Defining new ways of working for 1st ACs, during a Pandemic 
 Covid-19 safety-on-set 
 By Clemens Hönig 

 on 4/22/20, 1:37 PM • 736 views
People within the industry around the world, are working on different concepts, to define new safety and working regulations, to start shooting again. 
Rozemarijn Stokkel, 1st AC from the Netherlands, was working on a document as well, of how this new way of shooting could look like and how it will affect set-life.
Also, if you find any documents and news about this, please use this thread to share it with the community.
 
 

 Morvarid R. Talebzadeh 

 On 4/22/20, 6:17 PM
Here in Colombia, we try not to work, start a new project or getting out of the house, but when we have to, we usually have a very small crew, 7 to 10 people at list.
The set's are totally controlled by producers, taking sanitary precautions and trying to stay far from each other, sometimes it's difficult since we stay very close to cinematographer specially. 
Technical personnel entering the set must have certain precautions such as the following:
1. Not having made trips in the last 15 days.
2. Take your body temperature before leaving home and when you arrive on set
3. Preferably we use long-sleeved clothing.
4. Do not wear bracelets, rings or earrings
5. Avoid using public transport
6. Upon arrival at the location wash your hands
7. Sound custom from 1.5mts distance at all times
8. Disinfect cameras, accessories before and after filming
9. When filming, the entrance of people is limited, only the essential ones
10. The use of gloves, masks and antibacterial gel is of privileged use on set
Stay safe everyone!
Blessing, love and light!

 


 Dinis Rodrigues 

 On 4/27/20, 1:12 AM
I live in Sweden and as you know they haven't had a real lock down in here.
I have been working since January in a couple long projects right in a the middle of the pandemic, as many of my colleagues have.
My thought on the virus is that although it's not as deadly and scary as something like the bubonic plague, you still have to respect it, and for the most part people here have been respecting it even without quarantine, although many have been getting too comfortable on the streets as of late.
I've been working on sets and studio with many people, a normal crew, a lot of times breaking the 6 feet rule as such is unavoidable, but still taking a lot of precautions.
I always assume that the virus can be in any surface, as even if you disinfect a camera, just the fact of checking an sms and touching the camera can reinfect that surface, either by having the phone, the pocket or something else in the pocket with the presence of the virus. The lens I get from the 2nd AC might be infected, because I don't know where his/her hands have been. With that said, the most difficult habit for me to have acquired and that I recommend is to never touch the face, always assuming that I may have touched an infected surface and my hands are contaminated. Then, when coming home, removing the clothes, washing my hands / showering should reduce the risk of getting infected at home.
The other high risk of getting infected, breathing infected particles from other infected people, is reduced by limited interactions, trying to avoid public transports or maintaining distance inside them, and during work trying to maintain some distance to people you talk to. Nice to have the 1st AD reminding us when we're grouping too much.
I have no doubt that some of my working colleagues have been infected as they've got all the big symtoms and it was worse then the flu, but the production have been very strict on people with any kind of symtom staying at home until symtom-free for a couple days, even if it's just an headache.
I wash my hands more than usual, use antibacterial gel quite a lot, there is no food on the craft in contact with air, sometimes they disinfect the set, and other precautions to minimize the risk for infection.
I don't know if I've been infected and been symtom free, or if I will be infected, but I, as many others, try to reduce our risk of getting infected, and, if infected, minimizing the risk of infecting others by staying at home as soon as any symtom reveals itself.
I think sooner or later all the countries will have to open for business, even if restricting social contact and trying to minimize the risk of contagion in what ways possible without destroying their economies.
When many of you guys start working again, just try to reduce the risk of getting infected as much as you can by never touching your faces, washing your hands a lot and still always assuming they may be infected after a while. Avoiding talking in peoples faces or breathing the air that they breath out. And stay at home if you feel any discomfort that might be a symtom. All this might avoid you getting infected and infecting others and it will help flatten the curve so that the hospitals don't get some big numbers of people at the same time.

