Protocols Based on 'The Safe Way Forward' Multi-Union Report Released in JuneLos Angeles -The unions representing casts and crews today announced they have reached an agreement with the major studios on protocols to allow the industry to safely re-open. The protocols pave the way for creative workers, who have been hard hit by the pandemic, to resume their crafts and livelihoods in workplaces redesigned around their health. Guiding principles include strictly enforced testing regimens and safety protocols, a zone-based system, and diligent use of personal protective equipment (PPE). The new measures will be implemented by employers in order to minimize the risk of transmission. To ensure workers' livelihoods are not burdened with added uncertainty during the pandemic, the agreement also includes COVID-19 sick leave and quarantine pay.The agreement is the outcome of unprecedented coordination and solidarity between the Directors Guild of America (DGA), International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE), International Brotherhood of Teamsters (IBT) and the Basic Crafts, and Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA). This group worked with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP) for months to develop science-based protocols to minimize the risk of transmission, designed with the unique work environments of film and television production in mind.The new guidelines are based on "The Safe Way Forward" report released by the unions in June, and developed in consultation with leading epidemiologists and experts; as well as the preceding industry white paper1 delivered to state governments and agencies to examine the resumption of production.Key highlights include:• Comprehensive, Mandatory Testing Regimenso  Every member of the cast and crew will be tested before their first day of work to ensure they are not actively infected with the novel coronavirus that causes COVID-19.o  Cast and crew members in the production environment will subsequently undergo a regular testing protocol during the course of their work on the production.o  Lab-based PCR tests, the gold standards of COVID-19 testing accuracy, or rapid PCR tests used in conjunction with lab-based PCR tests, will be allowed. Antigen and antibody tests are not acceptable.• Testing Frequency & The Zone Systemo  In order to ensure the different sections of the production environment are tightlycontrolled, the agreement requires the implementation of a specialized "Zone" system laying out barriers within which those on set can flow based on proximity to cast, level of testing, PPE and the extent to which physical distancing can be observed in the performance of their work. o  Given that performers are uniquely vulnerable because they are not able to utilize PPE and physical distancing when cameras are rolling, the agreement requires more frequent testing - of at least three times a week - for performers as well as those with whom they come into close contact, referred to as "Zone A."o  All other individuals in the production environment will utilize physicaldistancing and PPE at all times. Those who work on set, but not when performersare present without PPE ("Zone B"), must be tested at a minimum of once aweek.o  Workers in production areas other than the set, such as the production office ("Zone C"), must be tested at a minimum of once every two weeks.o  Remote workers associated with the production, but not working in the production environment ("Zone D"), will be tested prior to their first day of employment.• Dedicated COVID-19 Safety Monitoring & Enforcemento  Each production will have a designated COVID-19 compliance supervisor responsible for safety compliance and enforcement, who will be accessible to cast and crew at all times during working hours. To ensure that safety protocols are being followed, the compliance supervisor or a member of their COVID-19 compliance team with training and authority will be physically present on the production from crew call to wrap. The production may hire additional people to work under the compliance supervisor to assist in carrying out the safety duties.• Quarantine Pay & Sick Pay Sick Leaveo  All employees will receive 10 days of COVID-19 paid sick leave, per producer. The leave can be used for any of the eligible COVID-19 events (e.g. testing positive, exhibiting symptoms, isolation or self-quarantines, or when a member of their household tests positive for COVID-19).o  Employees who go on COVID-19 sick leave will be reinstated once they have been cleared to return to work, so long as their position continues to exist. Quarantine Payo  With certain limited exceptions, employees who are required to quarantine or isolate at the request of an employer, or as required by local law, will receive quarantine pay.Additional information about the guidelines can be found on the unions' websites at: www.dga.org, www.sagaftra.org, www.iatse.net, www.teamster.org, and www.ht399.org.Thomas Schlamme, President, Directors Guild of America said, "Getting everyone safely back to sets and back to telling stories in these difficult times has been critical for all of us. To overcome the challenges posed by our unique work, we collaborated with our friends at SAGAFTRA, IATSE and the Teamsters, together with the Producers, to develop a comprehensive set of standards that will allow production to resume while minimizing the risk we, our families and our communities face during this pandemic. It has been a long and complicated journey, and none of it would have been possible without the collaboration and solidarity of our