In order to protect cast and crew members from contracting COVID-19, Hollywood studios have employed compliance survivors to ensure the proper safety protocols are being enforced on each production. Now, a new report outlines the measures being taken to adapt to the new on-set rules and the challenges of keeping everyone safe during a global pandemic.
Created under the agreement reached between entertainment unions and an alliance of producers that allowed Hollywood to resume production, a compliance supervisor’s responsibilities include sanitization, testing, safety equipment, and distancing. Consequently, the new position has provided business opportunities as emerging companies offer compliance services to productions while others focus their efforts on providing training for the role.
The measures to protect cast and crew members during the pandemic include dividing individuals into different zones based on the testing frequency and the ability to wear a mask. A report by the Los Angeles Times notes that compliance supervisors, who can stop production and even fire individuals for protocol violations, are responsible for ensuring these groups don’t cross paths and intervening in the event of crowding crew members or mask removals. Furthermore, compliance supervisors must train first assistant directors and other crew members so they can inform their respective units of the safety measures. Under the terms of the aforementioned agreement, compliance supervisors must be present at all times during work hours.
Because unions and producers did not require specific qualifications or training for the role, compliance supervisors and the companies providing their services consist of individuals with backgrounds in multiple fields, including medicine and set safety. One such company was formed by Jessica Lesley, a graduate of Alabama’s Tuskegee University with a bachelor of science degree, who charges approximately $500 a day for a COVID-19 compliance supervisor while others can offer their services for as much as $1,000 per day. Other companies have been formed to provide a COVID-19 safety course that all production employees must complete under the terms of the agreement between unions and producers.
While the position could be seen as a way of breaking into the film industry during a time when such work is scarce, Duncan Crabtree-Ireland, chief operating officer and general counsel of SAG-AFTRA, told the LA Times that studios are often seeking individuals with prior industry experience, preferably with a background in medicine. Furthermore, the original report notes that there are concerns about producers potentially failing to take the role seriously due to a lack of specific training requirements.
The cost of implementing these measures has also proven to be insurmountable for certain projects. For example, Netflix recently reversed its decision to renew GLOW for a fourth and final season after weighing the added cost of production against the likelihood of retaining the show’s audience after an extended delay.
Source: Los Angeles Times
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