Filmmaking / Directing : As productions gear up and clients begin to call, be sure to remember you STILL need to take precautions on set. by Jim Ross

Very helpful tips, thank you. Yes, we must all continue to take precautions even well after the lockdowns are fully lifted!

Thanks for this, Jim Ross! Are you gearing up for anything soon? Here in LA, only certain productions are resuming.

Nothing in features that I know of. But I gave up features when I became a single Dad. You can't work 14 hours when you have an 8-year-old counting on you. I do have a corporate shoot next week so I see agency work opening up. Hope it continues! Hope COVID!19 takes a Holiday!

Also, I just found someone in the Producing Lounge who is compiling all the different protocols into one info-graphic. You should find him and team up with him!

Maurice - Here's a playlist for some sword fighting and jousting work I did a few years ago. The main advice I would give is use people that have rehearsed over and over and over, These performers had their moves completely down because they did this routine for every show. It could not have been easier for me. We only had to do a few takes for each since they had every move memorized and down to the second.

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLcDltGshz1S8cCp--G8n7R_abfRTgG_aY

Nothing new in this video - all the things everybody is saying.

What I see from the data is that TAKING TEMPERATURES is the single most important thing you can do on set. Take everybody's temp often (2-3 times day) and if a fever presents, send that person home.

But what most people tend to forget is that getting COVID - IS NOT A DEATH SENTENCE!

Studies using the hard, verified numbers in New York state as a predictive model, the Infection Fatality Rate (death caused by the virus) is 1.4% and if you take away the mortality of people over 65 with a compromising condition (diabetes, heart disease, cancer, etc.), the IFR drops to 0.09% (less than 1/10th of 1 percent). And even CRITICAL (needing medical assistance/hospitalization) cases are rare, having stayed at 2% of total global cases for more than 2 months.

Anecdotally, I personally know of 7 people who've gotten this - not one went to the hospital and two barely had any symptoms at all.

So, getting sick wouldn't be fun - but don't freak out!

To add to that, a lot of people have elevated temperatures do to allergy's, metabolism. so now what! yep, don't freak out!. The past 5 strains have killed more people. just be cautious and take precautions with crew with per-existing issues.

I guess everyone will need to add a "medical staff" to their crew/payroll.

John it WAS new when I recorded this and posted it two months ago at the beginning of the lockdown. Yet I've heard from others that the extra caution is out the door by lunch time. Not on sets I run.

Jim Ross sorry, I must have missed the time stamp. And yes, I've heard the same about protocols being gone as soon as schedule/budget overruns happen. It was something I predicted back when the very first protocols were being floated by the PGA and networks. That's why we'll remain shut down until things get much safer.

Alfred D. Griffin Clark Good point! Dan MaxXx That would be my recommendation, and likely necessary for liability.