Updates to Safety on Set Protocols

The Washington state Governor’s office released an update this week to the Motion Picture Production COVID-19 Requirements that differentiates between guidelines for non-represented and represented talent.

A represented talent is someone who is represented by SAG-AFTRA and is working on a production that has signed an agreement with SAG-AFTRA. For represented talent the new guidance reads: 

• a. The production must develop and follow a safety plan approved by the association or union representing talent on the production. 
• b. The production must report in advance to its respective county health department the dates when filming will begin.

This means a production that has signed an agreement with SAG-AFTRA can create its own safety plan in accordance with its SAG-AFTRA agreement for any SAG-AFTRA talent it employs in lieu of the Washington State Talent Guidelines, as long as the production follows the two requirements above. 

Non-represented talent is anyone who is working on a production that has not signed an agreement with SAG-AFTRA or is talent that is not covered by an agreement (such as background). Any non-represented talent must still follow the Washington State Talent Guidelines: 

Non-represented talent (from Labor & Industry’s Coronavirus (COVID-19) Common Questions Regarding Worker Face Covering and Mask Requirements): Reporters, on-camera anchors/talent, and speakers on camera or in front of a crowd may remove their cloth facial covering or mask for the time they are speaking only. A shared podium or equipment should not be touched without being sanitized after each person has used it. Proper social distancing of at least 6 feet between all people must be maintained. All other employees, including camera operators and production staff, must wear masks or face coverings when not working alone.

a. Talent may be closer than six feet but must have a physical barrier between them at all times (such as plexiglass). 

b. To accommodate “over the shoulder” film angles, actors can be closer than six feet if all performers are masked except for the one performer delivering lines in the scene.

For more information, please review the updated Motion Picture Production COVID-19 Requirements. And check out their Resources page for more COVID-19 safety on set information.

If you have questions or if you have talent that is represented by a talent union other than SAG-AFTRA, please contact Info@WashingtonFilmworks.org or by calling (206) 264-0667.