PGI Film Production Reopening Protocol

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Business/Facility Name
Date
Prepared by
Location

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.

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 numbers, at easily noticeable/strategic places on shooting sets/dining place/edit rooms/fresh rooms. etc.

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.
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.

INFORMED CONSENT

A fitness or declaration form to be signed and submitted by all talent and crew, informing the production team about their health status and exposure to Covid-19 at the time of booking / signing up for a project & again on arrival at the set. This form would ensure that all crew members have notified the concerned authorities of their health status and can monitor their safety through the same as well.

TEMPERATURE CHECKS

Every crew/cast member should undergo temperature measurement with a contactless thermometer before entering the set. Human body temperature limits must be in accordance to the specific health regulations set by the government. Anyone with a high temperature cannot enter the set; once the personnel have been screened and cleared for work, they will be provided with a wrist band indicating that they are safe to proceed to the set.

HEALTH DECLARATION

- Mode of travel - Medical history - Age - Contact tracing details Daily entry: - Temperature - Checking oxygen levels using the pulse oximeter. If oxygen level falls below 94, that person should be immediately checked.

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.

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.

FILMING PROTOCOLS

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 that 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.
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 units strictly with the exception of certain departments like the 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.

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.