Commercial Producers Ireland (CPI) has introduced a suite of new standards and protocols around work practices to ensure advertising production filming can continue to take place safely and without any negative impact on the creative outcome.
CPI is made up of 21 production houses which, between them, contribute separate SMEs in the production of television commercials in Ireland, has introduced a suite of new, high standards of work practices to ensure advertising production filming can continue to take place safely and without any negative impact on the creative outcome.
“Like so many sectors of Irish business, CPI had to reassess its work practices and come up with innovative solutions to allow our sector to continue to operate and survive through the Covid-19 pandemic,” says Anne-Marie Curran, chair of CPI.
“As producers are essentially creative problem solvers, we took on the challenges and found new ways to allow shoots and production to happen in a safer environment. Trust and reliability are core to the quality of our work and it’s important we demonstrate these high standards of work practices to brands and advertising agencies. Everything we do on behalf of our clients, ultimately reflects on them, so it’s important that we not only set, but also maintain these high standards,” she says.
“The future of the sector in Ireland is at stake as are many jobs. It depends on us embracing these changes and continually improving them with each new experience and learning as this pandemic evolves.”
She points out that CPI plays a pivotal role in the advertising sector in Ireland and its members contribute in excess of €30m to the Irish economy on an annual basis. CPI has also called on the wider advertising industry to support this indigenous sector at this time of economic challenge.
“Every single job is a challenge but producers are adaptable and we are good at finding solutions. Initial lockdown restrictions on movement and meeting in person were quickly overcome with the developments in online conferencing technology and remote working,,” says CPI member Paul Holmes, managing partner of Red Rage Films.
“Realising now that this form of communication and conducting business actually works, has the potential to be a game changer in our industry. To give you one example of the new protocols at work. We recently shot a commercial in a studio in Wicklow, the advertising agency was in Tampa, Florida and the client was in Boston, none of them travelled to Ireland for the shoot. We communicated remotely with a total of 26 people based in Boston and Tampa, running through each stage of the production and shoot. It’s a different way of operating but the outcome remains the same,” he says.
CPI also says that its members are currently engaged in a fight for survival as more and more productions are being contracted to production companies in other markets.
“Now, more than ever, Irish brands, marketeers, the boards of companies and advertisers who generate their revenue in this economy, need to make a conscious decision to support the Irish industry. Our focus has always been on delivering trust and reliability, supporting and nurturing talent in the home market. It’s crucial there is a healthy and sustainable commercial production ecosystem in place for the wider sector,” says Dave Quinn, MD of Windmill Lane.
