Australia's Miss Multiverse virtual

Combine an international pandemic with modern-day technology and you have nothing but creativity and resourcefulness. Even with all the uncertainty and filming restrictions that Covid-19 has caused in the industry, the Amazon Prime and Tubi TV Show, Miss Multiverse - AUS started production on the 1^st of August.

As soon as the possibility arose that the film might have to be cancelled for 2020, the production team started putting alternative options into place, planning for a total lockdown. The show is largely centred around a group of models, flown in from around the Australia who lives together in a mansion for three weeks (with the crew), and attending large events, parties and shows as a group. All this, clearly very unideal for a pandemic and lockdowns. It was clear that without a clever backup plan, Season Two of the show will not go ahead in 2020.

"Being innovative, resilient and smart is a large part of what our brand stands for and what we look for in our contestants. Who are we as a brand and as role-models if we cannot demonstrate this in times like these." says producer, Yolandi Franken.

By conducting some group activities and interviews via Zoom and instructing the girls to film individual challenges themselves on their mobile phones, the show can still test the contestant's abilities and get the needed footage. Although there are no crew and 4k cameras around to capture the action, mobile phones these days are very good, and the contestants have received strict technical instructions. This will ensure the best possible quality and standard possible. For anything that is less-than-perfect, the producers rely on the understanding and open-mindedness of the viewers and hope that the unique approach will offer additional entertainment to the audience – after all, the world is in this together.

Yolandi Franken, Producer of the show says that they would have preferred being on a traditional set and with the new COVID-19 guidelines in place, but at the time of development of this season in March, was unsure of what the future will hold or if any filming would be possible at all. For Season Three they plan to go back to set and incorporate the COVID-19 safety guidelines, including adding additional weeks for quarantining if necessary.

The series follows the self-discovery journey of the contestants as they compete under intense pressure to prove they have what it takes to win the show, all under the watchful eye of cameras that are documenting their every move. The contestants will be judged on their leadership and entrepreneurial skills, their charisma, social etiquette, business capabilities, social and emotional intelligence, communication, and public speaking skills, as well as their modelling abilities.