Seven Watch Outs for Production Safety
Now that we are all back filming - well done to all clients, agencies and production houses in getting back to work safely - there are a few watch outs that Max Brady at Pull The Trigger wants to draw your attention back to, so that we can continue to work safely, efficiently and stay open.
1) Government Guidelines Change
Government Guidelines change, sometimes just minimally, often without much notice. Respect that all production companies need to adhere by those guidelines, and their own protocols, therefore it is ever more important to consult with your CPI member production company when drafting a script, or should you have some questions on an upcoming project.
CPI member companies are happy to help as we all navigate through together in getting back to full production.
2) Budget Cuts Increase Risk
Reiterating point one - consult with your production company - we all recognise that budgets are under strain, but do remember that a two day shoot into one day for budgetary reasons may increase the risk to the crew and cast on the ‘set frontline’. A shut down of our sector due to unnecessary risk, will only delay our recovery. We in Pull The Trigger have found that Covid-19 isn’t having too much of an impact on the day length and costs in commercials.
However long days are difficult, crew get fatigued faster due to mask wearing/dehydration, and it’s the little things that are making the day more difficult than usual; no craft table so you can grab a cup of coffee, a snack, or just take a breather. This all makes the day very long indeed.
3) Make Ventilation a Priority
We are learning now that Covid-19 may possibly be aerosol based, so the spaces we work in become ever more important. The more ventilation that can be provided in a space, the safer that location will be. Certain locations may have more restrictions put in place in terms of number of people that can safely be there.
It’s important to note that some locations dictate stricter restrictions that may impact on a budget or shooting schedule, and so production need to react to that.
4) Stick to the Rules
If you are attending set as agency or client representative, you must remember that the Covid Compliance Officer and the producer may ask you to change your behaviour on set. This is to stay within guidelines and protect our industry.
Please don’t take it personally. Attending remotely is a great option and the technology for that system is improving almost daily. As our numbers are rising, if you can stay at home, it is best to do so.
5) Contact and Trace is Crucial
We are under obligation to ensure we have effective, and diligent contact and trace. The documentation that we send to you in advance of shoot, if you are attending, is crucial to keeping this industry open.
Should there be a positive case on set or in an edit presentation, we need to be able to provide documentation to the HSE and the Health and Safety Authority to enable their response, in mitigating against further transmission.
6) Work Can Take Longer
During prep, it should be remembered that work can take longer. Reacting to costume or art department changes is more difficult than it was in February. We can’t always go out to shop the night before the shoot for last minute changes. Retailers are often working on restricted opening hours, and often there are queues to enter the store.
7) Collaboration is Key
Most importantly, remember that we are all getting used to new ways to pull a production together. Crew are, for all intents and purposes, the frontline workers of our sector, they take risks each day at work, come into close contact, and work in difficult circumstances. We all want to get back to a vibrant TV commercial production sector, collaboration, transparency and preparation, is key to that.
CPI Filming Guidlines Covid-19
CPI have updated the guidelines relating to post production and have also made some small changes to the guidelines for production and film sets in order to keep up to date with current Government advice.
