for restarting film and TV production amid the ongoing pandemic, allowing filming in the state to resume on June 12.
“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,” the California Department of Public Health said in the guidance released via the Governor’s office.
The hope is to reach deals with the unions/guilds so pre-production could start sometime in July if the rate of coronavirus infections and hospitalization in Los Angeles County does not trigger another tightening of restrictions on businesses. Given the complexity of filming during COVID-19 due to detailed safety protocols that need to be followed, pre-production — as well as actual production — are expected to be lengthier than normal.
Along with the major studios and streamers, the DGA, SAG-AFTRA, IATSE , the Teamsters and others were involved in the process of crafting of the recommendations in the White Paper submitted to the Governors.