Isha Sesay
THE Spanish Government has released a poignant video as a show of gratitude to citizens confined to their homes during lockdown.
Entitled ‘Salimos mas fuertes,’ or ‘Together we are stronger’, the emotional broadcast was filmed in Mallorca during Phase 1 of the de-escalation plan.
Produced by the creative minds at TwentyFourSeven under the direction of Executive Producer Richard Webb, ‘Salimos mas fuertes’ was the first video in Spain to be shot with a full crew of staff and actors since the state of alarm was enforced.
The idea to thank citizens for ‘putting up’ with the lockdown came from the Ministry of Health itself, Webb exclusively told the Olive Press.
He said: “They not only wanted to express their sincere thanks but to encourage the public to continue to act responsibly until a new normality returns.”
The story leads up to healthcare workers applauding residents as they leave their homes, serving as a metaphor of appreciation to those that fought bravely during the health crisis.
“If it was not for the effort of the general public, Spain could have suffered much worse,” said Webb.
Although bidding against a renowned production company in Barcelona, TwentyFourSeven had the competitive edge thanks to Mallorca being granted acceptance into Phase 1.
“During lockdown, footage for adverts was captured through phones or equipment couriered across the country, but we had the opportunity to shoot on location with a full team of staff,” explained Webb.
Filming during a pandemic did however have its constraints as strict measures had to be followed in order to halt contagion.
As well as a doctor and COVID-19 coordinator onsite to closely monitor all those involved, the crew had their temperature taken daily and were asked to sign a disclosure form to confirm that they were in good health to the best of their knowledge.
“All those on location also had to practice social distancing, regularly wash their hands and put on face masks and gloves as an extra precautionary measure.”
When it came to obtaining feedback from the government, the production team live-streamed all filming and set up a ‘video village’ conference room to discuss the necessary changes that needed to be made.
Webb praised the final result and is already working on another video for the government this month.
