Risk protection against contagion

of covid-19 during filming

cut to: staying safe
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 INTRODUCTORY NOTE

The Covid-19 pandemic and its impact on our

country and the world, has made it a necessity
to create a new working protocol.

This document provides the basic methods for establishing

technical and organisational measures for contagion
prevention:

Each filming is different, hence specific risk-based measures

need to be established BEFORE it begins.

Even after the decrease or termination of government preventive measures, the risk of
contagion will persist in the first weeks and months, if not longer.

It is common during a content shoot for different professions to participate in multiple projects
simultaneously. Therefore, the risk on a content shoot is higher than in closed operations.

Possible treatment, unless there are serious complications, lasts 3-6 weeks and is
accompanied by local quarantine measures. This can endanger the entire project and
should be taken seriously.

The assessment of risks and the adoption of measures related to contagion must be part
of the complex risk analysis in accordance with the existing directives of government.

Follow the risk assessment methods, then determine the technical and organizational
measures. Use the services of qualified professionals.
GENERAL PRACTICES

Hand washing & sanitizing is mandatory for everyone on entry, exit &
during the shoot .

Each crew member will be provided with a triple layer medical mask & gloves
which will be mandatory to wear during the entire shoot.

Do not leave used masks unattended and dispose them off in the bins provided
on location.

Avoid handshakes, hugs and kisses and other

physical greetings.

Designated people will only be allowed to

open doors if any.

Sharing of cigarettes should be stopped

on set / offices / studios.
 GENERAL PRACTICES

Edible items used in scenes in which the actor has to consume either a
beverage or food must be handled in a hygienic manner.

There are 3 types of Sanitizers available: hand sanitizer, surface sanitizer

& space sanitizers.
Study and use them appropriately.

Social distancing measures to be implemented.

Minimum 2 meters distance between colleagues to be maintained.

2 METERS
OR MORE
 PREPARE TO PREVENT

TRAINING AND DAILY

BRIEFING

Proper training about precautions to be taken during the shoot to be given to all
involved in the shoot. Carry out a drill every day with entire staff regarding
precautions so that it becomes a habit.

Crew, artists & participants will be called at-least 45 mins prior to shoot to ensure
thorough implementation of safety precautions.

All Operational Managers must familiarize themselves with the Operational and
contingency plans and explain the same to all staff working with them.

All in-house office housekeeping staff hired directly or through third party vendors
to have mandatory Covid-19 sanitizing / cleaning courses and certified training done.
 PREPARE TO PREVENT

ON-SITE ORGANIZATION
It is necessary to take into account - especially in the
first months - more space requirements for the use
of locations in a public space, so that crew members
can be separated.

Precautions to be taken about maintaining proper distance between various

people on shooting location so that any containment of virus through
close contact is avoided.

Create floor markings on the locations for everyone to stand so the people
maintain social distancing in a systematic manner.

It is advisable to give priority to portable chairs over standard benches.

Displaying Posters to develop consciousness about preventive steps and

promoting hygiene, along with emergency helpline number, at easily
noticeable / strategic places on shooting sets / dining place / edit rooms /
fresh rooms. etc.
 PREPARE TO PREVENT

SANITIZATION

Complete studio will be sanitized daily before the shoot;

sanitization will be undertaken by a government authorised agency.

Adequate hand sanitizer dispensers to be kept at all entry & exit points along
with the cafeteria, vanity vans etc. so as to be used throughout the shoot
by all crew members.

Portable washbasin to be strategically placed at all operational clusters

for easy access to soap & water.

Keep the restrooms clean and sanitized at all times. Make sure there are
enough sanitizers and hand wash at all times.
 PREPARE TO PREVENT

SANITIZATION

If possible, provide arrangement for bathing.

Negative ion machine – ionizer (air purifier) that helps destroy bacteria –
use it in the studio, sets and office to keep the air clean.

Monthly swab test like microbiology labs to check the sanitization of studio,
sets and office.

