California Gives Hollywood the Go-Ahead to Resume Production
On June 5, 2020, the California Department of Public Health announced that Hollywood may resume music, TV, and film production beginning June 12, subject to approval by county public health officers. The agency said that productions, cast, crew, and other industry workers “should abide by safety protocols agreed by labor and management, which may be further enhanced by county public health officers.” It added that “back office staff and management” should adhere to Office Workspace guidelines published by the California Department of Public Health and the California Department of Industrial Relations.
Earlier last week, a group of entertainment industry organizations and companies dubbed the Industry-Wide Labor-Management Safety Committee Task Force (the “Task Force”) sent a detailed 22-page proposal to the governors of California and New York with guidelines to safely resume film and television production. Although specific to productions, Hollywood’s plans may also be helpful to other industries trying to develop their own procedures for safely reopening.
The Task Force’s recommendations were developed at the request of, and in cooperation with, various unions of the motion picture and television industry and the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers. They draw from discussions with health experts, CDC and OSHA guidelines, and input from industry experts who are familiar with working conditions of film and television production.
The Task Force’s general recommendations include regular screening, diagnostic testing, social distancing, personal protective equipment (PPE), and enhanced sanitation measures. The proposal also includes specific guidance for navigating high-risk situations – such as actors performing fight sequences, or scenes involving physical intimacy. In those situations, the Task Force recommends considering amending scripts to eliminate or reduce such risks, or using digital effects in which a scene is separately shot for each performer and then combined in post-production.
The Task Force also provides specific guidelines for certain functions. Casting, for example, might be done remotely or with the use of protective barriers. Other key recommendations include designating a specially-trained COVID-19 compliance officer, and creating a hotline to respond to all cast and crew safety questions and concerns.
The Task Force also noted that because COVID-19 is a new disease, safety procedures will likely need to evolve:
“Several elements of the protocols including testing and PPE are subject to further discussion and agreement between the Employers and the Unions and Guilds representing the cast and crew. As circumstances change, and public health officials issue new guidance, the protocols under which production occurs may be adjusted accordingly.”
The Task Force’s proposal comes just a few weeks after Tyler Perry’s Atlanta studios released its own detailed plan to resume production in Georgia, which it calls "Camp Quarantine." That plan calls for testing the entire cast and crew in their hometowns before they travel to set, self-isolation for 16 days before departing for set, traveling to Atlanta by private jet, then being tested again before being allowed onto the studio’s campus. In addition to having hotel rooms and houses for the entire cast and crew, the studio’s campus also has a gym, entertainment activities, catering, and a specialized delivery center that sanitizes packages. Participants are not permitted to leave the studio’s campus and are tested frequently throughout their stay.
Another recent news story further highlights the lengths Hollywood is willing to go to protect workers and resume production: “germ-zapping robots.” The Hollywood Reporter recently reported that CBS’ Blue Bloods had shown interest in this emerging technology, in which a lab-certified disinfecting robot uses pulses of ultraviolet light to kill the virus that causes COVID-19. These devices could be used to quickly disinfect dozens of rooms each day. Notably, the robots are already used in numerous health care facilities across the country, including the Mayo Clinic, HonorHealth, MD Anderson Cancer Center, Stanford and USC, and can be rented on a per-month basis or purchased for roughly $125,000.
The Los Angeles Economic Resiliency Task Force has stated that they plan to issue their own guidance for opening film and television production in the near future. It is unclear whether they will consider the Task Force’s proposal. What is clear, however, is that Hollywood remains as committed as ever to its age-old mantra and will adapt quickly so that the show can go on.