes.
- A resource sheet was emailed out with every call sheet detailing how to contact the wellbeing team, suicide prevention and bereavement helplines, and tips for practising self-care.
- Daily Wellbeing Briefings and Wind Downs encouraging mindful working practices and adherence to self-care.
- A visible presence on set and at Unit Base.
Post-production
- A personal video from the Wellbeing Team, recapping key messages from the on-set briefings, and their own Working Well With Me plans.
- Regular ‘check-in’ messages throughout the post-production process.
Email me for a more detailed case study about the project.
For future roles I'm particularly interested in the role of the WF when dealing with content related to climate disruption.