Dedicated Covid help on set to make sure that all the sanitisation, check in,
check out, on-set hygiene and safety procedures are maintained.
One or two persons (referred to as Anti-COVID Boys) per set to be dedicated
for this job.
 PREPARE TO PREVENT

WORK FROM HOME

Encourage a work-from-home strategy where

possible.
Anyone who can work remotely must be allowed to do so,
on rotational basis.
People over the age of 60, or with co-morbidities and health
issues to work from home.

SECURING THE LOCATION

It’s important to ensure a consistent and a

secure lock-up to prevent any unauthorised
NO Y
personnel from entering.
N TR
E
 COVID-19 PROTOCOL

Fitness Form

INFORMED CONSENT TEMPERATURE CHECKS

A fitness or declaration form to be signed Every crew / cast member should undergo
and submitted by all talent and crew, temperature measurement with a contactless
informing the production team about their thermometer before entering the set.
health status and exposure to Covid-19 at
the time of booking / signing up for a Human body temperature limits must be in
project & again on arrival at the set. accordance to the specific health regulations
set by the government.
This form would ensure that all crew
Anyone with a high temperature cannot enter
members have notified the concerned
the set; once the personnel have been screened
authorities of their health status, and can
and cleared for work, they will be provided with
monitor their safety through the same a wrist band indicating that they are safe to
as well. proceed to the set.
 COVID-19 PROTOCOL

CREW
DETAILS

CREW
DETAILS
HEALTH
DECLARATION DOCUMENTATION
- Mode of travel
- Medical history Record of each and every person should be
- Age maintained throughout the shooting schedule
- Contact tracing details every day.
Daily entry:
- Temperature When anybody asymptomatic turns out to be
- Checking oxygen levels using the pulse positive, this helps determine the course of
oximeter. treatment and further course of action.
If oxygen level falls below 94,
that person should be immediately
checked.
 COVID-19 PROTOCOL

PERSONAL PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT

Determine which PPE you will use. Establish a system for the issuing,
exchange and control of the use of PPE.

FACE MASK
Count with 4 masks per 1 crew member over the 12-hour long shoot day. Applies
to every person present on the shoot, including external contractors. The face shields
are a good option to cover the face, especially for artists, make-up and hair people
when in close proximity.

RESPIRATORS
An alternative to face masks for actors and crew is a protective half mask with
inhalation and exhalation filter (easier breathing, filters can be cleaned, masks
disinfected, higher protection standard than FFP3 and the crew member lasts
longer when wearing it).It means lower costs, especially with a high number of
filming days ahead. Should be worn primarily by actors and crew members
having a negative Covid-19 test.

PROTECTIVE GLOVES AGAINST VIRUSES AND BACTERIA

Lightman or anyone handling other equipment to be provided industrial hand
gloves with proper training about their usage. Construction department and other
designated individuals must wear protective gloves. Crew members leaving the filming
location (eg. production, drivers or runners, etc.) must be equipped with protective
gloves to prevent contamination of the filming area.
MEDICAL ASSISTANCE

ISOLATION ZONE
Keep the holding areas away from the main filming
area. Follow social distancing while making the
arrangements.

MEDIC

Two junior level MBBS and a certified nurse must be present

on set for initial 3 months in two different shifts.

AMBULANCE
Ambulance will be on stand-by at all the times.

EXPERIENCING COVID-19 SYMPTOMS

Anyone exhibiting COVID-19 symptoms must not be permitted on set.

Anyone developing symptoms while at work should immediately be isolated

in the designated isolation room on set. Have the set medic team monitor for
symptoms and inform the necessary authorities.
 PRE PRODUCTION

CASTING
Auditions will be carried out online, following
one of 2 different options:

Cast should self-tape, or audition via video - conferencing facility.

(a video self-recorded by the talent at home following the indications of the
casting director).

After viewing them, the casting director together with the director and the
production company, will make the preliminary selection.

The casting director will schedule video calls with each talent, using
one of the applications that can also allow recording it in HD.

All of the above conversations with the casting director to be recorded

and stored in digital drives or computers.
 PRE PRODUCTION

LOCATION
Check with the local ward administrator if the location comes under red, orange
or green zone before choosing a location. Allow sufficient time for permissions and approvals.