sister guilds and unions. At the DGA, we are forever indebted to the tireless efforts, perseverance and expertise of Steven Soderbergh, Paris Barclay and our entire COVID-19 Return to Work Committee, together with our National Executive Director Russell Hollander. We look forward to getting back to work and once again focusing our talents on telling stories for the world."Gabrielle Carteris, President, Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists said, "SAG-AFTRA members, along with their peers in other entertainment unions, are anxious to get back to work, but safety has to be the highest priority. This agreement establishes sensible, science-based protocols that allow members to return to doing the work they love while managing risk. I am grateful to our sister unions, who pulled together during this extended crisis, as well as to the studios for collaborating on this important issue."Matthew D. Loeb, International President, International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees said, "Though this process was not easy, unprecedented inter-union collaboration and unwavering solidarity enabled our unions to achieve strong COVID-19 protections that will translate into tangibly safer workplaces."Thomas J. O'Donnell, Director, Teamsters Motion Picture & Theatrical Trade Division said, "At long last, I'm confident that these protocols, as rigid and thoughtful as those of any industry in America, will keep crew and cast safe as well as the communities they live and work in. I thank our fellow Film Unions for all their hard work and unprecedented solidarity. I also commend the Major Producers for doing the right thing by their employees in extraordinarily challenging times."Steve Dayan, Chairman of the Hollywood Basic Crafts Unions Secretary-Treasurer, Teamsters Local 399 said, "These joint discussions with our sister guilds and unions to develop Return to Work Protocols with the AMPTP have been truly historic. Together we have carefully reviewed the roles of every crew member involved in production and have fought hard to protect each craft and classification as if they were our own members. We not only shared a common goal of health and safety on the job, but also the preservation of all jobs throughout our Industry in this new COVID-19 world. On behalf of the Basic Crafts and all Teamster Locals in the 13 Western States, we are grateful for this collaborative effort and for the solidarity exhibited throughout the entirety of this process. After 6 months of addressing the devastating impact of COVID-19 on our members, we are ready to support them in their safe return to work and we will continue to advocate for their health and safety every step of the way."ABOUT THE DGAIn the more than 80 years since its founding in 1936, the DGA has fought for the economic and creative rights of its members; protected their ability to financially benefit from the reuse of their work; established strong pension and health plans; and established jurisdiction in new technologies and distribution platforms. Today we represent more than 18,000 directors and members of the directorial team working in film, television, commercials, new media and other audiovisual media.ABOUT SAG-AFTRASAG-AFTRA represents approximately 160,000 actors, announcers, broadcast journalists, dancers, DJs, news writers, news editors, program hosts, puppeteers, recording artists, singers, stunt performers, voiceover artists and other entertainment and media professionals. SAG AFTRA members are the faces and voices that entertain and inform America and the world. A proud affiliate of the AFL-CIO, SAG-AFTRA has national offices in Los Angeles and New York and local offices nationwide representing members working together to secure the strongest protections for entertainment and media artists into the 21st century and beyond.Visit SAG-AFTRA online at sagaftra.orgABOUT IATSEThe International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees or IATSE (full name: International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees, Moving Picture Technicians, Artists and Allied Crafts of the United States, Its Territories and Canada), is a labor union representing over 150,000 technicians, artisans and craftspersons in the entertainment industry, including live theatre, motion picture and television production, broadcast, and trade shows in the United States and Canada.ABOUT IBT MOTION PICTURE DIVISION:The Motion Picture Division of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters represents nearly 20,000 Teamsters in North America who work on feature, television, commercial, and theatrical productions produced across the United States, Canada and around the globe.ABOUT HOLLYWOOD BASIC CRAFTS:The Hollywood Basic Crafts are comprised of approximately 7,500 members that are part of Teamsters Local 399, IBEW Local 40, LiUNA! Local 724, OPCMIA Local 755 and UA Plumbers Local 78. Each Local represents the hard working men and women operating behind the scenes to ensure the success of feature and television production. The Hollywood Basic Crafts Unions represent a wide variety of classifications within the Motion Picture Industry such as: drivers, location professionals, casting directors and associates, animal trainers, wranglers, mechanics, dispatchers, cook helpers, electricians, HVACR technicians, sound installers, generator operators, portable A/C technicians, laborers, plasterers, sculptors, plumbers and more. The Basic Crafts Unions work together to fight on behalf of their members for strong wages, safe working conditions and exceptional benefits.

