Covid Safe Shoot
Update 9th July 2021:
With the lifting of government restrictions relating to Co-Vid 19, AWA will strive to maintain standards of safety on set as laid out in APA Guidelines which are remaining in place as recommendations. Specifically, we will continue to impose mask wearing; encourage social distancing; good ventilation; staggered entry times; to keep the number of those attending shoots to a minimum; individually packed meals and either lateral flow or PCR testing. This is so we can maximise the safety of our crew and, in addition, this means we can offer assurances to our clients and their brands.
We will keep our Co-Vid 19 policy under review but anticipate keeping measures in place until at least the end of 2021. Co-Vid remains an uninsurable risk.
Angela Woods Productions Limited (AWA) has carefully examined ways of how we can safely fulfil photographic shoots and filming for our clients. During Co-vid we have up until now done a small handful of self-shoot projects but having taken advice from our peers, our team, our professional bodies and insurers we believe we can offer a safe environment in which we can work.
It is a given that we do not want to expose anyone on a shoot to unnecessary risk and that the safety of everyone involved is paramount. Each project would be risk assessed and if deemed too much of a risk we would seek ways to mitigate risk or not take the work at all. Advertising Producer’s Association (APA) and Association of Photographer’s (AoP) guidelines, updated on May 11th, stipulate that we are permitted to shoot by law.
The Prime Minister confirmed in his statement on May 10th what has always been the position: “work from home if you can, but you should go to work if you can’t work from home.” The purpose of APA guidelines is to enable production companies to take reasonable and practical steps to safeguard the health and safety of everyone attending a film/photographic shoot in relation to Covid-19 and to meet their obligations under the Health and Safety Act, and law, and Government regulations on Covid-19. Production companies have that responsibility, which they can meet by following these guidelines. In addition, everyone working on the production and attending it has responsibilities in respect of Covid-19. They too can meet them by complying with these guidelines. The Health and Safety Executive has stated “keep your business open. With the exception of some non-essential shops and public venues, we are not asking any other business to close .. indeed, it is important for business to carry on and, where possible, by maintaining a two metre distance from others.”
We have also looked at guidelines from the Association of Photographers and the Institute of Practitioners in Advertising.
We plan to adopt AoP Guidelines and believe them to be the most comprehensive available. They include a Health Declaration Form to be agreed by all attendees on the shoot. Our shoots would have a dedicated, fully briefed crew member to cover all matters relating to Co-Vid care. In turn we have selected, preferred and already tried and tested studio spaces who, in turn, have their own co-vid best practice procedures that satisfy our own standard.
AOP SARS-CoV-2/COVID-19 Shoot/Production Guidelines PDF
Please be aware that to make our shoot compliant there may be extra costs incurred in keeping people safe. These can include needing more space, providing PPE equipment to some crew, covering charges attendees incur from driving to the shoot and so on. The guidance covers pre-production and extends to how attendees should conduct themselves when travelling to the shoot. Ie: not stopping at shops, or for petrol on the way or refraining from using food delivery services.
The scope of the guidelines covers:
• Pre-Production
• Budget & Contract
• Office
• Casting
• The Shoot
• Talent on Set
• Location Shooting
• Wardrobe
• Hair & Make-Up
• Technical Crew
• Hired Equipment
• Catering
• Transport
• Health and Safety General
• PPE and Sanitisation
Insurance:
Any issue relating to Co-vid is now an uninsurable risk and your agency commissions us at your own risk. We do have cover for the non-appearance of a photographer or director if they fall ill with the virus. We have cover for a reshoot under those circumstances. But if the photographer/director needs to self-isolate we are not covered as they won’t have fallen ill.
These are challenging times but AWA and our sister agency Garden are here to serve you safely and creatively.
Angela Woods Productions Limited, 4 The Carlton Tavern, 73 Grafton Road, London NW5 4BB VAT: 219 1072 32 / Company Number: 0853 8628 / Registered at: 4 Prince Albert Road, London NW1 7SN