Guidelines are revealed that would allow movie productions to resume amid the coronavirus pandemic. With a tally surpassing 6 million cases worldwide, COVID-19 has caused an upheaval in travel sectors, the stock market, the healthcare system, and the entertainment industry. In an attempt to prevent the spread of coronavirus, movie and television productions came to an abrupt halt. In March, the World Health Organization declared the coronavirus a pandemic, causing civilizations around the world to take extra security measures against the aggressive virus. Leading to closed theme parks, movie theaters, and businesses, coronavirus took a massive toll on movie production operations.
Highly-anticipated titles, such as The Matrix 4, Jurassic World 3, and The Batman were forced to halt shooting, sending stars and crew home indefinitely. After Hollywood went dark, creative endeavors emerged to keep the wheels turning in the entertainment world, including John Krasinski’s Some Good News, the Saturday Night Live cast filming from home, and Hollywood’s finest posting positive messages on social media. As of late, U.S. states are lifting lockdown orders and reopening businesses, leaving Hollywood studios, performers, guilds, and production crews to workshop how to reopen the entertainment industry.
Per Variety, guidelines have been laid out that would allow the cameras to officially start rolling on movie productions during the pandemic. These include mandatory temperature checks on set, actors wearing protective gear, daily symptom monitoring, consistent equipment sanitation, and a designated COVID-19 compliance officer on location. Formulated by The Industry-Wide Labor Management Safety Committee Task Force, the 22-page document of guidelines emphasizes physical distancing during production:
Limiting face-to-face contact with others is the best way to reduce the spread of COVID-19. Cast and crew must practice physical distancing whenever possible. Physical distancing involves maintaining a distance of at least 6 feet from any other person at all times, except when doing so is incompatible with one’s job duties. Cast and crew should avoid congregating in groups. When practical, separate work locations into zones to facilitate physical distancing.
The document was recently presented to New York Governor Andrew’s Cuomo’s office and is slated to be delivered to California Governor Gavin Newsom and the Los Angeles County of Public Health for review. The brainchild of seasoned entertainment professionals, the guidelines to to resume movie production amid the pandemic emphasize the safety of cast and crew is the top priority. However, it's hard to know at this point exactly when movies and TV shows will feel it's safe to resume filming, especially because no vaccine for the coronavirus yet exists.
Despite glimmers of hope that Hollywood could safely reopen, it also remains to be seen what lasting impacts the coronavirus has created. As it stands, movie release dates continue to be shuffled around the calendar, TV series are configuring how to patch up storylines, and the 2021 Oscars may be delayed. Enforced guidelines will create differences in movie productions, but would allow actors and crew to safely return to work.
Source: Variety