The Producers Guild of India is prepping to resume work by designing the necessary safety measures which the film and television industry will have to follow once work starts again. 37 new protocols have been issued and some of the major ones are as follows:
* Each crew member must wear a triple-layer medical mask and gloves during the entire shoot.
* Avoid handshakes, hugs, kisses and other physical greetings.
Other protocols include maintaining a 2 metre distance, not allowing people over 60 years of age to work. The guidelines also ban sharing of cigarettes on sets, offices and studios.
A separate section dedicated to prevent the spread of the disease is there. Known as ‘Prepare to Prevent’ section it provides instructions about the daily drills to be followed by the entire staff before starting work. It further includes making floor markings for social distancing and reporting of all film crew 45 mins prior to shoot.
The guild in its suggestions to the government has made proper sanitisation methods and arrangements for bathing. They have given utmost importance to the “hair and make-up protocols”. Regarding hair and make-up they suggest single-use or disposable items; cleaning of hair wigs/ extensions before and after use; use of own make-up; and, most importantly, using a face shield, rather than a mask, once make-up has been applied.
Wearing masks which have become a common phenomenon in the world are also made mandatory for all members of the film crew. Keeping in mind the safety of people above the age of 60 years, the guild has banned their involvement in the filming process.
Some organisations are still submitting their own SOPs (Standard Operating Procedure) even after the public announcement of the guild’s guidelines. They are of the opinion that the guild’s guidelines are not inclusive.
In a statement released the president of the Indian Motion Picture Producers’ Association (IMPPA), TP Aggarwal said “The guild’s guidelines do not address all the concerns of middle-rung and small producers. The guild has producers who make big-budget movies. We will be looking at the concerns of producers of smaller projects. We will suggest a reduction in the fees of actors, technicians, and workers.”
Issues are still to be addressed such as the prevention of outsiders coming to film sets. It will be a challenge to implement these guidelines for the film and television industry which is reeling from the effects of the pandemic.