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Tampa Bay filmmakers use Zoom to make a coronavirus-safe movie

"Confinement" can be seen throughout August on the free streaming service Tubi.
 
The movie "Confinement" was made using the Zoom app.
The movie "Confinement" was made using the Zoom app. [ Courtesy of Nicole Abisinio ]
Published Aug. 6, 2020

ST. PETERSBURG — Zoom has become a part of everyday life.

The video conferencing app is used for virtual meetings, family gatherings, happy hours, birthday parties and even weddings.

Now, Tampa Bay area filmmakers have employed the app to produce a suspense movie in a coronavirus-safe way.

Confinement was released July 15 on Tubi, Fox’s ad-supported free streaming service, and can be seen through the end of August.

Nicole Abisinio, the St. Petersburg resident who produced, wrote and acted in the movie, said the film came together and got distributed quickly. “Some magic really happened and something beautiful was created.”

Related: Filmmakers get creative to work during the pandemic

In the film, three family members connect via Zoom: A detective husband from his bedroom as he quarantines and recovers from COVID-19, his doctor second wife from their kitchen, and his adult daughter, portrayed by Abisinio, from her own home.

The family chatroom is then hacked by a man in an unknown location. He has kidnapped the detective’s young son, who will not be returned until demands are met.

“We have all been forced to go online,” Abisinio said. “We all feel safe when we log in and think it is a private conversation. But these hacks are a real thing. This can happen to anyone at any time. Who can get access and what kind of power can they get from that access?”

The entire movie plays out in a static shot through the perceived lens of Zoom, but the app was not used for the actual filming.

“Zoom wouldn’t provide the quality we wanted,” Abisinio said.

But Zoom was used to make the movie.

To adhere to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s COVID-19 guidelines of social distancing and limited gatherings, in-person crew was a few masked people and the actor whose scene occurs in that location.

The other actors appeared via Zoom on a computer to the side of the director.

This was done four times — once in each location.

“This was the first time in 30 years that I ever acted with another actor who was not in the same space as me,” said Mary Rachel, the St. Petersburg actress who portrays the wife. “But I am thrilled that I was a part of this. It shows that even during COVID, you can’t keep creativity down.”

The story may have a dark plot, but it was born during a lighthearted evening.

Abisinio’s birthday was in April. In lieu of a night out with friends, she held a virtual dance party through Zoom.

“I realized I didn’t have to stop making films during COVID,” Abisinio said. “There was a way to do it.”

Cameras were rolling the next month.

The movie’s current runtime is 45 minutes, but Abisinio and her crew have recently filmed an additional 40 minutes of footage that will be added in the coming months. Confinement will then be re-released as a feature-length movie either through Tubi or another distribution outlet.

“Keeping our cast and crews safe during this unprecedented time is paramount,” Hillsborough County film commissioner Tyler Martinolich said. “While I hope this does not become the new normal for long, I applaud their creative efforts in working through a tough situation by innovating.”