Updates from the Ridgecrest Regional Film CommissionFall UpdatesWith film production resuming across California, the Ridgecrest Regional Film Commission has been thrilled to welcome shoots back to the region, including a project for Netflix UK. We are continuing to monitor the COVID-19 situation in the region, and have been thankful that numbers have stayed relatively low in Ridgecrest compared to other parts of the county.We will continue to monitor and abide by all state, county, and city regulations, and are following the recommendations put forth in the "Proposed Health and Safety Guidelines for Motion Picture, Television and Streaming Productions During the COVID-19 Pandemic" by the Industry-Wide Labor-Management Safety Committee Task Force. You can read those guidelines in pdf form here. Please feel free to reach out with any questions or concerns at the number or email address below. -The Ridgecrest Regional Film CommissionDuring these unique times, we have had to make many adjustments in the way we market and promote the Ridgecrest Regional Film Commission. We are now pivoting to a more web-based approach, and are excited to be launching a new marketing campaign with TheWrap.com!TheWrap is an award-winning Hollywood news and media site, focused on investigative reporting, columns, criticism, and feature-writing in the entertainment industry. In the coming months, you'll see banners, features, and newsletter content from us across the site. Featured Project: HolesDid you know Disney's Holes was filmed in Ridgecrest? Due to the heat inside the holes, actors underwent training with stunt guide to help keep them safe while filming in such unique circumstances. Release Change - Top Gun: Maverick (Summer 2021)Top Gun: Maverick shot on location at the Naval Air Weapons Station China Lake as well as Inyokern Airport and Cuddeback Dry Lake Bed. Tom Cruise also shot motorcycle scenes along a stretch of road in south Ridgecrest, as seen in the trailer above. We are beyond excited for the world to see these locations on the big screen, but due to COVID-19 you will have to wait a bit longer. The release has been pushed from December 2020 to July 2021. Location Spotlight:Inyokern AirportAn ideal location for productions requiring an open-air environment with an unobstructed natural background. Paved runways and taxiways can be used for ground vehicle and aircraft scenes, including high-speed operations. Recently used to shoot scenes for Top Gun: Maverick.The Ridgecrest Regional Film Commission is available 24/7 Call us at 760-375-8202 or email us at enalagan@filmridgecrest.comCopyright © 2020 Ridgecrest Area Convention and Visitors Bureau, All rights reserved.RACVB NewsletterOur mailing address is:Ridgecrest Area Convention and Visitors Bureau643 N. China Lake BlvdRidgecrest, Ca 93555

If you require any quotes for your projects during this time of preproduction or for future film under development, please let me know, I would be happy to help. Scroggins Aviation has the largest selection of production ready helicopters and aircraft mockups. We have put new cleaning protocols in place to insure our assets are thoroughly clean prior to shipping, as well as the use of UV-C light cleaning on select assets. No matter where you are at, we also offer services throughout the U.S., Canada, Australia, UK and beyond.A few of our film creditsBad Boys for Life, Hobbs & Shaw, Jumanji: The Next Level, Jurassic World, Triple Frontier, Bumblebee, Deadpool 2, Dunkirk, SULLY, Spiderman: Homecoming and FLIGHT. Visit IMDb for our list of credits.Contact me directly for pricing.Doug Scroggins IIIFounder/CEO702-776-8363 ext. 101702-348-7731 cellDoug@ScrogginsAviation.com/nav>

For the Kentucky Derby Red Carpet Party! Airing 3-4pm EST on KNECT tvProduced by Emmy Awards Producer Kent Speakman Founder KNEKT tvEmmy the Mini Horse has BIG Dreams in Hollywood! Emmy the miniature horse will give you tours of mansions in Los Angeles and visit your crew to bring therapy hugs much needed during this time!(last year the producer of Showtime's L Word a shoot that we booked admin century modern home in LA, Producer invited Emmy down to the set and 100 crew gave her hugs and had a lesson about therapy horses)LOCATION CONNECTION, INC.(818) 422-8127 cell(310) 376-9797www.locationconnection.com

