Staying Safe on Set in the Midst of COVID-19
After a long but necessary quarantine, we at Hike are thrilled to see Austin video production pick up again! Though we’re excited to be back on set, we still want to take extra precautions to protect our loved ones and prevent a second wave, so here are some (but not all) of the ways we plan to keep safe on set:
Cast and Crew:
1. PPE. All cast and crew will be wearing face masks and gloves when possible. We even got our own Hike branded masks to make sure our team is prepared!
2. Physical distancing. This one seems obvious, but we will try as much as possible to adhere to the 6-foot social distancing rule. We will coordinate our sets to ensure that our crew is minimal, including remote positions when possible (who knew conducting interviews over Zoom could be so fun!).
3. Symptom screening. We want to spot COVID as early as possible to minimize spread amongst cast and crew. We will ensure that staff are tested regularly, and we will implement temperature checks.
4. Frequent hand washing and sanitizing. In addition to hand washing upon arrival, eating, and exit, crew members will sanitize regularly. Everyone on set will be equipped with a personal hand sanitizer so that everyone feels safe and provided for.
5. Staggered call times. Arrivals will be timed so as to minimize any potential contact between cast members. Likewise, we will limit visitors on set to only vital personnel.
6. Communication about safety procedures. Every cast and crew member will be informed of COVID safety measures in place.
7. Digital materials. Where possible, we will distribute call sheets, scripts, and other documents through digital means. The goal is to avoid paper, which has the dual benefit of stopping the spread of the virus and saving the trees!
Equipment:
1. Regular cleaning. We will be rolling out additional cleaning measures to ensure that our camera, lighting, and sound equipment have been properly sanitized.
2. Minimize sharing equipment. To mitigate the potential spread of the virus, we will assign each crew member one walkie-talkie as well as designated gear to work with for the duration of the shoot.
Craft Services:
1. Adequate eating space. During lunchtime, we’ll make sure cast and crew are able to socially distance.
2. Individually wrapped foods. For the time being, there will be no more buffet-style craft services. We will limit contamination by distributing only pre-wrapped packages of food for breakfast, lunch, dinner, etc.
3. Limited trips off set. No one loves coffee more than us, but we want to contain the set as much as possible to protect our cast and crew, so we’ll have to wait until we wrap for any caffeine runs.
If you have any questions about our COVID-19 production practices, please don’t hesitate to reach out. We’re looking forward to getting back on set and creating awesome content with our team again, and hope all of our production friends are staying safe and healthy!
