Film and television sets must abide by a new set of safety measures in order to reopen, including testing actors for the virus before shooting, ongoing temperature taking and the use of masks for all crew and actors while not on stage.
Film and television production in Italy's region of Lazio will go forward under heightened safety measures including testing, face masks and distancing.
Rome's film industry is set to reopen on Monday, but under heightened safety conditions. Italy is entering the second phase of its coronavirus quarantine, with lockdown measures set to be gradually relaxed through the end of the year.
As the hardest hit country in Europe, Italy is eager to restart its economy but is also being cautious to keep social distancing and other measures in place to prevent another major COVID-19 outbreak.
Production is thus far only scheduled to resume in the region of Lazio, where the country’s entertainment industry is centered in Rome. Those gearing up to return to work know that filming will not be business as usual.
Film and television sets must abide by a new set of safety measures in order to reopen, including testing actors for the virus before shooting, ongoing temperature taking and the use of masks for all crew and actors while not on stage. Existing safety distance protocols must be maintained between persons on set.
Additionally, personnel will require training on protective equipment and sanitary rules, the presence of a company doctor, and hydroalcoholic sanitizing solutions on set.
Italy’s film trade unions, ANICA, APA and EPA worked with local government on determining the new conditions. ANICA’s head of producers Francesca Cima outlined two requirements to stay open: easy access to testing and other advanced protection tools, and government or European funding to aid the audiovisual industry in implementing the new guidelines.
