U.S. Studios & Guilds Contribute to Guidelines on Production Protocols

The Industry-Wide Labor-Management Safety Committee Task Force, which counts among its members AMPTP, SAG-AFTRA, the Directors Guild, IATSE and the Teamsters, has submitted a 22-page white paper on proposed health and safety guidelines for motion picture, television and streaming productions during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The recommendations were developed by the Task Force at the request of and in collaboration with the various unions of the movie and TV industry in the U.S. and the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP). The Task Force consists of the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE) and its West Coast Studio Local Unions, as well as its New York Local Unions, the International Brotherhood of Teamsters as well as the Basic Crafts Unions, the Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA), the Directors Guild of America as well as the AMPTP and other representatives of the producers.

Participating companies include Amazon Studios, Apple Studios, CBS Studios, Columbia Pictures Industries, Disney Television Studios, Fox Corporation, HBO, HBO Max, NBCUniversal, Netflix, Paramount Pictures, Sony Pictures Television, Walt Disney Pictures and Warner Bros. Entertainment.

The white paper proposes recommendations for governments to authorize the “safe resumption of motion picture and television production activities within their jurisdiction.” It outlines a reopening process, and says that production may resume upon the approval of public health authorities based on the Roadmap to Recovery Framework. A staged reopening process may be necessary, with entertainment industry sectors reopening sequentially based on risk and public health authority approval. For example, certain aspects of pre- and post-production activities may be deemed a lower risk and could reopen sooner than production activities. It outlines guidance on infection control, protecting and supporting cast and crew health and safety, physical distancing, training and education and unique production-specific concerns.