Post Covid 19 Filming Guidelines

With the covid-19 pandemic at a rise and with no vaccine yet discovered, it’s very important that one should be as vigilant as possible to cab the spread more so when work is resuming. For the filming industry SARS-COVID-19 has affected the industry greatly with most of the flights grounded meaning no travel to shoot destinations but as we go back to working ways there are standard operation procedures (SOPs) that we have to follow to ensure that the shoot is a success without putting anyone’s health at rise during the production of audiovisual works I respect to filming. So with this certain technical organizational measures have been put in place. Given that every filming instance is unique, prior to filming, it is necessary to establish specific measures, which will take into account the specificities of the shoot and the recommendations of the competent body (Uganda Ministry of Health), while also making sure that the filming is disrupted as little as possible and ensuring social distancing (physical distancing) protocols are met and personal hygiene and space cleanliness is maintained at increased level.

Gradual arrivals to and departures from Uganda.

As it has been in the past crews coming in as a group for the shoot, in the new normal this is not safe and does not put into consideration social distancing hence now;

Arriving in small numbers rather than a group.
Carry with your health certificate, if you are traveling ensure that you have tested prior to coming at least a week in advance.
Maintain social distancing around the Airport.
Have a vehicle prearranged waiting at the Airport and avoid getting onto any taxi which you are not sure of their hygiene.
Maintain social distancing at list 1.5m even in the vehicle.

Vehicles

All vehicles intended to be used for the shoot undergo car interior detailing before being used. Small numbers of the crew will be transported in a vehicle depending on its size and capacity, have its carrying capacity is allowed in line to maintaining social distancing between passengers. E.g. a 9-seater van will carry two passengers in each row, leaving one empty seat between the two passengers. The following are required of you;

Minimize contact with other people on arrival and departure. Face masks encouraged(N95 type of mask)
Ventilating the vehicle regularly.
Cleaning/disinfecting the contact surfaces will be done regularly, e.g. steering wheel, armrests, fittings used, safety belt, at regular intervals and after changes of personnel.
The vehicles will be provided with paper towels, hand sanitizers, garbage bags and cleaning or disinfection agents.

Encouraging regular hygiene on set:

All persons on set must follow the recommendations on hygiene and conduct aimed at reducing the risk of spread of disease established by the competent authority.

Most important of all is all crew should be tested before traveling to ensure that infected persons are not included who would infect others and everyone should carry with a covid-19 health certificate.

Hand sanitizers containing alcohol must be available at entry points and in common areas.

Information on maintaining proper hand hygiene needs to be available to all persons present on set in the form of official printed materials issued by the competent authority.

Reduce direct contact with other people to a minimum. A minimum distance of 1.5 m must be maintained.

Plan sufficient time for the individual departments so that they can work one after the other. Plan sufficient time for the individual departments so that they can work one after the other.

Always observe the following hygiene measures:

Greeting without physical contact,
Coughing and sneezing into a disposable tissue or the crook of your arm, and turn away from other people whilst doing it
Wash your hands regularly and thoroughly.

PERSONAL PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT (PPE) – protective equipment, masks and disposable latex gloves need to be worn during the entire shooting process:

Face mask – It is recommended that each person present during filming, including external associates, should wear a protective mask over their mouth and nose.

Protective gloves safeguarding against viruses and bacteria – members of the production design department, props department and certain other crew members need to wear protective gloves. All sets and props that the cast are going to use need to be disinfected.

Protective gloves for other team members – crew members who leave the shooting locations (i.e. production fixers, drivers, assistants, etc.) need to wear protective gloves in order to prevent the contamination of the filming area.

General rules of conduct

Ensure the appropriate number of people on set – only the people necessary for filming may be present on set.

Respect the personal space of all members of the Filming/Film crew on set and avoiding unnecessary contact such as hugging, touching or handshaking.

The division of labour of each sector on site should be ensured in a way that the members of different sectors needed for scene preparation are not present on set simultaneously.

Extras –if any they need to have their own common area at their disposal while they wait to be called in for filming: they need to wear face masks at all times except while shooting a scene, that is, after they have gone through the hair and make-up process. Extras on set need to follow the hygiene and conduct guidelines needed in order to reduce the risk of possible spread of disease. They need to maintain social distance and pay attention to the contact between themselves and the rest of the Film crew. All Extras, without exception, need to wash and disinfect their hands before entering the film set area, as well as have their temperature taken.

Make-up – all members of the make-up sector need to have separate make-up kits for the cast and the extras. They also need to wear protective respirator masks, protective gloves and protective goggles. The possibility of having separate make-up artists for cast and separate ones for the extras should be considered.

Hygiene off set: All members of the Filming/Film crew also need to comply with the hygiene and conduct guidelines needed for reducing the risk of possible spread of disease outside working hours, that is, for the entire duration of production. Better to say is the entire casting crew should distance and isolate from the general public for the duration of the shoot.

