After months suspended production, Netflix is slowly resuming the shooting of shows and films in some countries.
As per the Chief Content Officer Ted Sarandos, production has already begun in South Korea, Iceland and Japan. Sweden could start this month while Norway is aiming for July.
Sarandos wrote on Los Angeles Times:
“Because Netflix shows and films are made around the globe, we’re starting to learn how to get production going again despite the crisis.”
He added that while the process usually involves a large crew with people working closely, the platform will have to adapt and change its approach for ensuring safety.
Sarandos also provided insight on how it’s been possible to produce in the aforementioned countries.
In South Korea, only those with symptoms can test. The cast and crew of series such as ‘Made to Heaven’ and ‘Love Alarm’ are regularly checked for signs of infection. If someone shows symptoms, the production is halted and they undergo testing.
Iceland offers mass testing, so the cast crew of ‘Katla’ were able to get tested, which came out negative. Despite this, rigorous precautions have been employed during the whole schedule.
It’s not possible to test on the same scale in Sweden. To tackle this, the cast and crew of ‘Love and Anarchy’ will self-quarantine for 14 days before the shoot and continue it throughout the 11 days of shooting as well.
“Equally important are protocols to maintain high standards of hygiene on set, including readily available hand sanitizer, masks and gloves as well as social distancing for the crew,” The Netflix chief added.
The way different countries are tackling the crisis gives hope for film and show production. It’s important to assess the specific situation of a country to derive a suitable solution.
It’ll be interesting how India approaches the resumption of production. Filmmakers have suggested it will be tougher for big films with huge crews compared to smaller films.
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