Maybe you're not a director with an upcoming shoot in Russia that you suddenly can't attend because of an emerging virus, and maybe you won't abruptly have to pull an all-nighter when you find out Vladimir Putin is shutting down the country on Day 2 of your shoot.

But I'll bet you are leading some projects remotely amid the new normal of quarantine, and if so, I've got a great story for you.

OK, actually my colleague T.L. Stanley has the story, which is about the six lessons director Brad Lubin learned while dealing with the exact scenario outlined above.

You'll definitely want to check it out if you're an Adweek Pro subscriber, as it's got some hard-earned wisdom about leading a project when you can't be there in person (Lubin was about 6,000 miles away from his cast and crew—and racing against the clock as the looming lockdown threatened to end all their efforts).

I won't spoil all the best takeaways, but I will share one that jumped out at me: make time for a virtual rehearsal. This is a step most ads (in my experience, and Lubin's) traditionally don't bother to take, since they're straightforward enough to figure out when shooting begins. 

But quarantine and remote collaboration has added several layers of complexity and logistical pitfalls-in-waiting. So whatever project you plan to pull off remotely, it's worth taking the time to do a dry run before you fire up the official production machine.

What tips have you learned directing projects in quarantine? Drop me a note at the email below or find me at @Griner on Twitter.

David Griner
Creative and Innovation Editor, Adweek
David.Griner@Adweek.com

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