Written by Shona Smith on Apr 23, 2020. Posted in General Interest

PSN publishes post Covid-19 filming protocol

The live action filming measures protocol, available here, provides suggestions from productions to be incorporated in individual production service agreements. The protocols outline the kind of adaptation productions will have to make when lockdowns are lifted.

"PSN Partners are already shooting live action in more than a dozen countries in adherence with local government and WHO recommendations. We’re putting our boots on the ground experience at the service of our industry to help restore the confidence of crew, talent, brands, and studios" says PSN. "This working document is a collection of individual measures in use by PSN Partners executing productions now. As a whole, the document does not constitute any legal or contractual obligation. It provides suggestions from the production trenches to be incorporated in individual production service agreements".

The extensive document covers pre-production from budgeting to wardrobe fitting, casting and health and safety briefings. When possible they recommend carrying out meetings, casting and wardrobe fittings remotely using video conferencing systems.

Recommendations for the shoot itself covers screening and access to set, workplace supervision, hair and makeup, wardrobe, transportation, workplace prep and maintenance and food and beverage. During the shoot a heavy implementation of cleaning and sanitization across departments is a cornerstone of the guidelines.

For location scouting the suggestions include covering shoes when accessing an interior, reducing time at a location to that needed for taking photos, maintaining discussion at a location with and single point of contact and anticipating providing alternative lodging to house occupants for the duration and disinfection period in order to avoid sharing the same space over multiple shoot days.

In terms of budgeting, suggestions include allowing for backup crew & talent in case of illness, allowing for additional time of sanitization breaks, prep and wrap times. In the likelihood that production insurance “will not cover claims related to COVID-19, clients may liken the circumstance to a weather day. In other words, they are responsible for additional costs associated with no-shows, delays, or cancellations caused by COVID-19, or government measures related to the same”.

Click here to read the full recommendations.

Image credit: Production Service Network