“My wife and I were preparing for our honeymoon,” says Lavin. “However, due to COVID-19 our travel plans were canceled and our focus shifted primarily on our safety.”

Edward Lavin is an Emmy Award winning Broadcast Technician, Camera Utility, and member of Locals 100 and 600. Lavin is responsible for running the cabling for cameras, audio and video lighting. “I’m responsible for anything visually throughout the set of our jurisdiction,” he explains.

Edward says COVID-19 showed him that it’s important that industry workers continue to find new ways to reinvent themselves and not become vulnerable to the pandemic. “I work a lot and have many clients,” he added. “I’m a tech manager and video engineer as well. COVID-19 taught me that it’s important to wear many hats and always rise to the occasion.”

Lavin says he was thrilled to be on set of the 2020 MTV Video Music Awards and unite with his fellow IA Sisters and Brothers. “It was amazing. It felt good to see good people and to see people get paid for something we all care about.

Read below to see what Lavin had to say about the future of entertainment and the new safety guidelines he’s pleased to see enforced on sets.

Q:How does it feel to return to work?
A: It’s a great feeling to be back doing my career, providing for my family.

Q: What new measures are you happy to see being taken to ensure safety for everyone?
A: Safety first and I’m happy to see the care taken to ensure the safety of all crew members. It’s nice to see value placed on what we do and that we matter.

Q: How do you feel COVID-19 has reshaped the way our industry will work in production moving forward?
A: Everything and everyone has to adapt to this. It’s important to find ways for us all to provide value in what we all can do.

Q: For those fellow brother and sisters of the IA that have not returned to work yet, what are some encouraging words you would share?
A: If some are returning to work, we all will eventually. Do what you can with the time you have. Time with family, your friends, your church and loved ones. Strive for balance. Many of us have no balance in life because we have all worked job after job with no rest. Maybe you have an idea or some aspect of your life that you have pushed aside because you’ve had no time. Now we can put those things in the forefront. The work will come but more time will not. “Life is fragile. I choose to focus on the Blessings and not the Burdens because no one is promised tomorrow so let’s simply focus on today.” ~ Edward Lavin