Leading Augmented Reality Services Company Adds Experienced Leader Who Previously Held Posts with Brainstorm, AT&T and Apple, Inc.Glastonbury, CT, August 24, 2020 - Sequin AR, a leader in augmented reality services, has appointed Brad Rumler as the company's new Vice President of Sales. In this newly created position, Rumler will lead Sequin AR's sales and business development efforts further into existing and new market sectors for its augmented reality and virtual production solutions, including Sequin AR's Glimmer Virtual Control software and related service offerings. Additionally, Rumler will also help further develop and expand Sequin's Partnership Channels.Rumler joins Sequin AR with more than 25 years of experience, primarily within the Australian, U.S., and Canadian markets, holding in-house positions with top technology companies working across the disciplines of graphics, broadcast, VFX, and IT. Prior to joining Sequin, Rumler most recently served as Vice President of Sales for Brainstorm, a real-time graphics solutions company that collaborated with global broadcasters and studios in the U.S. and Canadian markets."Brad is the ideal person to lead our sales efforts into the future, said Robert DeFranco, Sequin AR's Co-founder and Chief Executive. "The COVID-19 pandemic has, without question, increased the need for virtual production, virtual sets, and augmented reality across multi-media platforms. We are confident that Brad's expertise will be vital in helping our clients navigate these new technological waters, and getting these clients back into new waves of production more quickly than they may have believed possible.Adds Rumler, "I'm thrilled to be part of the team at Sequin AR after having worked with them as a solution provider for last year's Billboard Music Awards for Madonna's performance which won multiple awards. Having spent the last seven years successfully growing revenue and expanding the client base for a real-time graphics software company, I intend to position Sequin AR as the industry leader for augmented reality creative, real-time VFX production, broadcast production, system integration, and consulting services."ABOUT BRAD RUMLER:Before joining Sequin AR, Brad Rumler was Vice President of Sales/U.S. & Canada, for Brainstorm U.S., Inc. (2013 to 2020). In that post, he provided dynamic, real-time 3D graphics, augmented reality, and virtual set solutions to clients based across the U.S. and Canada, including many of the world's top broadcasters. Earlier, he was the Sales & Marketing Director (U.S. and Canada) for Toolson Air USA, where he helped launch that new distribution company and sales channel, featuring its "TV Station in a Mac" concept.From 2010 to 2011, Rumler was a Mobility Applications Consultant for AT&T, where he ensured that AT&T team members were trained on and employed best solution selling practices to drive sales of mobility application solutions. During 2003 to 2010, Rumler was a Senior Account Executive/Broadcast & Post-Production, with Apple, Inc. First based in the U.S. covering 25 states, and later in Sydney, Australia, for Apple, Rumler leveraged relationships with key channel partners to secure a high volume of new broadcast and post-production clients.ABOUT SEQUIN AR:Founded in 2019, Sequin AR is a creative Augmented Reality content company based in Glastonbury, CT. The company provides augmented reality creative, real-time VFX production, broadcast production, system integration, and consulting services to a broad range of clients working across all media platforms, around the world. Among the company's milestones to date: Providing viral AR content (which netted over a billion views) for Madonna in conjunction with her 2019 Billboard Music Awards performance.Represented by top Hollywood talent agency ICM, Sequin AR has a proven track record of increasing production value for its projects, and of providing new narrative possibilities for audience engagement, while saving on production costs.Sequin AR was founded by Lawrence Jones and Robert DeFranco. The men previously worked at The Future Group, where their projects included the flooding visualizations for The Weather Channel, and an AR-enhanced performance by K/DA at the 2018 League of Legends World Championship Finals. The duo also received an Emmy nomination for the augmented reality work they did for the 2019 Super Bowl. Additionally, Jones and DeFranco worked with Epic Games Unreal Engine, the company behind the successful Fortnite video game.To learn more about Sequin AR's augmented reality and virtual production solutions and services, please visit https://www.sequinar.com//nav>

