Issue link: http://digital.copcomm.com/i/1314046
C A S Q U A R T E R L Y I FA L L 2 0 2 0 19 either custom made or routinely used in the medical field and nothing less. Others find a UVC device on Amazon with questionable efficacy. Others are opting to skip any use of UVC or being told NOT to use them. Some productions' health & safety teams and studios are requesting efficacy paperwork if you do wish to use a UVC devices. I don't know where I land on this yet but feel it will take standards and further establishing precedents to land on a path forward with regard to the use of UVC sanitation devices. But what if you do decide to use one. Are the various models we find on the internet that are powered only by a 5V USB source sufficient to offer confidence to our clients that the equipment is being sanitized? Or is it just smoke and mirrors offered to create a false sense of calm? Or better yet, does the use of UVC even matter anymore as we are potentially not as concerned with surface touch points, as this virus seems to spread more efficiently through person-to-person air droplets while unmasked in close proximity in low airflow interiors? My personal take is that baking every device with UVC may not be advantageous. The wireless transmitter packs which we affix to the actors are not so much a concern as a viral spread media. If the actors understand that, it's reasonable to keep confidence that we're keeping the equipment sanitized with 70 percent isopropyl alcohol, so it's nice and clean regardless of a pandemic happening. I do think it's important to assign the lav mic itself to a specific actor and keep that assignment as such. This may not always be possible in everyone's inventory. Even more difficult to guarantee is the exclusive transmitter pack assignment. This is difficult because, on some shows, large cast counts require you to reutilize transmitters for different actors who are not all in the same scenes together. Or, what if you have some transmitter assignments that work well on stage insulated from the crowded RF/DTV environment, but a shuffle is needed when working outdoors to UHF band havens with much less DTV or public safety frequencies to coordinate around? A lot of nuanced RF technical considerations there, but the gist of it is there may be several reasons why you could not guarantee an exclusive transmitter assignment structure, even if it's a reasonable request from production. So, on to what really should be looked after when thinking about sanitation and touch points: The IFB packs and headsets we distribute. These are another set of items that even pre-pandemic required special attention from us. The headphones themselves should all be individually assigned to a person and kept for a shoot. The IFB pack itself is dealer's choice on long-term distribution. They are pricey and easy to misplace. If they are returned like normal as we did in the "before time," they should be sanitized by your preferred method upon return. Even with the knowledge that the virus may not be as transmissible with an object, stacking the deck with frequent cleaning is still important. Personally, I'm not sure where I stand with UVC baking versus slathering our devices with 70 percent isopropyl alcohol. On one hand, what the use of a UVC device could offer is both a display of diligence to your clients and colleagues, plus a way to prevent the over-soaking of our electronic equipment with chemicals. Perhaps moderation or a balance of one or the other or both could suffice? Perhaps we will know more in the coming months as we continue to assess, develop, and expand safety protocols. Either way, I think if we take any initiative, we are ahead of the game. From top: Shure gooseneck condenser mic with Sescom in-line push-to-talk switch to be mounted on director's video village for intimate talent communication; anchor mini battery-powered speaker and aLectrosonics LRreceiver placed on setfor intimate talent communication. CONCLUSION Working amidst a global viral pandemic is not something any of us have ever faced. Just looking at photos from the 1920's, including ones where Hollywood productions were filming, does not do justice for what we're experiencing today. However, we're able to write our history on how we handle the situation in front of us. There are so many moving parts and there are so many different world views on how to properly handle the situation we are faced with. As we all return to work, I hope we make the wisest decisions based on available scientific information so that history remembers us kindly. If we can find a balance, take things slow, appreciate what we have, and be kind to one another—and ourselves—we can get through anything. We are problem solvers.