This post was written by our Costume Designer Sofia Kouvo.
We can all probably agree that the past year was somewhat challenging.
While working on the creative field is always pretty unpredictable, the roaming pandemic took things and the whole industry to a whole new level.
In the spring of 2020 the industry stopped. Almost all the productions got either paused or completely post-poned and it felt like the only productions still running were the news and the Finnish soap opera Secret Lives.
Luckily both the goverment and the industry were quick to react and after a brief lockdown (which felt like forever) productions began starting up slowly again. The pandemic made everyone create new working methods to secure safety while filming and I think the make-up and costume departments were the ones really going through a change.
We learned how to guide the actors through walkie talkies to fix their costumes on set, distanced ourselves in the dressing room, created very specific instructions for the extras to avoid the whole dressing up process on set and last but not least learned how to put the mics on the actors (hats off to the sound team, you’re amazing!).
Learning to work with a mask on at the shooting of Aikuiset 2 on summer 2020.
That being said, I feel myself lucky to have been able to work in such great productions despite the challenging year. In the summer I got together with the brilliant genious and another gang member Kaisa to film the second season of Aikuiset. I designed a sequel to the Swedish highschool comedy Virala Genier and after the summer I hopped straight to the third season of the crime series Deadwind.
Make up -bus at the shooting of Karppi 3 on fall 2020.
Even though the new ways of working challenged everyone and forced people to break their old habits, I feel like some of the new methods were a very welcomed changes in our industry (wearing a mask NOT being one of them…).
Having some challenges with the visibility… Gotta love the combo of a mask & eye glasses!
The way how the whole industry stood up together to take actions to fight the pandemic and defend our creative work showed how passionate and most of all innovative people I’m lucky to call my colleagues are.
For me the new year starts with a little breather and time to figure out what challenges to tackle next.
I hope things will get back to normal soon and we can all get together and celebrate the amazing creativity of the art of film making and most of all the powerful and loving community! (a girl can always dream, right?).
So here’s to the new year and the new exciting productions and adventures to come! 🥂
Love,
Sofia