Hello DMV Film Community-
I hope this is finding you and your families well. I miss you!
As you know, everyone wants to get back to work but sadly, business as usual is not going to be business as usual. I was recently attended a webinar that Entertainment Partners conducted. Present were industry leaders, some who are on the Industry-Wide Labor-Management Safety Committee Task Force. The number one issue expressed: "We need to have a united front to work safely to help mitigate the risk of exposure to Covid-19 and keep everyone on set healthy." This statement couldn’t be truer. We (as a community) need to start creating plans and protocols unique to our region so we can be poised and ready to start shooting with either a small or large footprint.
To help, a local film initiative has been formed. It is called Ready to Roll. This collective will help us ease back into production as we begin working during a global pandemic. The initiative will conduct weekly webinars which will be sponsored by DC Camera and will be live on Wednesdays 10:30AM-11:30AM. We are hoping to launch the first on June 24, 2020. If you are not able to make the live webinar, webinars will be archived on DC Camera’s YouTube Channel. The webinars will provide helpful information, resources, support and guidance.
If we are proactive and have a plan of action we can show Producers that they can safely bring their shoots to our region because WE ARE READY TO ROLL!
Here are some of the proposed webinar topics:
- Film Offices- both Maryland, Baltimore and DC to keep us informed on governmental matters and they have the opportunity to gather information from us.
- Local Producers- to help with figuring out what new line items will to be added to budgets, longer preproduction and a whole host of other items.
- Medics- to investigate testing and on-set protocols regarding health and how that is going to affect each of us.
- Heath Safety Supervisors (HHS) and Health Safety Managers (HSM)- who are they and what will they be responsible for?
- Vendors- Serious G&E, DC Camera, Plus 1- together they can keep us informed on new check out procedures, how we handle last minute deliveries and their new disinfection procedures.
- IATSE- Dave keeps us updated on the IWLMSC Task Force and union guidelines
- SAG/Local Casting Directors-so we can help them inform their talent on what to expect when they return to set.
- AD Dept. to keep us updated with new and evolving set safety procedures.
- Locations- How we are going to manage distancing and the Zone System, disinfection, lunch layouts and so much more.
- Craftservice- How is that going to work? And what changes we might expect?
- Disinfection-Craftservice/Locations responsibility or an outside cleaning service? How, What, Where and When?
Note: As you know, this is all new territory, very fluid and ever changing.
Again, our launch meeting for this intiative is Wednesday, June 24th @ 10:30 AM. We hope you can make it and please spread the word via FB or e-mail. We want everyone that is in anyway connected to filming in the Maryland, DC or Virginia area involved in this effort to get back to work safely. Please be on the lookout for more information soon.
Best,
Caprice