A Primer on the Texas Guidelines for Film Production in a Pandemic
The ABCs of lockdown filmmaking
By Richard Whittaker, Fri., July 3, 2020
National
OSHA: The national federal workplace safety body is issuing constant updates. Check in at www.osha.gov.
State
Governor's Office: When the state extended the list of businesses to operate on June 3, it issued a four-page checklist for media production. Find the list at https://www.dshs.state.tx.us.
Local
Austin Film Commission: The commission is connecting producers with industry experts through its searchable crew database but has now added cleaning and sanitation experts for your set. It is also offering complimentary hotel liaison, to connect productions with safe and clean places to stay that will understand their needs. More info at www.austintexas.org/film-commission.
Free COVID-19 testing: The city of Austin is offering free, drive-through testing for anyone showing symptoms. Details at www.austintexas.gov/covid19.
Industry
Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers: Working with the guilds and studios, the AMPTP convened an Industry-Wide Labor-Management Safety Committee Task Force and issued the 22-page COVID-19 Health & Safety Best Practices Guidelines – an in-depth white paper that lays out the basic outline of what a pandemic-era set should look like. Find the full white paper online.
The Safe Way Forward: The most extensive guide to operating a healthy and safe set, built by consultation between the main craft unions – the DGA, SAG-AFTRA, IATSE, and the Teamsters – that builds out the AMPTP white paper, department by department, step by step. Find the full document at www.sagaftra.org.
Association of Independent Commercial Producers: Commercials were the first projects to begin filming again and their trade body was the first to issue guidelines, which have already been updated five times. Find the latest (AICP COVID-19 Workplace Guidelines & Considerations) at www.aicp.com.
National Set Medics: Health care crews have never been more important, and their trade body has issued its own COVID-19 Guidelines. Find them at covidguidelines.nationalsetmedics.com.