THE 2020 LOCATION MANAGERS GUILD INTERNATIONAL AWARDSTHE LMGI AWARDS are an internationally recognized celebration of the outstanding contributions of location professionals in television, commercials and feature films. The Awards spotlight our craft, honoring productions in which the creative use of film locations set the tone, enrich the character and inspire the narrative. Film commissions are celebrated for their exemplary service and additional honorees include recipients of the Eva Monley, Humanitarian Award, Lifetime Achievement and Trailblazer Awards.Submissions were up by 60% this year, dramatically increasing the competition in all categories. We received over two hundred qualified international submissions, each one a winner, successfully illustrating the art of locations. Refining these submissions to a field of finalists was arduous and challenging. We heartily applaud them all - and wish each and all of the nominees below the best of luck!

Dear Friends,I'm so happy to announce that we're back! Our sales and service team are at work 8:00am to 5:00pm Monday through Friday. And we are happy to serve all of your grip equipment needs-from product orders and technical questions, to service and replacement parts. Need us? Please call, email or contact us on social media. We're here to help!We've ramped up manufacturing and enhanced our stocking capabilities with increased warehouse space, now stocked with thousands of different products ready for your production needs. If we don't have what you need on the shelf, our in-house manufacturing can get it done in a matter of days or weeks depending on the gear.Plus, we're taking safety precautions in everything we do. We've installed dividers, placed sanitizing stations around the factory, issued personal protective equipment and spaced workers out to comply with CDC guidelines. Additionally, we've trained and appointed a Covid-19 compliance officer to help ensure that both staff and customers are as safe as possible. Speaking of safety, you might want to check out our new Sheet Adapter Kit. lt's great for building custom dividers to protect against virus transmission onset, plus it comes in handy when you least expect it for utilizing standard grip equipment. And, please don't forget to check out the latest tools and tips from Matthews University. We're adding content each week.Stay safe! Stay healthy! Stay positive!

FilmLA resumed coordination of film permits starting on Monday, June 15. Please see our latest Production Alert and growing list of areas reopening to filming.As we reopen, in order to allow time for government review and community notification, the earliest available filming date for low-complexity shoots will be Friday, June 19.By order of state and local authorities, on-location filming was shut down in the City and County of Los Angeles from March 20 through June 11, due to the COVID-19 pandemic.On June 5, California Governor Gavin Newsom announced that counties throughout the state could begin reopening to film, television and commercial production starting on June 12A modified health order from the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health followed on June 12, authorizing filming to resume.The LA County health protocols applicable to film production are now available from the County's website. These protocols must be agreed to as a condition of film permit release.Governor Newsom's decision followed the June 1 release of new Health and Safety Guidelines, prepared by the Industry Wide Labor Management Safety Committee (IWLMSC) Task Force. These guidelines serve as a resource to the industry. You may access those Safety Guidelines here.

