5 ways Fifth Story is adapting to the new reality of video shoots

The initial lockdown during Canada’s response to COVID-19 meant shooting on location was practically impossible. As the nation’s case numbers continue to steadily decline and restrictions are easing, the team at Fifth Story have introduced a new set of procedures to allow us to safely return to shooting great content for our clients.

These have been developed by our production team in line with government guidelines and are designed to ensure the wellbeing of everyone on set.

1. Introducing enhanced cleaning protocols

Sets will be cleaned thoroughly throughout the shoot by a professional cleaner, who will make certain that all surfaces are consistently clean and safe.

2. Screening all shoot attendees

It is crucial that everyone on set be screened for COVID-19 symptoms before arriving on set. Therefore, all attendees will need to complete a questionnaire within the 24 hours before the shoot. On the day, everyone will also be required to have their temperature checked by a contactless infrared thermometer.

3. Providing PPE

To create a safe environment, everyone will need access to quality personal protective equipment (PPE). To achieve this, we will provide all shoot attendees with the required PPE including face masks, face shields, hand sanitizer and disinfectant wipes.

4. Safeguarding against cancellation

It’s important that we prepare for the unfortunate scenario that one of our crew members is displaying symptoms and therefore cannot attend the shoot. To avoid cancelling the entire production, we will have a back-up director of photography (DOP) briefed on the project requirements available on shoot days to step in if necessary.

Our crew will also include an extra member or “floater” who can fill a role immediately if someone needs to leave set because of illness.

5. Changing the way we serve lunch

Instead of serving a buffet style craft lunch, all food will be individually packaged as lunchboxes to minimize the risk of transferring germs.

These are just a few of our new protocols. If you would like to learn more about Fifth Story’s shooting procedures, download our free COVID-19 Filming Guide or contact us directly at info@fifthstory.com.