On the set of the new TV series Andor Two corona cases have been reported in Dorset, England. The British Newspaper The Sun writes about the outbreak as if reporting from the front: “Whole departments have completely withdrawn from work and are in isolation,” a set employee is said to have put in the tabloid. “The whole corona situation has gotten out of hand, it is spreading and you can’t get it under control, but still don’t want to close.” Sure, the start date next year at Disney Plus is of course not something that you simply postpone, because the “Star Wars” series like The Mandalorian are one of the unique selling points of the streaming service in the battle for subscribers. But does that justify simply continuing on set despite several corona infections? Or even filming during a pandemic?
Not shooting is painful in an industry that has suffered from closed cinemas for months. But film sets are just not the place to work where AHA rules can be easily implemented. Films that are shot in the open with a tiny team are the exception; most movies and series productions have dozens, if not hundreds, of employees on the set, from caterers to set-up runners. Make-up artists, prop masters, actresses, directors, cameramen. Like many other jobs, your work is a risk factor under Corona conditions.
At least two cases should be confirmed, several people should show symptoms: The shooting of the new “Star Wars” series “Andor”, which is currently being filmed in Dorset, England.
(Photo: Imago)
So what should be done if not only “Star Wars” fans, but also all series viewers and moviegoers are not to be put on withdrawal very soon and an industry is to be driven into ruin?
The shooting is now more complicated, but at least it has become possible again
Michael Polle is the producer of Babylon Berlin, where individual actors are supposed to have exempted themselves from the mask requirement by means of a certificate, but otherwise strict security precautions prevail, as he emphasizes: “As everywhere else, we have comprehensive measures: distance, masks, as well as extensive tests and entry controls,” he says on the phone. “If someone acts in front of the camera without a respirator, the clear rules of the BG Etem, the employers’ liability insurance association, apply. If, for example, in the mask, no distance can be maintained, there are additional measures in addition to the protective mask, which are also implemented by the employers liability insurance association are regulated. ” These rules of the professional association essentially correspond to the measures that apply everywhere. There are also additional Covid units on the set that are only there to review and implement the measures.
“If you have a corona case on set, everything doesn’t stop automatically,” says Polle. “With the support of the company doctor and in consultation with the health department, it is tracked which contacts existed for how long on the set and whether protective measures were followed. This, like everyone else, determines who has to be in quarantine and who does not.” Closing everything is exaggerated.
Shooting is more complicated compared to last year, but at least it has become possible again. And the additional costs for the implementation of the measures are a solvable problem, according to Polle. “These are very high amounts that are recognized in the financing, but must nonetheless be raised jointly by all partners.”
The “Neustart Kultur” fund cushions the risk of shooting with 75 million euros
And what happens if work has to be interrupted because of the virus? A big problem for filming with Corona has so far been the insurance of film productions. But a lot has happened in this area. Because shooting under pandemic conditions was obviously a risk that was difficult to calculate, insurers refused to cover film productions. Many filmmakers didn’t even want to start shooting until the end of last year when a corona outbreak could potentially cost them millions. As early as 2020, the film industry in Germany therefore required such an insurance, if necessary from the state. Otherwise nobody would dare to do productions that are financed with many millions of euros.
Among other things, the program “Neustart Kultur” of the State Ministry for Culture and Media has stepped in. According to its website, the following applies until June 30, 2022: “The default fund cushions the risk of Covid19-related production interruptions and cancellations in federally funded cinema and high-end series productions and the resulting additional costs.” Why “high-end series productions” that are already funded are more worthy of protection than other productions does not reveal itself, but the fund of 75 million euros corresponds to the wishes for a security of 60 to 100 million euros that were demanded from the industry. According to Michael Polle from Babylon Berlin With these and other federal funds, film and television productions are possible again without incalculable risk. At least in financial terms.