The coronavirus pandemic forced television and film productions throughout Los Angeles to shut down several months ago, but the county has officially released guidelines for getting everybody back to work again. On Thursday, the County of Los Angeles Department of Health revealed a document laying out the standards they are putting into place. This has soap opera fans, in particular, buzzing. Unfortunately, it could be some time before the cameras can start rolling.
General Hospital shut down production in mid-March, as did many other soaps and most television and film projects. Gov. Newsom of California recently announced June 12 as the date that filming could begin again in California. However, Los Angeles County was not ready to greenlight that date, at first.
Now, Los Angeles County has detailed its requirements. Technically, filming could begin again immediately. In reality, however, it will take some time for shows to have all of the necessary pieces in place.
As Variety detailed, these new requirements are more strict than an industry “white paper” that had previously been released. Due to the number of changes and requirements noted, it is believed that many shows will not start filming until at least July, if not August or later.
Production is required to scale down to utilize only “essential cast and crew,” and scenes requiring significant physical contact are discouraged. This means that romantic scenes and fight scenes may be a rarity for some soaps, at least in the near future.
Masks are required to be used by cast and crew as much as possible. In addition, cast members are encouraged to apply their own makeup and use their own props, like their personal cellphones, when possible. Cast members must also wash their hands before filming scenes.
Social distancing needs to be incorporated extensively, both for filming and for live audiences, and all talking should be minimized as much as possible. When face masks cannot be used, actors are expected to stay at least eight feet apart from one another.
The new guidelines impact other components of filming too. For example, there cannot be any catered buffets on set — for now.
As General Hospital star William deVry cautioned when this June 12 date first emerged, it’s going to be quite the process to resume production . There are union issues to navigate, along with insurance questions — and a host of other challenges — to work through.
The Los Angeles Times detailed that regular, periodic testing needs to be implemented for both the cast and crew. If anyone tests positive for COVID-19, people who had been within six feet of that person for longer than 15 minutes may need to be quarantined.
Additional challenges may include costs related to longer shoots, new health-related positions on the set, and higher sanitation or craft services expenses. Some jobs may well be eliminated as productions move forward.
This directive by Los Angeles County was a big development for production crews, as well as for fans who are anxious to get their shows back. Now, showrunners need to get creative about how to ramp up filming again while abiding by these new regulations.