After Hollywood's Covid protocols officially come to an end today, a new discussion begins. Just how much did all of these protocols cost? The answer? An estimated $223 million in California alone.
While we can never truly know the exact cost, the California Film Commission came up with the number based on multiple reports, based on the 92 feature films and seven TV series that received the state's tax incentives.
The protocol began in September 2020 after an agreement was reached between Hollywood's unions and the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers in order to help protect not only the safety but the livelihood of its members.
According to the California Film Commission, approximately 40% of Covid-related expenditures on productions in the state go to labor costs, including positions such as Covid supervisors, coordinators, and medical personnel. The remaining 60% of expenditures go towards materials such as tests, sanitation stations, face shields, PPE masks, and outside testing contractors.
One of the most controversial aspects of the protocols was the vaccination mandates, which were added in July 2021. Producers were given the option to implement mandatory vaccination policies for casts and crew in Zone A, the area where unmasked actors work. However, opponents of the mandates argued that they discriminated against those who refused to be vaccinated. The mandates were also subject to reasonable accommodations for individuals who could not be vaccinated due to disability or religious beliefs, but opponents argued that these exceptions were rarely honored.
Covid testing for productions also ends on May 11, although the Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA) and the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP) have reached an agreement on continued testing through July 31, 2023. During this time, performers and background actors working in scenes involving close or intimate contact or extreme exertion will have the right to request Covid antigen self-administered testing of themselves and other performers and background actors with whom they will be working in close or intimate contact.
