TV & Movie Soot to resume after 6 months of COVID-19 pandemic ; Prakash Javadekar announced SOP
Written by: Nitu Chowrasia
23rd
August 2020:
On Sunday 23rd August, Prakash
Javadekar, head of Ministry of Information & Broadcasting, announced
the resumption of the TV serials & Movie shootings after 6 months of the
global pandemic of Covid-19. The global pandemic of coronavirus, just like
other businesses also affected the movie industry heavily. However, the ministry
announced a list of SOPs (Special Operative Procedures) and principles to be
followed by the Media Production to prevent the spread of Covid-19.
Before we look into the specific SOP for the
Media Production, let us first look at the guiding principles by the Ministry
of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW) for the prevention of Covid-19, which is
in the public domain, and which needs to be followed by the Media industry
together with their own specific protocols.
The guideline for COVID-19 precautions from the MoHFW are :
·
Unnecessary activities and
access to people should not be
allowed in the contaminated zone for COVID-19.
·
Use of face cover/mask is
mandatory at all public and workplaces for the safety of the individual and
other.
·
Frequent hand washing for
at least 50-60 sec and use of alcohol-based hand sanitizers are advised.
·
Provision of sanitization
at the entry and exit of workplaces and other premises where frequent movement
of people takes place.
·
Spitting at any place is
strictly prohibited.
·
Employees at higher risk of
the infection like the old age people, pregnant women or any other person with
an existing medical condition should not work at the front end at workplaces
and if possible should work from home.
·
Respiratory etiquettes
should be followed at all public places like covering of nose and mouth while
coughing or sneezing with mask/handkerchief / or flexed.
·
Arogya Setu app to be
installed and used by all.
·
Physical-distancing of at
least 6 feet at any place whether seating or standing.
·
Specific marking should be
done to maintain social distancing at public and crowded places.
·
Seating arrangements, if
any should be properly managed to adhere to the social distancing norm.
·
Thermal screening of
visitors should be provided at the entry and exit point and only asymptomatic
people should be allowed within the premises.
·
Crowd management and safe
distancing protocol to be followed at parking lots and other busy places.
·
Elevators should have
limits on people and the social distancing norms should be followed there as
well.
·
No-contact transaction (for
ticket booking/ verification, payments) as far as feasible should be carried
out. Use of digital method advised like online booking, e-payment or e-wallet,
QR code scanner.
·
Self-monitoring of health
is advised.
·
Self-isolation in case of
symptoms related to COVID is advised and simultaneously proper medical
guidelines to flow.
· The guidelines for air-conditioning / ventilation should be followed as per CPWD (Central Public Works Department). Here is the quoted version: (i) temperature sitting of all air conditioning devices should be in the range of 24-30°C, (ii) relative humidity should be in the range of 40-70%, (iii) recirculation of air to be Page 3 of 6 avoided to the extent possible, (iv) intake of fresh air should be as much as possible, and (v) cross ventilation should be adequate.
· COVID positive people should inform everyone they came in contact with.
Now coming to the SOP (Special Operative
Procedures) for Media Production houses to resume work:
First and foremost the Media production team has
to follow most of the general guidelines, if not specifically exempted, as per
the MoHFW (stated above) for the general safety of themselves and people around
them.
>> Social Distancing
Norms:
·
Social distancing protocols
of at least 6 feet to be followed at all locations at all times. This includes
sets, shooting sites, cafeteria, and other gathering & communication
places.
·
Physical distancing to follow together with the shooting area are audio rooms, recording, or editing rooms.
·
Different aspects like
set-ups, scenes, sequences, camera location, the position of various crew members,
seating arrangements, cafeteria and food catering services, simultaneous meal
timing, etc. should all be planned beforehand to adhere to social distancing
norm.
·
Cast and crew members
should be minimized at the set. Only those people needed at times should be
present.
·
No outsiders or audiences
allowed on the set.
·
For the outdoor shoot, Proper
communication should be done with the local authorities so that they could prohibit
or manage people’s gathering.
·
Place of stay or resting
facilities should be decided and communicated in advance so that proper safety
measures are taken care of.
>> Contact
Minimization:
·
Every member of the media
& production team has to wear a face cover/mask except for the people
facing the camera.
·
The makeup and hair artist
have to wear PPE kit while doing their job.
·
Reuse of the costumes, hair
wigs, makeup kits is not advised. If the costumes are reused they should be
properly sanitized.
·
Mostly, artists are advised
to get ready at their own places to avoid contamination of clothes and kits.
·
People touching camera and
other frequently used devices & equipment are advised to wear gloves
usually throwable gloves.
·
Lavalier lapel mics shall never
be shared and better not to use. Direct physical contact with the diaphragm of
other mics should also be avoided.
·
Efforts should be made to
minimize the use of props and if done should be properly sanitized before and after
use.
>>Sanitization &
Precaution:
·
Sanitization of the sets, shooting
place, Vanity vans, Entry and exit to the sets should be done thoroughly.
·
Common places like
make-rooms, changing rooms, editing rooms, washrooms should be sanitized regularly.
·
Proper sanitization of the equipment
used, if possible, should be practiced based on the type of device and
electronics used.
·
Every member should be
properly checked and sanitized before and after the shoot.
·
Measures for the safety of
sanitization staff should be taken like proper mask, gloves, boots, PPE kits
etc. should be provided.
>> Supervisor/COVID
Coordinator
Every media production house should have a
designated COVID Coordinator from among the cast and crew to monitor the safety
protocols on the set.
·
To monitor the severity of
the shooting zone whether it’s a contaminated zone or not.
·
Keep a check on all the
cast and crew whether or not they are properly sanitized and adhering to social
distancing protocols.
·
Ensure everyone in the team
has installed and updated the Arogya Setu app.
·
Keep a record of medical
history, travel history, and medical condition of every cast and crew member.
·
Identify hospitals/clinics/
testing centers, in the nearby area of the location of the shoot, so that in case of
any emergency proper steps could be taken.
·
Beforehand decide a
quarantine area in case of any member showing signs of Covid-19.
·
Support the health authorities
for contact tracing in case of an individual proved of COVID-19 positive.
>> Travel:
Travel related guidelines and SOPs issued by the
MHA, Ministry of Civil Aviation, Ministry of Railways, state governments, etc.
shall be adhered to strictly.
>>
Quarantine/ Isolation
A suitable environment and a quarantine place
should be provided for temporary isolation in case of a suspected COVID
carrier.
>>
Other Factors:
Together
with above SOPs there are guidelines related to the air-conditioning/ Cooling /
ventilating regulations of the place as
per CPWD.
Also, anyone
found not adhering to the COVID-19 regulations and protocols will be dealt with
strictly in coordination with local authorities.
This news has brought a humungous amount of happiness within the Media fraternity. Also, because lakhs of people’s livelihood are linked with it and it had been affected from the last 6 months. With this good news, the doors of light have opened once again and the media shooting & production will start afresh.
Comments
Post a Comment