If the area is open for the general public, then to also check if the working areas are
securely isolated. If not, then the location may not be suitable for filming under COVID-19
restrictions.

Location scouting will only be carried out by the location scout and resorting to remote
work as much as possible.

In order to minimise the physical visits to the potential locations, it is recommended to

ask the location scout to send the files prior to doing the scouting in person.

Pointers to follow along with the general safety guidelines & principals:

The number of people involved in this phase must be minimised.

Take all photographs potentially needed in order to spend as little time as

possible there.

Vehicle sharing should be planned keeping government guidelines in mind.

 PRE PRODUCTION

TECH SCOUT
The tech scout will be attended by the department
heads who are essential for the job.

A minimized tech scout with limited crew.

A regular tech scout, which would involve a larger team

and should be staggered in phases to avoid crowding the location.

Follow general safety guidelines & principles:

Use shoe covers when accessing an indoor location.

Once in the location, in case that it is necessary to establish contact with

a location representative, the interaction should be minimised to one
person only.

Minimise the time spent at the location by the technical crew.

 PRE PRODUCTION

COSTUME FITTING

Minimal costume fitting trials to be planned before filming -

Limit the number of people present at fittings.

To proceed to the selection and prior approval of the costumes, a section

will be included in the PPM file describing the final costumes proposed for each
cast member, indicating the size and alternatives, both for the selected talents
and the back-ups. This wardrobe file will be used to select the actual clothes
that need to be taken to the set.

Clothes of each talent will be identified with their name tags on the hanger and
should be independently protected with a plastic cover.

The costume fitting with the talent will be done on set on the same day
of the shoot.

Materials should be conducive of disinfectant / sanitizers.

 PROTOCOLS FOR THE
TECHNICAL CREW
HAIR AND MAKE UP

Appropriate PPE must be worn by HMU artists

Hand sanitizing must be done before and after each

make-up application

All products and tools must be cleaned and disinfected before use.

No extra person will be allowed with the Artist except for their Hair and Make-up
in the vanity van

Make-up artists must have separately a set of make-ups for actors and people at points
"a", "c" and "d" and separately for extras in scenes without actors.

It is recommended to consider having different make-up artists for actors and for extras.
 PROTOCOLS FOR THE
TECHNICAL CREW
HAIR AND MAKE UP

Use of single-use / disposable items are recommended.

Mix foundation, powders, lipstick etc. on a separate

clean palette for each individual.

Hair wigs / extensions must undergo deep cleaning

before / after any application.

It is preferable to work using brushes and other tools. Talent should be

encouraged to bring their own make-up tools.

If it is strictly necessary to use your hands without gloves, then wash them and
disinfect them before and after using them.

Talent may consider using a face shield rather than a mask once make up has been
applied. Only remove the talent's PPE when essential.
 PROTOCOLS FOR THE
TECHNICAL CREW

ART DEPARTMENT

Art department is the largest in size and

must be managed appropriately.
Minimize the number of crew in art teams.

Sanitize location before art dept starts.

Re-sanitize location after art dept is finished and before commencing filming.

Prop team to follow strict sanitization protocols. Sanitize props before they
enter the set/location & during filming, all props that come into contact with the
technical and artistic crews should be disinfected before and after each scene.

The set construction as well as the props collection and return should take
place before / after the actual shoot.

It is important to respect the general safety guidelines when going to the shops
and rental outlets. keeping in mind that these outlets may have their own protocols.
We recommend reaching an agreement with the rental companies on the return
protocol which will be applied upon completion of the shoot.
 PROTOCOLS FOR THE
TECHNICAL CREW

WARDROBE DEPARTMENT
DISINFECTING GARMENTS :

Any garments to be used by the talent must have

been duly disinfected beforehand:

Work with professional laundries who use special disinfectants for washing.
Use ozone washing machines which bactericidal, antiviral, fungicidal and
deodorant properties.
When washing in domestic washing machines, use washing programs set at
more than 60°C.

