Updated Safety and Production Guidelines
Dear friends, family, and colleagues,
As the Summer gives way to Fall and the world begins once again to strive in earnest toward a new normal, it falls to each of us to determine what nature of normal we should seek and how we can make it better than the one we left behind some eighteen months ago. What this means, and how to act on it, are deeply personal questions for everyone who chooses to ask them. This is no different for us. 178 Blank Productions is a small and close-knit team of creative and innovative people, united by our unwavering passion for the art and craft of filmmaking. As such, it will always be my first priority, and the first priority of this company as a whole, to ensure the safety, health, and wellbeing of our team as we grow through these uncertain times.
In consideration thereof, it is both my responsibility and my pleasure to deliver the following announcements:
Beginning on September 1st, 178 Blank Productions will require all on-set personnel to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19. This is a necessary step to ensure the safety of our cast, crew, and colleagues, as well as to protect our community. Medical and religious exemptions will be made as necessary on a case-by-case basis. Our overall COVID-19 Safety Plan remains in effect until further notice, and will continue to be enforced on set regardless of vaccination status. Visit 178blank.com/covid for more information on our COVID policies.
178 Blank Productions stands in support of the IATSE push for Reasonable Rest periods and reasonable working hours for film crews. As producers and filmmakers, we know that our craft is impossible without the absolute dedication and hard work of our crew. As working professionals, though, each and every one of us knows the feeling of having our dedication and integrity abused in bad faith by an industry which prioritizes profit over all else. Of course, we strive for success as a company and we push ever onward toward excellence as filmmakers, but we are humans first, and we will not choose either over the well-being of our team. For as long as our company is in operation, we will bind our productions to a maximum 12-hour day. Additionally, we will require 12-hour turnarounds for all 178 Blank shoots, barring any extreme circumstances, to ensure that every member of our crew has time to eat, sleep, do laundry, and in all other respects live a normal human life. We recognize that a company of our size will not singlehandedly change the culture of our industry as a whole, and all the same we take pride in being a part of that change. After all, such a shift has to begin somewhere, and it would be an honor to let it begin with us.
We are constantly moving toward bigger and better things. Some truly exciting projects are about to enter pre-production, and you will no doubt hear more about them as they draw closer. As we progress and grow, though, it is extremely important to us that we never lose sight of the idealistic vision that began this company, the unilateral perseverance that has allowed it to develop, and the absolute love of our art that keeps us looking ever forward. Today, as with every day, we are truly grateful for the support of our community, and we can’t wait to share with you the next chapter in our story.
Thank you always,
Andrew Nibbi
CEO, 178 Blank Productions