EastEnders use CGI in new scenes to get around social distancing

'EastEnders' star Jake Wood has revealed the show has been trialling some "quite extraordinary" filming measures while shooting new scenes, including using CGI in "almost every shot" to get around social distancing guidelines.

'EastEnders' are to use CGI to make it appear as though actors were not socially distancing during filming.

 

The BBC One soap's stars returned to the set this week following the enforced break as a result of the coronavirus lockdown, and while they have to shoot new scenes while standing two metres apart - due to social distancing guidelines - Max Branning actor Jake Wood has revealed the soap's crew have implemented some "quite extraordinary" filming measures.

He said: "It's going to take a bit of getting used to, we're all socially distanced. Everyone is two metres apart.

"It's quite extraordinary the way we are filming it. They've done tests on Square, they've been there for weeks working out a way to do it.

"And actually, we've seen some of the stuff they've shot and it's very, very clever.

"I think you're not going to notice the difference as a viewer."

Asked if the camera angles will make it appear as though the actors weren't actually standing two metres apart during filming, he said: "Yeah, and there's other stuff they're doing as well that I can't talk about.

"Almost every shot has CGI in it."

And he joked: "We are actually there, but if they could generate a CGI version of me and I could do it from home that would be perfect."

Jake also admitted 'EastEnders' will touch on coronavirus when the soap - which is currently off air, after they ran out of episodes during the break - returns to our screens, but they will not "draw too much attention to it".
 

Filming resumes (!) and #EastEnders will be back to four, 20 minute episodes per week, later in the year. Cast and crew are adhering to strict government guidelines and social distancing measures, while making sure we return with the #EastEnders you know and love! pic.twitter.com/LN5Zx7aXDW

— BBC EastEnders (@bbceastenders) June 30, 2020

Speaking on 'Good Morning Britain', he added: "We're in a world where coronavirus has been and everyone is in lockdown.

"But it's one of those strange things - we're filming episodes now and that will go out in quite a few weeks, so it's very difficult to predict where society will be and what the rules will be then.

"We're not drawing too much attention to it.

"The Queen Vic is opening up, yes. And I think everyone in there will be socially distanced."