Netflix chief content officer Ted Sarandos has gone into details about how some of the company’s film and television productions have been able to get underway again around the world during the current coronavirus pandemic.
Writing a piece for The Los Angeles Times, Sarandos explains how it’s not a one-size-fits-all approach, each case is different, but it needs to be done to ensure the safety of cast and crew.
The closed nature of sets offers some advantages, such as a controlled environment where everyone can be tracked. Productions in the United States remain shut down at present, but Netflix productions in South Korea, Japan and Iceland are underway and in Sweden this month.
In Sweden, workers self-quarantined for 14 days before returning to work and then quarantined together throughout the shoot. In Iceland, workers were able to return to production after their tests came back negative, though temperatures continue to be monitored frequently and they’ve adopted strict protocols in conjunction with local doctors.
In South Korea, all cast and crew have their temperatures checked regularly and anyone showing signs of infection are tested immediately and production is paused.
Universal adjustments are also being adopted such as social distancing amongst the crew, replacing buffets with boxed meals, and making hygiene equipment readily available such as hand sanitizer, masks and gloves. Ride sharing has also been prohibited.
Single-use, disposable applicators are employed for all makeup, and every two or three hours a production is halted for handwashing and wipe downs. Props are cleaned and wardrobes steam cleaned daily.
Crowd scenes, action scenes and intimate moments, as well as scenes that require international travel, have all been postponed and some shows will need to rewrite scripts or add visual effects to what previously would have been shot live.
Head over to The Los Angeles Times to read the full piece which goes into much more detail.
