How Toucan Eco is helping the UK film and TV industry
In March 2020, when the Government announced the UK’s first national lockdown, all non-essential sectors across the country were affected. In the case of the film and TV industry, all productions were instantly halted.
Cameras stopped rolling and all of the industry’s professionals were sent home including behind the scenes suppliers such as make-up artists.
The Impact of the Pandemic
Jackie Sweeney has been a make-up artist in the film and TV industry for 30 years, working on shows like Peaky Blinders and Les Misérables.
She said, “When the first lockdown happened, our industry stopped completely. We usually work long hours, so it was a big change to suddenly have no work.”
The industry quickly tried to find ways to start filming safely again. Jackie joined a group called Cut It, which worked with the crew union Bectu and the British Film Commission. They created a plan based on government guidelines to make filming safe.
This plan was approved, and filming started again in August 2020 with new safety measures. “Since then, it’s been very busy. All the shows that stopped have restarted,” Jackie said.
Returning to Work Safely
Jackie explained, “When we could start working again, we had to follow strict hygiene rules. This is very important in my job because we work closely with many people and can’t always keep a 2-meter distance.
“Our hygiene policies became much stricter to prove we could work safely. Productions spent a lot of money to ensure safety, like half a million pounds on one production I worked on.”
Make-up artists now follow ’20 Principles,’ which include using PPE, Covid testing, working in zones, and sanitizing surfaces with products like Toucan Eco.
Jackie also explained why make-up artists could work when hairdressers couldn’t. “It’s because our production teams work in a bubble and get tested regularly, including PCR tests. We know our actors and extras are tested before we work with them. Hairdressers couldn’t do this because rapid testing wasn’t as available,” she said.
“That’s why our hygiene policies had to become a lot stricter – it was our responsibility to prove we could work safely, and huge investments were made from production budgets to make sure operations were Covid-safe. It was around half a million pounds from a recent production I worked on, as an example.”
Make-up artists now use multiple defences called ‘20 Principles’ which includes PPE, Covid testing, working zones, sanitisers such as Toucan Eco to sanitise all surfaces plays a big part in this.
Jackie explained why make-up artists were allowed to work when hairdressers weren’t. “This is for a number of reasons, but it’s mainly down to the production working as a bubble and being tested regularly including PCR tests, The main difference is that we know our actors and extras have been tested before taking their seat. For hairdressers, this couldn’t happen as rapid testing wasn’t as widely available as it is today,” she said.
A focus on sustainability
Jackie got involved in the sustainability side of Bectu in particular looking at sustainable ways to be a make-up artist. That’s when she heard about Toucan Eco.
“Filming is very energy intensive and can create a lot of waste with props, sets, makeup, and costumes. That’s why we’ve looked hard at the industry to see how we can make it more sustainable.
“You might now see at the end of a show’s credits a footprint and ‘albert Sustainable Production’. We Are Albert was set up by BAFTA to make productions more sustainable and track their carbon footprint. It is authority on environmental sustainability for film and TV, and is bringing the film and TV industries together to tackle their cumulative environmental impact plus inspiring audiences to act now to build a more sustainable future,” she added.
The industry also saw the creation of Cut It, a crew-led environmental group aiming to help tackle the TV and Film industry footprint in light of the climate crisis. It aims to unite crew, head of departments, producers, actors and industry bodies to dramatically cut CO2 emissions and waste.
At the same time make-up artists were concerned about the amount of chemicals they were having to use when they returned to work. “Pre-Covid, a crowd room could have hundreds of extras who have to made up to look like they’re from the 1960s, medieval times or the future, for example,” said Jackie. “Now, crowds are smaller and we have to work safely but quickly. So, when I heard about Toucan Eco, I wanted to find out more. I was blown away with how simple and effective the system looked to be.”
The cleaning power of Toucan Eco
Jackie continued: “It’s amazing to think that a solution you make yourself out of water, salt, and electricity can kill viruses, including the coronavirus. And the proof that it works is in the test certifications that Toucan Eco carries. These have been vital to reassure the insurance companies who cover our show.”
Toucan Eco sanitizes make-up workstations, chairs, surfaces, wigs, equipment, and catering areas. It also works as a hand sanitizer. For frequently used make-up brushes, they are cleaned using a 99% alcohol liquid as it evaporates quickly. On everything else, Jackie uses Toucan Eco.
Jackie mentions, “I have the Toucan Eco Worktop model which makes one litre in about five minutes – and I absolutely love it. I use it at home and it travels everywhere with me. It’s currently being used on the set of All Creatures Great & Small, to not only keep ourselves Covid-safe but to also reduce our plastic waste. I also love the smell in that it’s not overpowering, but reassuringly clean and fresh.”
For one of Jackie’s recent jobs, she managed a team of 20 make-up artists. She pre-filled a bottle of the solution at each of their workstations, along with face masks and disposable gowns. This allowed them to quickly and safely work their way through all of the extras.
The solution is used beyond the make-up department. It is used by props and camera teams for sanitizing tripods and equipment, catering teams, and the costume department. The solution is gentle and safe on fabrics such as period costumes and wigs.
The new 350ml eSpray model for the home and smaller workplaces is also being used by another make-up artist, Jacqui Mallet. She is working on a new crime BBC drama. She wanted to replace the use of antibacterial cleaning cloths, single-use wipes, chemicals, and alcohol gels to sanitize workstations and equipment.
What Expert Makeup artists say on Toucan Eco
“This is the product I have been waiting for to sanitise my workstation, make-up products, brushes and wigs,” commented Jacqui. “The eSpray sits neatly on my station and it’s really quick and efficient to make more, as well as being equally cost effective and eco-friendly. It’s kind to my hands and lungs too.”
Toucan Eco is also being used by Propmaster John Knight within the film and TV industry. It’s used to sterilise all props before they go on set.
Make-up artist Jackie Sweeney is now looking at using Toucan Eco across more projects. “For bigger productions or studios I’d recommend investing in one of the larger 10-litre Active commercial models. For smaller productions the 1-litre Worktop or 350ml eSpray works great. As the models take only minutes to make the solution, they can be utilised by all departments.”
“I have a pretty short payback period as the solution is practically free to make. After which point saving chemical spend & plastic bottles, which is fantastic as it’s all helping to make filming more sustainable and less wasteful,” she concluded.
albert approved supplier
Toucan Eco is now an approved supplier to albert, who are leading the charge against climate change on behalf of the screen industries.
For more information please visit www.wearealbert.org/search-suppliers/ and search for ‘Toucan Eco’.
