Film and TV Productions Can Resume in California on June 12th

It looks like Hollywood is getting back into business! Productions on all film and TV projects have down for a few months due to the coronavirus pandemic, but California Governor Gavin Newsom has revealed that these productions can recommence on June 12th. He recently announced:

“Music, TV and film production may resume in California, recommended no sooner than June 12, 2020, and subject to approval by county public health officers within the jurisdictions of operations following their review of local epidemiological data including cases per 100,000 population, rate of test positivity, and local preparedness to support a health care surge, vulnerable populations, contact tracing and testing. To reduce the risk of COVID-19 transmission, productions, cast, crew and other industry workers should abide by safety protocols agreed by labor and management, which may be further enhanced by county public health officers. Back office staff and management should adhere to Office Workspace guidelines published by the California Department of Public Health and the California Department of Industrial Relations, to reduce the risk of COVID-19 transmission.”

THR explains that there’s an Industry-Wide Labor-management Safety Committee Task Force, which consists of AMPTP, SAG-AFTRA, the Directors Guild, IATSE, and the Teamsters. They’ve submitted a 22-page document to state governments across the country with recommended protocols for “how to restart production while minimizing the risk of spreading COVID-19.”

There are no details yet on what these protocols are, but they will obviously have to be revealed before June 12th. I imagine anyone coming on the set of these projects will have to be tested for the virus, and it’s said that they will also have to self-isolate for 16 days.

Sounds like a pain in the ass, but better safe than sorry! It’s also great to see that Hollywood will be making movies and TV shows again!