This recommendation and guidance is meant for a wide audience and may not apply to your production. Please reach out to your Netflix Representative with any questions.
Many of our self-managed productions, as well as those managed by our partners, have asked for additional guidance on the coronavirus (COVID-19) as it relates to Composers who have live orchestral score or song recordings booked in the coming weeks.
In addition to the guidelines below, we suggest you regularly consult national, state and local government agency guidance, including from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The CDC’s guidelines for businesses and employers is available at: www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/community/organizations/businesses-employers.html.
This is a rapidly evolving situation, and information in this document will be updated as it becomes available. At the advice of our Health & Safety Team at Netflix, Composers should follow these guidelines:
- Score Recordings typically have session players who can’t socially distance because of their mic placements, which may lead to the spread of bodily fluids (i.e. spit valves, sweat, aerosols, etc).
- Live Orchestral Recording Sessions should be avoided when possible.
- We should use the Composer’s MIDI Sessions that have been mixed and sweetened as required. A soloist overdub, sweetening, samples and programming may be added to enhance these sessions.
- Choral and or Vocal sessions should be cleared through safety and Netflix Music.
- Composers, engineers, musicians, etc. should adhere to all government and union regulations around Covid-19.
- For Scores or Songs that require live orchestral recording, Netflix has provided a Covid 19: Production Risk Assessment (Scoring/Song Recording) to be reviewed by the production.
- This risk assessment is essential for Self-Managed productions and should be shared with your Netflix Post, Music and Security & Safety executive prior to recording.
- This risk assessment is not essential for Partner Managed, but strongly encouraged as it informs helpful guidelines and is to be used as needed.
- For Los Angeles based recording sessions, studios must follow the County of Los Angeles Department of Public Health Order. Please have your studio manager complete Appendix J and post onsite. For Self-Managed projects please return a copy to your Netflix Representative.
- Examples of completed Scoring/Song risk assessments.
- Some key points/considerations being addressed as part of the Scoring Risk Assessment: (Written for UCAN but could be applied universally)
- Testing of musicians can be implemented before scoring/recording or an approved medic will clear the personnel via a questionnaire in advance and on-site daily temperature checks. Some international recording venues (AIR Studios, Abbey Road) are implementing their own health questionnaires for musicians.
- Personnel to monitor social distancing and limit the amount of personnel to adhere to government regulations.
- In areas such as hallways where six feet of distance is not possible, stagger the use of the spaces to keep distance. Do not congregate in hallways, elevators or other common spaces.
- Musicians and personnel wear PPE when possible and have hand sanitizers readily available.
- Travel separately to and from the stage, avoiding public transportation.
- Social distancing, cleaning protocol and personal hygiene considerations need to be outlined as part of the safety planning, as transmission of the virus through the use of instruments (i.e. spit valves on brass and wind instruments) can cause potential additional exposure to COVID-19.
- Engineering Controls -Increased ventilation / airflow in orchestra space should be addressed with the property manager.
- Where brass is involved we are requesting that individual lined receptacles be made available to empty spit valves.
- Where solo singers are involved, consider requesting that musicians and vocalists bring their own personal pop filters and sanitize them themselves. Also, consider requesting that clients not move mics and stands.
- Iso booths for any solo singers.
- Cleaning protocols for musical instruments, music sheets, microphones, etc. before arriving to the stage and after the session concludes.
- Emergency Action Plan to address what music team will do if a case is confirmed
- Catering protocols.
- Closed, lined trash receptacles.
- Music sheets will be disposed of each day and replaced.
- To hit launch, if a live score can’t be accomplished the composer should lean into MIDI score, programming, soloists, and this should be used in your final mixes.
- In the event of any COVID-19-related incidents or any travel-related impacts please reach out to safe@netflix.com or call +1 (408) 877-SAFE (7233) for further guidance.
- For any questions related to the guidelines above, please contact your Post-Production Supervisor or Producer who can relay the concern to the appropriate Netflix Representative.