Personal Disinfection

Establish a system of issuing, replacing and controlling of usage of
All members of the Filming/Film crew are responsible for cleaning and sanitizing all contact surfaces, tools and objects that fall under the purview of their
The producer is responsible for reserving time within the daily working schedule for crew members to disinfect the work gear and tools used during the day of shooting within their respective sectors.
Personal disinfection – if the scene being shot is long, the crew members need to have on them pocket sanitizing hand wipes or a small bottle of disinfectant gel of up to 30ml, so that they do not need to go back to the hand disinfectant
Hand disinfectant point – disinfection points containing hand sanitizer dispensers need to be located near toilets, catering areas and on set
Shooting aboard/inside vehicles, etc. – the production needs to ensure the disinfection of all vehicles used for shooting, as well as all the vehicles used to transport the crew and
Disinfection of workspace – while shooting outdoors, the make-up and costume departments need to sanitize their workspace and the make-up chairs for
Disinfection of costumes – it is important to sanitize the costumes regularly. The frequency of their disinfection will depend on the case-by-case risk assessment. The actors’ personal clothing items will need to be protected separately, based on production
Disinfection of walkie-talkies – all members of the Filming/Film crew who receive a walkie-talkie need to label their transceiver and use the same transceiver for the duration of the shooting. All walkie-talkies in use need to be disinfected
Prop masters and production design assistants need to clean and disinfect the props and set design regularly during and between shooting sessions, especially the surfaces touched by the
Cleaning requirements – the production is responsible for ensuring regular cleaning of contact surfaces, which include: door handles, surfaces, toilet areas and all equipment handled by multiple

On set organization

To the extent that this is possible, all meetings should be held via the
It is important, especially during the first few months, to consider opting for bigger spaces when using locations in public spaces in order to ensure that the crew members are able to maintain a safe distance. Also, it is important to ensure sufficient space so that crew members can maintain a safe distance while Individual portable chairs are recommended in place of the usual cafeteria benches.
Drop-off (transshipment) points – all large projects are recommended to set up a drop-off point where external deliveries can be disinfected before final delivery to the
A medical personal is advised to be available for shoots in case of anything that may go wrong during the shoot.

Measuring body temperature

Each film crew/cast member needs to have their body temperature taken by a non-contact infrared thermometer on the day of the shooting, before arriving on location itself and before the start of the shooting. Each new subcontractor has to submit to having their temperature taken before arriving on That’s not to exclude the extras on the set.
It is recommended that all Filming crew members’ temperature, including cast and extras, be taken before arriving to

Food and drinks catering

It is necessary to ensure that food can be provided by delivery and that every crew member is able to satisfy the safe distance requirement after getting their food at the catering
Hygiene should be paramount. I.e. takeaway is most preferable. Proper disposal of food after eating.
There is no need to set up several food catering areas, provided that all meals, including the main meal of the day are packaged Avoid eating in places with large crowds not part of the set.

Equipment/props:

Personalize equipment and props wherever possible.
Clean or disinfect equipment and props that are frequently shared before passing them on.
The contact surface of equipment where there is contact or proximity to the face, e.g. cameras or walkie-talkies, must be disinfected. If possible, this equipment should also be personalized.
Replaceable protective covers should be attached to walkie-talkies or similar

On location security

During filming, it will be important to provide a continuous and reliable system of security in order to prevent access of unauthorized
In case of shooting on Location, the area needs to be cleaned and disinfected as thoroughly as possible before and after each filming session. The Fixer need to arrange these procedures in coordination with the owners/managers of the

Necessary documentation

Each production needs to comply with these measures in the process of conducting their risk assessment, and needs to insist on their suppliers complying with these measures in the process of performing their own risk assessments.
Before the commencement of filming, the Filming/Film crew members participating in the filming need to provide the fixer with a statement containing clearly listed travels in the period of four weeks prior to the commencement of filming. The Film crew also needs to provide the Fixer with a list containing any contacts with individuals who have a confirmed or suspected COVID-19 infection. All Film crew members who have travelled to high-risk countries or have been in contact with persons infected with COVID-19 in the last two weeks, cannot participate in the
All Filming/Film crew members without exception will sign an agreement between themselves and the Producer/fixer about understanding the new regulations and guidelines of conduct valid for the entire duration of the audiovisual
All Filming/Film crew members without exception will receive official notification that, if the Producer/Fixer takes all the necessary precautions to ensure the safety of the Film crew from COVID-19 infection, they shall not be accountable if any crew members should become infected with COVID-19 during the production of an audiovisual
It is recommended to post information bulletins such as the one pictured bellow on shooting locations. Having in mind that these measures imply a considerable change to the workflow in comparison to the period before the pandemic, posting reminders in this format is extremely important in order to ensure the compliance with these

Management during filming

The measures introduced to ensure the prevention of the spread of possible contagion on the filming location are coordinated by the person responsible for implementing and supervising the measures to prevent the
The authorized person (e.g. member of production team) – is only authorized to observe the implementation of the measures by examining the checklist set up at the beginning of the shoot. This person is not authorized to change the measures, but rather only to ensure their application and to supervise the relevant
Record-keeping – it is necessary to establish a system of keeping records of persons who are present at the shoot in order to facilitate contact monitoring in case of possible SARS-CoV-2 contagion. Records kept should include the following data: name, surname, date of birth and phone

Waste Disposal

Disposable face masks, gloves, etc. are considered hazardous waste, therefore, used masks and gloves need to be placed inside a plastic bag and disposed of using a new set of disposable gloves, which will then also be disposed of. When using face masks made out of cloth, after using them, crew members need to put them in sealable plastic bags and then wash the mask at high temperature in order to sterilize