CALIFORNIA — On Friday, June 6, Governor Newsom announced that film and T.V. filming may restart as soon as June 12.
In a public statement, the California Department of Public Health stated permission to reopen shoots must be given by local county health officials.
The Department stated: “To reduce the risk of COVID-19 transmission, productions, cast, crew, and other industry workers should abide by safety protocols agreed by labor and management, which may be further enhanced by the county public health officers.”
These safety protocols refer to those agreed upon by entertainment studios and labor unions this week. They submitted a 22-page white paper to governors in New York and California proposing health and safety guidelines. Changes range from wiping down hand-held props after use to eliminating buffet-style meals. Mandatory cast and crew COVID screenings and compliance officers are also amongst the suggestions.
Auditions are recommended to take place virtually when possible. Interactions between the crew are also expected to change. Makeup artists are recommended to keep contact to a minimum, and crew numbers will need to be limited. For this reason, the paper implies smaller productions will have quicker reopenings than larger-scale films.
Originally, Governor Newsom had stated in a May 20 roundtable he had plans to restart shoots much sooner. However, no plans were released until Friday, June 5.
