Following the LA County Department of Public Health’s request to cease production temporarily, the FSC has sent out this alert …
FSC is asking adult film producers in the Los Angeles area to consider a voluntary production pause in order to help mitigate surging coronavirus cases and hospitalizations in Southern California. The call aligns with the request made by the Department of Public Health on Monday of all film producers in the country.
Additionally, the Department of Public Health has issued a mandatory 10-day quarantine period for those who have traveled outside of Los Angeles County. All producers should avoid production-related travel, or working with those who have recently traveled.
“While our industry has led the way in regards to safety protections and protocols, daily infections are now more than four times what they were during the summer peak, and area hospitals are overwhelmed,” said Michelle L. LeBlanc, FSC Executive Director. “We all need to do what we can to limit the spread, both within our industry and the community at large.”
FilmLA released this message.
LADPH URGES FILM INDUSTRY VIGILANCE TO HELP CONTAIN COVID-19
On December 24, the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health (LADPH) emailed an update to the County’s film industry contacts, reminding them of the present surge in local COVID-19 cases, deaths, and hospitalizations, and urging filmmakers to exercise every caution in their work.
For those seeking permits to film at this time, LADPH representatives warned that “although music, TV and film productions are allowed to operate, we ask you to strongly consider pausing work for a few weeks during this catastrophic surge in COVID cases. Identify and delay higher risk activities, and focus on lower-risk work for now, if at all possible.”
County health officials on several prior occasions have thanked the film industry for its efforts to control the COVID-19 surge. Helpful practices, according to LADPH, have included “moving more work outdoors, delaying higher-risk work, and putting some productions completely on pause.”
LADPH has asked FilmLA to remind filmmakers that “travel for production purposes is currently not advised.” Although the state allows travel for productions, it increases COVID risk “by making it more likely that people will end up together in vehicles or indoors in less-controlled settings,” together with people from distant areas. “Hospitals are full virtually everywhere,” the message also cautioned, encouraging filmmakers to, “keep cast and crew close to home.”
Elaborating further on travel and quarantine requirements, LADPH noted that the County’s Blanket Health Officer Order on Quarantine was recently updated to include a shorter 10-day quarantine option. Appendix J—the health standards applicable to local film productions—will be updated soon to reflect this. Even with the adjustment, officials caution that “the virus can still potentially incubate for up to 14 days, therefore heightened precautions and health monitoring are important.”
With two Coronavirus vaccines approved for use and thousands of frontline healthcare workers already receiving their first doses, LADPH reassured filmmakers that “there is a light at the end of the tunnel.” A new COVID-19 Vaccine Information Page was recently added to the County’s website, with weekly updates, a MythBusters Guide re: vaccine safety, and a dedicated mailing list and data dashboard to monitor vaccine distribution.
Meanwhile, continued use of telework and virtual meetings are recommended whenever possible. And now more than ever, it is essential that on-set COVID-19 Compliance Officers remind on-set personnel to “keep up the physical distancing” and to “move people further apart” when they drift together.
“You are our heroes!” the letter said of industry compliance officers.
Thank you for taking care of our community and one another.
FilmLA is a 501(c)4 not-for-profit public benefit organization and the official film office of the City and County of Los Angeles, among an ever-increasing roster of local municipalities.
2 Responses
But playing football face to face is safe.
I hate double standards. If they are not calling a stop to football pro and college don’t stop anything else.
Is either the Health Piggifer, Cocksucker Gavin (the governor of California) or Michelle at FSC going to pay performers, directors, producers and crew to not work? I thought not. Nothing will change, people already fell behind on their bills in March and April, even if there were a ban people will not stop filming without the Health Piggifer, Cocksucker Gavin or Michelle at FSC paying their bills and feeding them. This also won’t stop the bulk of production which is in Florida and Nevada thanks to Michael Weinstein at AIDS Health Care Foundation and CalOSHA. Unemployment benefits are either unavailable or exhausted already and even if performers have them by working enough California jobs where they are considered employees the $450 a week maximum California benefit (most would get a lot less because of their IC work in Nevada and Florida) doesn’t even pay rent on a shitty two bedroom apartment in Los Angeles or Ventura Counties. For the people that cannot qualify for unemployment, General Assistance pays much less — about $350 per MONTH. The latter does qualify people for Medicaid but that only goes so far when you are sleeping on Skid Row or sucking dick on Hollywood and Vine to pay the bills (if you like sucking dick on Hollywood and Vine to make money, have at it but most don’t like it and it will get you time in LA County Jail getting “mistreated” by bubba guards).