Some states are starting to re-open their businesses while California is expected to follow suit starting May 9^th and will be following the four stages (and we are not talking sound stages) as outlined by Governor Newsom and his administration:• Stage 1 (where we started) is making sure essential workers are consistently safe in their work environments. • Stage 2 (starting May 9^th) would allow lower-risk businesses and public spaces to re-open with modifications to allow for distancing. This means factories, more-spaced out work stations and non-grocery retail stores with curbside pickup. • Stage 3 is for higher risk business like hair salons, gyms, movie theaters and sporting events without fans. • Stage 4 would allow concerts, conventions and sporting events with fans to re-open.So, how will all of this affect YOUR business' operation or Production Company going forward? Depending upon which stage your business falls under, your day-to-day operation may continue to function remotely for a while longer or may need to start planning on how to operate "under one roof" while keeping employees safe. Besides being affected by the stage time-frame (since these are sequential - stage 3 & 4 could be months away), there are other factors that might hinder your business' efficiency. Let's look at ways on how the premier technology rental company serving the entertainment industry, eTech Rentals, can help you overcome these additional challenges so you can operate productively and effectively until business returns to the "new normal".Can't Find Latest Mobile TechnologyIt has widely been reported that the virus outbreak in China has affected technology manufacturing sectors including phones to laptops, iPads to gaming consoles. This could be a problem if you and your team need the latest and greatest tech equipment especially if you are working on a high-end graphics project or FX editing. One way to overcome this challenge is to consider renting technology equipment, and eTech Rentals, the leading technology rental company in Los Angeles, can get you the technology you need.eTech Rentals offers the newest MacPro for rent at competitive rates, and can deliver same-day in Los Angeles. If your production team has a hodge-podge of mobile technology, why not get your staff the same models on a short-term basis? We rent laptops, and our rental inventory is stocked with the same make and model with bulk rate pricing. Of course, if you are planning on setting up a new production company for your latest project, eTech Rentals can assist with that too! We know the entertainment business and have partnered with many production companies and are experienced in setting up production office equipment rentals. eTech Rentals will make sure that the technology you need is set-up and ready to go when and where you need it. Missing Essential Home Office EquipmentAs your staff has finally adjusted to their remote office environment, have they expressed frustration about having poor WiFi or needing a piece of equipment that isn't available at their home? If so, there are some easy fixes to these annoyances. To improve connectivity at home/remote office, rent 5G wifi for your staff. eTech Rentals, a wireless internet rental provider, carries the newest 5g hotspot product, that offers incredibly fast internet speeds with quicker uploads/downloads and no buffering. Now, that's a way to improve employee productivity!Does your accounting or legal team need to physically print documents and they don't want to use their own personal printer? eTech Rentals has printer rentals available today and ready to deliver in Los Angeles. So, don't wait another day to take care of this for your staff and get it off their To Do list!Rescheduling of Events/Film FestivalsWe know that many global events were cancelled due to COVID-19. But what if you want to showcase a short-film or animated film to a select group in the next couple of months? One possible solution is to host a virtual meeting or film festival. By creating a live streaming event, you can create a unique online experience for film-goers. Not sure how to put on a virtual event in Los Angeles? eTech Rentals is now offering video streaming services. Learn more about video conferencing rentals and ask us about our live-streaming solution which provides a safe alternative to in-person events.Planning for the Next Phases with Technology RentalseTech Rentals can help you plan your next steps as California starts the process of re-opening for business. We have a large portfolio of name-brand technology rentals in stock and ready to deliver, same day in Los Angeles. If needed, we can custom configure our gear to your company standard and remotely manage, if you want.In addition, we are committed to the health and safety of our employees and customers. eTech Rentals offers the newest technology in top condition, and rigorously cleans all equipment upon return and prior to delivery to your location. We also have a contact-free delivery option.Give eTech Rentals a call today at 877-738-3246 or email us at rentals@etechrentals.com to learn more about our rental products that can help your business or production company continue to operate efficiently and productively.Contact Details:eTech Rentalswww.etechrentals.com(p): 877-738-3246(e): Rentals@etechrentals.com