 

 Carl Nenzen Loven 

 On 4/23/20, 9:45 PM
Sticking to your department is probably the only way to go here. I know several countries have overlap, but here we have to be very vigilant. Camera is ONLY touched by camera-department, same for grip and electric. To keep operators and ACs more than 6 ft away I think will be pretty much impossible, but making a bubble for each department does not have to be. However until we have learned everything how this stuff spreads, and how to avoid it. I still think we should stay away.

One thing just to make it easier would be to test people before we bring them on set. However, there can of course be false positives as well so..

 

 Rozemarijn 

 On 4/24/20, 10:51 AM
hi Carl, eventhough we Dutchies work in a very different way, i do think we can learn from eachother when we actually can work again. Sticking to your department is something i would love to have here.
i guess we are all prepping and waiting for that actual moment, and when we can, it will be interesting. For now, we are still on hold and the main issue seems to be the ensurance and all people in front of the camera. And to be honest, without testing and knowing more about how this spreads, i dont see how we can shoot.

 

 Carl Nenzen Loven 

 On 4/24/20, 10:20 PM
I was trained in US, but works both here and Sweden, so I know how confusing it can be. But also gotten the short end of the stick when G/E is touching something they shouldn't, or other way around. But as for new rules, I think that separation is the first step.

 

 Timothy Tan 

 On 4/24/20, 4:32 AM
Great read, thanks for sharing Rozemarijn, I'll share it in our Bright Tangerine social channels and email newsletter.

 

 Rozemarijn 

 On 4/24/20, 10:56 AM
Thanks for sharing! Keep an eye on the forum, since its all work in progress i hope to share some more updates and ideas in the upcoming weeks. You can Always send me an email!

 

 Clemens Hönig 

 On 4/24/20, 8:52 AM
Thank you Tim! Hope you guys are alright! Stay safe!
 

 Rozemarijn 

 On 4/22/20, 3:06 PM
sharing is caring.
m very aware we work in a different way, We have smaller sets and in general work with less people when you compare it to a large feature in the US. but, i think we are all creative minds, and we can come up with so many solutions for moving forward, instead of looking backward.


ive added a document ive made, with some interviews from collegues, who already have worked the last weeks. And some of my personal ideas and thoughts on it....


the only way is up.

 
 

 Mohd Abudin Abdullah 

 On 4/23/20, 6:00 PM
Hey Rozemarijn,
I have read those interviews and i have to admit that it gave me a general sense of what i might be up against. Thank you for that. Do you mind if i share this document with my colleagues ? I would love to have it in for our daily conference. Our government had just made another announcement of extending the quarantine for two more weeks. Here in Malaysia, apart from the news broadcast and i think the same goes for newspapers as well, everything else is being put on hold. Nobody is taking the risk of filming during this time of crisis. Which got me into thinking, when all of this blows over, what then ? Personally, i think this whole social distancing situation will be the new normal for quite some time. Dramatic i know. Call me old fashioned. But thank you for the documents, it is enlightening. I wish you good health. Cheers.
 

 Rozemarijn 

 On 4/23/20, 6:31 PM
Hi Mohd,
you can obviously share the document! we are kind of in the same situation here in the Netherlands, just waiting to be able to shoot again, within these new rules and regulations. I also think most producers dont want to take the risk of shooting too soon. So we prep, like good AC's do, and when we can go. WE GO.


Cheers! Roze

 

 Fabio 

 On 4/29/20, 5:21 PM
Here in Spain, rental houses and production companies (specially in the commercial business) are craving to get back in business, so a lot of them (including Netflix and other big TV networks) have issued their own guidelines, but there's nothing official yet. Nevertheless something is going to show up soon enough since IN THEORY, from may 11th on, small shootings will be allowed so I hope I will be able to post something in the upcoming weeks.
Everybody stay safe and wash your hands!
