Rio de Janeiro, April 17th 2020. Much like everywhere, protective measures against the new coronavirus demanded the postponement of audiovisual productions and the interruption of those that were already in progress in City of Rio de Janeiro. In uncertain times, the virus outbreak is roiling the society as a whole and will have an effect on the audiovisual industry and the resuming of its productions – from the financial to the operational bias – after controlling the pandemic.

Circumstances impose changes in the preparation of the long-awaited return of filming and photo shoots. The following are the Rio Film Commission’s recommendations for building a responsible and safe production environment:

– Please give thought to casting calls and script read-through by video meetings. In addition to being cost-concious, it keeps the team from displacement and exposure. The impact on the public transport system is also minimized;

– In order to reduce the number of people on set, keeping an integrated and focused team must be a priority. Before every shoot, the procedures of health concern should be recalled;

– Artistic departments as costumes, make-up and hair should be even more careful about the handling and the neatness of their items. Therefore, the budget planning to purchase the departments materials should be recalculated, projecting the usage of more goods and the addition of products intended for cleaning. The concern with the disposal of the materials used must be redoubled;

– Production assistants are recommended to monitor the crew distancing behavior. It is also needed to provide more cleaning supplies, since cleaning and disinfection shifts must be intensified;

– To avoid small gatherings, it is recommended to have camera-monitors for every 3 people on set;

– Meals should be delivered in a single-serving pre-wrapped package. It is possible to use disposable cups and plates, if recyclable;

– Every department should heavily concern about sanitizing and disinfecting procedures for communal equipments such as cameras, mics and craft service items, if it is impossible not to share them;

– Crew should be monitored in the following weeks of the shoot, in attention to symptoms.

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