Extreme hygiene and disinfection measures will be taken with the wardrobe
equipment, such as clothes racks, hangers, irons, sewing machines, etc.

It is recommended to work with a supplier which can issue a disinfection

CLEAN ALWAYS

certificate, in order to avoid having to purchase the clothes at random in a shop.

It is important to respect the general safety guidelines when going to the shops
and rental outlets. We recommend reaching an agreement with the rental companies
on the return protocol which will be applied upon completion of the shoot.
 PROTOCOLS FOR THE
TECHNICAL CREW

WARDROBE ON SET AND DRESSING OF TALENT:

Each talent will only use the clothes allocated to him / her and they can never
exchange clothes without having them properly disinfected beforehand.

In the case of stuntmen, specialists or precision drivers,

they must have their own clothes and at no time may
they use the cast clothes without having them
properly disinfected beforehand.

AROST
C
TI UM
ST E
Whenever possible, talent will use
"second skin overalls" to minimise contact with
the costume.

The talent will protect their feet with ankle

socks, so that the socks or shoes are not
in direct contact with their skin.
 PROTOCOLS FOR THE
TECHNICAL CREW

SOUND DEPARTMENT

During filming, all tools and equipment must be

disinfected as often as possible.

Lapel mics must be duly disinfected after each

usage by talent.

Each talent will have a mic for individual use only, which
cannot be shared.

The plastic boom cover should be replaced after each

scene and change of characters.

If there is more than one actor with text in the same take, it may be
useful to provide lapel mics and place the boom at a safe distance from
the talent mouths.
 PROTOCOLS FOR THE
TECHNICAL CREW

WALKIE AND PA SYSTEM

PA system (mic and speaker) to be covered and

sanitised appropriately before use.

Walkie-talkies will be duly identified and protected

with plastic covers, including the earpieces which
should also have protection.

Before and after each day, walkies talkies must be disinfected.

The walkie-talkie communication protocol should be optimized in order to

minimize the interaction of people’s hands and mouths with the equipment.
They are non-transferable and non-exchangeable during the shoot.

It is recommended to use mobile technologies via bluetooth, wi-fi or

intercom for any internal crew communications on the set. If possible, each
individual must use their own personal earpiece.
 PROTOCOLS FOR THE
TECHNICAL CREW

CAMERA, GRIP AND ELECTRICAL

DEPARTMENT

During filming, all tools and equipment must be disinfected as

often as possible.

The distance between the 1st AC and the talent should be measured with a
laser device, in order to maintain the safety distance at all times.

Two handheld camera units, who will shoot from the audience area, will be
given a complete PPE Kit to ensure safety for the cameraman and audience.

Remote video viewing to be encouraged. Video village to be set up at a

standby area and not on set if possible.
 PROTOCOLS FOR THE
TECHNICAL CREW

CAMERA, GRIP AND ELECTRICAL

DEPARTMENT

All the Camera, grip and electrical equipment should be delivered

to the shoot with a disinfection certificate issued by the supplier.

All equipment checks and tests as well the loading and off loading
should take place before / after the actual shoot.

It is important to respect the general

safety guidelines when going to the
shops and rental outlets.
CATERING SERVICES

All catering and craft personnel to wear appropriate PPE at all times when
preparing or handling food.

Staff members may be ideally advised to carry home prepared food.

The loading / unloading of eatables / beverages should be done using moving

trolleys to avoid hand contacts of multiple loading staff.

The practice of 20 litre water jars being picked up from their opening cap
should be strictly avoided.

Make sure that food can be distributed

in a take-away fashion.

Use of disposable items - plates,

cutlery, food boxes etc. to
serve meals is recommended.
 CATERING SERVICES

Only water bottles should be provided to the crew.

Ensure that there is enough space for the whole crew while eating.
Food must be served in small batches i.e meal times should be staggered
such that social distancing norms are followed and crowding in eating
areas is reduced considerably.

Multiple food and beverages stations to be provided. Dry snacks, fruits

juices, etc to be placed only in the specified area in a self-service manner.

