We are aware of the challenges and risks that such a production involves and we have established strict safety protocols for both personnel and data and have calculated in the budget higher contingencies.
We have put in place:
– Strict security protocols for the film crew, who has undergone specific training provided by the Ukrainian army and has specific accreditation and protection;
– We are providing protective equipment (helmets, bullet-proof waistcoats) to the film crew;
– Limited and secure use of means of communication during filming;
– Use of encrypted storage hard drives and dissemination of rushes to several locations in Kyiv to avoid the risk of losing them due to possible rocket attacks. In the process of editing, we have created security copies of the project to be able to move all processes to another place if necessary.
The entire country is now determined as the war zone. We are following the safety rules of travelling by trains and in the equipped cars, with a small crew of 4 people: director, cinematographer, sound operator and local producer. The local producer is also a driver, location manager, and as we call him “a mama and a papa” for the rest of the crew. The equipped car transportation provides the flexibility to the team ready to leave the location immediately if there is an air strike alarm or if at any moment the location is perceived as risky or dangerous by at least one member of the crew.