Film office for Edinburgh, East Lothian and the Scottish Borders
Film office for Edinburgh, East Lothian and the Scottish Borders
COVID-19 Location Filming Action List
7 August 2020
The City of Edinburgh Council today adopted the COVID-19 Location Filming Action List, aligned to the Scottish Government's Coronavirus Guidance and sitting alongside the city's Code of Practice for Filming. This will allow filming to be reintroduced to the city in a managed and recorded way, forming part of the city's recovery agenda.
Adopted first by Film London, Creative England and Film Offices UK, Film Edinburgh adapted the Action list for use in Scotland, in line with Scottish Government COVD-19 guidance.
The primary purpose of the Action List is to ensure that Edinburgh location filming complies with Scottish Government COVID-19 safety guidance and that filming activity does not increase the risk of spreading COVID-19 in the public domain. The guidance supports and compliments the sector guidelines for the safe filming of high-end TV drama and feature films; broadcast TV; commercials and photoshoots.
Scottish Government guidance may differ from UK Government guidance and filmmakers must make sure they can comply with current Scottish guidance.
The Action List is dynamic and will be amended as and when changes in Scottish Government guidance are published, until such time that the Action List is deemed superfluous and will therefore be removed.
As with the remainder of the Code of Practice, complying with the Action List does not constitute permission to film but clearly lays out what is expected of any production wishing to film in the city during Covid-19. Each request to film will be taken on a case by case basis, with a Notice of No Objection issued to productions that can demonstrate safe plans to film in public spaces. Risk assessment and method statements must take into consideration public safety, with additional support from Environmental Health and Public Safety for large-scale and/or lengthy productions.
The Covid-19 location filming guidelines require all production companies wishing to film in public spaces to:
- Schedule sufficient planning time to allow for additional Covid-19 measures needed on location and additional liaison with Film Edinburgh;
- Provide Risk Assessments and Method Statements including full assessment of Covid-19 specific risks associated with the production’s proposed activity at each location, including risks to the public;
- Ensure all those involved with the production are aware of their own responsibilities regarding the implementation of the Risk Assessment;
- Avoid any last-minute changes that cause an alteration of the risks associated with the agreed Risk Assessment and Method Statement;
- Maintain the required safe distance from other people (public, residents, businesses etc);
- Maintain the required safe distance from each other;
- In extenuating circumstances, where crew cannot work at the required safe distance from each other, take sufficient mitigating actions;
- Undertake rigorous cast, crew and equipment sanitisation;
- Reduce the number of people on any location to an absolute minimum at all times;
- Avoid causing the public to gather to view the shoot or to crowd together to pass one another;
- Display signage to highlight Covid-19 safety precautions and request the public to keep a safe distance away.
The Covid-19 location filming action list further acknowledges that priority is to be given to public for exercise and leisure purposes.