Let’s get this out of the way, right off the bat—I don’t watch “All Rise,” and I barely know it exists, outside of promotional pictures that have been seen featuring Simone Missick from “Luke Cage” as a judge. That being said, it appears that the folks that work on the CBS legal drama series aren’t letting the current COVID-19 pandemic completely stall production on the series and have developed an interesting idea for a “social-distancing” episode of “All Rise.”
READ MORE: Timur Bekmambetov Is Using Video Games & Teleconferencing To Film During Coronavirus
According to Deadline, CBS and the cast and crew of “All Rise” are working on a new episode of the series that will begin production shortly (remotely, of course) and will highlight the effects of COVID-19, social distancing, and general issues stemming from the pandemic. But the content of the episode is secondary to the pretty clever ideas that are going into how the production will occur while also respecting public gathering regulations and utilizing teleconferencing software.
The report claims that software such as FaceTime, WebEx, Zoom, and other apps will be used to allow for the characters to interact in the episode. In addition, “virtual footage” will be shot in each of the cast’s homes, with VFX being used to create the necessary backgrounds for the plot. And finally, a cinematographer, working solo, will drive around the empty streets of Los Angeles to get exterior shots for use in the episode.
READ MORE: David F. Sandberg Created A New Horror Short While Stuck In Self-Isolation
Executive producer Greg Spottiswood said, “It’s a unique chance for our ‘All Rise’ family to band together – in our different homes, even cities – to tell a story about resilience, justice and the power of community.”
The turnaround time on the “All Rise” installment is also incredibly impressive. The cast and crew are expected to have this episode ready to go by May 4, when it will premiere on CBS. Now, for those thinking that this is an idea that they’ve been working on for months, think again—the script for the special edition of “All Rise” is being written right now. So, yeah, a very quick timetable.
The “All Rise” episode is just one example of how people are working during the pandemic. In Russia, filmmaker Timur Bekmambetov was previously using computers and extensive VFX to keep his action film, ‘V2,’ in production. But it’s unclear if that’s continued in recent days.