Tea / Coffee must be placed at designated areas to

avoid movement. They can be supplied
2 METERS
through vending machines. OR MORE

A designated disposable area for food

waste to be provided.
 FILMING PROTOCOLS

+ 60 YRS AVOID CAST AND CREW MEMBERS ABOVE 60 YEARS

Crew above the age of 60 years should be avoided at least for three months
from the date of shooting as and when it starts and cast above the age of 60
years should be judicially used.

COLOUR CODED BANDS

All on set crew must wear colored bands which can
help identify their roles.

For example, camera; actors, costume and makeup

professionals (yellow); production, script supervisors (black),
VFX (red), & all area access (blue)

TRANSHIPMENT POINTS
It is recommended for large projects to
set up transhipment points dedicated for
suppliers outside the set with the possibility
of disinfecting transported material.
 FILMING PROTOCOLS

SEPARATON OF SPECIFIC CREW

Key crew members, actors and other professions that are difficult to
replace should be separated from the rest of the crew (e.g. they
should have their own facilities, etc.)

( ) LIMIT THE NUMBER OF CAST / CREW &

AVOID OUTDOOR SHOOTS
Rotational attendance system to be introduced
with small and limited crews to be used for
shoots.

All the departments should be asked to keep

condensed unit strictly with the exception of
certain departments like production department,
on-set security, etc.

Catering and transport might need to increase

their work strength to enforce and put into place
Covid-19 work guidelines.

Majority of the shoots to be planned in indoor sets

and outdoor locations to be avoided.
 FILMING PROTOCOLS
FOR NON-FICTION TV
Entire set area will be divided into “Zones”, whereby not more than 15 people will be
present in a zone at any given point in time
Each crew member will be given a colour identifying zone “Wristband”; crew
will be given entry only in the zones basis the colour of the wristband
Nobody will be allowed to move into any zone besides the zone they have
been earmarked for, thus minimal interaction
Each “Zone” will have seating arrangement / squares drawn which will ensure
physical distancing

Indoor Set Area Outdoor Area

Divided into “11 Zones” : Divided into “3 Zones” :

Zone A Main Floor area (12 pax) Zone 1 Entourage area (14 pax)
Zone B Backstage (14 pax) Zone 2 Dress room (6 pax)
Zone C Audience area (8 pax) Zone 3 Generator area (5 pax)
Zone D Tarafa area (4 pax)
Zone E Camera area (13 pax)
D

Zone F PCR room (13 pax) E

Zone G Sound room (3 pax) C

Zone H Production room (6 pax) H

B
G

Zone I Cafeteria (6 pax)

Zone J Floor Service area (15 pax) F

Zone K Auditor area (1 pax)

 FILMING PROTOCOLS
FOR NON-FICTION TV
FOR ARTIST AND ENTOURAGE:

Artist will remain in their rooms until required on set.

Hair and Make-up personnel will be wearing mask and gloves, which will be
mandatory to wear during the entire shoot.
Artist staff will not be allowed in the studio except in case of emergency.
Designated seating area will be created for staff members and for drivers;
chairs will be allotted at 6 ft. each.
No unnecessary guest / visitors will be allowed to enter the set.

FOR AUDIENCE AND GUESTS (NON FICTION TV):

Audience count should be reduced by 50%; each audience

member will be seated at a distance of 1-meter.
Guests travelling from different cities and countries
will not be allowed to attend the show.
Audience attending the shoot will be called
from only unaffected areas in the city.
Strict instructions to avoid all the NRI /
International guests in the audience.
 POST PRODUCTION
FACILITY HYGIENE GUIDELINES:

The post production company will make sure that any person with access to the facility is
be equipped with hand sanitizer, mask and disposable gloves.
This equipment must be located at the entrance of the facility, together with a waste
container to dispose of them when leaving the premises.
When anyone leaves the premises, they should place the gloves and masks in the waste
container provided at the entrance or in the designated place.
The itinerary inside the facility will be organised in such a way that the visitor will not have
to establish contact with anybody.
Anyone entering the facility must wash their hands thoroughly before using the protective
equipment.
When anyone leaves the premises, the working area must be immediately disinfected, at
least doing a quick cleaning of the working surfaces and tools.

