IMDA Clarifies That Tighter Safe Distancing Measures Do Not Lead to Ban of On Location Shoots2 min read

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On Thursday 26 March, the Government announced tighter safe distancing measures, including fines of up to $10,000 and jail time of up to six months for non-compliance.

Under these measures, organisers of events that are not prohibited must not allow more than 10 people to be present or take part, unless these are conducted in the course of business at a workplace or an educational institution.

This has raised concerns amongst the film and TV production industry – with a key concern being how it would affect on location shoots given crew sizes and how shoots would not able to comply with the distancing measures.

The Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA) has issued a clarification there is no ban on both indoors and outdoors on location shoots.

Sinema.SG has clarified that video production is classified as work, and hence would not fall under the measures of having not more than 10 people to be present or take part.

While the IMDA letter could prove to be valuable in proving the legality of the film shoots, productions would still be a need to comply with safe distancing measures.

These measures states that people in Singapore who intentionally sit down less than 1m away from another person in a public space, or on a fixed seat marked as not to be occupied, or who stand in a queue less than 1m away from another person, will be guilty of an offence.

Furthermore, productions would also have to comply with an earlier statement by the Ministry of Health stating that the operating capacity of venues must be ensured to have no more than one person per 16 square metres.