British television and film production will begin again, safely and with the proper precautions. The British government and health bodies have supported a detailed set of guidelines allowing shoots to restart since being shut down due to COVID-19, according to The Hollywood Reporter. The Working Safely During COVID-19 in Film and High-end TV Drama Production, created by the British Film Commission and the British Film Institute, will give producers some tangible guidelines to get projects back up and running.
“The industry is extremely keen to restart production as soon as possible, but not without a comprehensive road map for how to do it safely while the threat of COVID-19 still looms large,” said British Film Commission CEO Adrian Wootton to The Hollywood Reporter. “Today’s guidance provides that reassurance, reflecting the latest government, technical and medical advice available. We will also update it on a regular basis, giving clarity on the latest measures recommended to ensure a safe shoot for cast, crew and the wider public.”
Along with the rest of the globe, British television and movie production was shut down in mid-march, halting major productions such as Sex Education, The Witcher, The Crown; along with films Jurassic World: Dominion and The Batman. Tens of thousands of freelancers from across film and TV were impacted as they didn’t qualify for the government financial support schemes that were put in place.
The guidelines include measures such as COVID-19 health and safety training for all crew members; dedicated on site supervision; testing and health checks; social distancing, PPE, hygiene, and mental heath; transport (including only using airlines where distancing practices are deployed); quarantining inbound cast/crew; accommodation; on-set practices to reduce number of people together at one time; catering and craft; cleanliness of equipment; limiting face-to-face meetings; crowd shoots; construction, workshops and off-set services; and costume, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
“It’s been an ambitious and large-scale operation to gather, synthesise and publish the range of views from across our industry,” Iain Smith (Mad Max: Fury Road), chair of the British Film Commission Advisory Board told The Hollywood Reporter. “I believe this guidance will be a helpful, practical framework as we prepare our risk assessments and schedules to restart suspended production.”
These guidelines are aimed to help companies transition to in-person production. There is not a confirmed date for production of the major projects mentioned above.