SOUND STUDIOS AND VOICE-OVER ARTISTS:

The instructions for the voice-over artists must be made available at the
entrance, indicating which recording studio they should go to.
All materials they may need will also be available at the entrance.
The voice-over artists should bring their own headphones, if possible.
The studio must have headphones that have been duly disinfected.
The microphone must also have been disinfected and covered.
 MANAGEMENT DURING
FILMING
Measures adopted to secure coordination at the filming location
by an Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) manager or a trained
authorized person who will be responsible for coordinating and
supervising the anti-contagion measures.

The difference between individual coordinators in terms of

competencies are:

PRODUCTION SAFETY SPECIALISTS

Participated in creating risk assessment, they are able and qualified to creatively adapt
measures of OHS to the needs of the script based on their knowledge of production
technology, problematics and it’s need. They coordinate work with risk assessments of
subcontractors and supervise correct documentation.

OHS MANAGERS

Are OHS qualified individuals for occupational safety management, they are qualified
to modify the above measures - usually purely from the OHS perspective without an
artistic context. They coordinate work with risk assessments of subcontractors and
supervise correct documentation.

TRAINED AUTHORIZED INDIVIDUALS (EG. PRODUCTION)

They are only authorised to observe the established measures by following a checklist
prepared at the beginning of the shoot. They are not authorised to change the measures,
but to assure their compliance and to monitor the training documentation.
 RISK ASSESMENT

Each production should have these measures implemented in its risk assessments, and
they should also require their suppliers to implement these risk assessment measures.

If you need help with risk assessments, you can contact an authorised H&S specialist.

Before filming commences, production and suppliers need to become familiar with the
risks and measures for filming (not only in terms of the risk of infection).

Obligations to comply with these precautions and submit COVID-19 tests must
be implemented in contracts with individual members of crew, as well as any
sanctions and liability for damages in case of non-compliance.

WASTE MANAGEMENT

Disposable face masks, gloves, etc. must be treated

as hazardous waste -
the used ones to be put into solid plastic bags and to
be handled with protective gloves and then
disposed off.
When fabric face masks are used, the crew members
must have sealable plastic bags and also the possibility
of boiling them for sterilisation purposes.
 COVID-19 TESTING
TESTS FOR ACTORS AND
RELATED PROFESSIONALS

CO
V
ID
All actors, stuntmen and possibly extras who come into contact
with the actors should prove their state of health with a negative COVID-19 test.

Tests according to the doctor's recommendation must be in the form of swab,

not rapid tests, which currently have low reliability.
For the tests to be relevant, it is essential that actors after testing adhere to the quarantine rules.

In this context, it will be important to consider testing when scheduling filming.

Actors:
Actors, stunt doubles and stuntmen being part of the scenes with actors must
undergo testing just like actors and follow the same rules.

Extras in scenes with actors:

Where the shot requires a distance shorter than 2 meters must undergo testing
just like actors and they must be separated from the other extras.

Negative test in combination with following the quarantine rules:

It can replace wearing a face mask - when necessary for the key crew members.
It is recommended to test the key crew members as their exclusion from filming,
due to a suspected infection could endanger the entire project.
 COVID-19 RELEVANT LINKS +
HELPLINE NUMBERS
Government Helpline

Call at Ministry of Health,

Download Arogya Setu App
Govt. of India’s 24X7 control room number on your phones.
+91-11-2397 8046

Email at [email protected]

Central Helpline Number for Covid-19

No. : +91-11-23978046

Maharashtra: 022 - 22027990

Special Pass: https://covid19.mhpolice.in/

Scan to Download
Covid-19 Updates in Mumbai:
Aarogya Setu App
https://mumbaicity.gov.in/ for iOS and Android

Central Government update on Covid-19:

https://www.mygov.in/covid-19/

“If one of the members of the crew or subcontractors has violated or refused to comply
with the security measures taken, they would be excluded from filming.
The full support from the producer will be crucial when
implementing these measures. “