Global Goal: Jennifer Hudson — TV Segment

I was brought on by my friend, Director TJ Syndram, to produce this television segment featuring singer, actress and philanthropist, Jennifer Hudson. Filmed for the television special called “Global Goal: Unite for Our Future,” it was the opening segment of the Global Citizen campaign, concert & summit which called upon the public to use their collective voice to spread awareness about social injustice and equal rights. Many prominent musicians, comedians and celebrity guests were featured during the 2 ½ hour program which aired globally on platforms like NBC, YouTube, Apple TV, Roku, and iHeartMedia. 

Because this segment kicked off the top of the show, the stakes were high. On top of that, it was the first major production allowed to film in Chicago following the Covid-19 lockdown of April and May 2020. And to stack the deck even more, the project was greenlit a mere 24 hours before production was to begin!

Because of these variables, all eyes were on our team. First and foremost, we laid out our safety plan according to the new film, city, and state Covid-19 protocols to ensure the health and wellbeing of our talent and crew. I also brought on a Covid-19 Compliance Officer to help guide us through the new safety measures both during our scout and on set. Planning everything from the beginning with Covid-19 restrictions in mind made our production day go smoothly. 

24 hours is not a lot of time, but I jumped into high gear and worked alongside the other producers, the London based production office and Jennifer Hudson’s management team and label to pool all our resources. Thanks to everyone’s proactive teamwork, we were able to make everything happen on short notice. 

Our creative for the shoot was to film Jennifer as she sang a beautiful rendition of “Where Peaceful Waters Flow” while on a boat floating down the Chicago river. We filmed with 2 camera units; 3 cameras in all. Our main camera team was on the boat while our second unit filmed from various vantage points overlooking the river. The logistics of filming on a boat with camera gear, G&E, multiple sound consoles, and racks for multitracking was an exciting challenge. 

After months of quarantine, it’s needless to say that our crew––donned with masks––were all excited to be working again, and everyone brought their A-game. Though the 24 hours of prep were incredibly chaotic and stressful, our shoot day went off without a hitch thanks to an incredible crew and Jennifer Hudson, who of course knocked each take out of the park with ease and grace. It was a shoot for the books, and I’m honored to have been a part of making it happen.