American Cinematographer - May 2022 - 55

Left: Cinematographer Peter James, ASC, ACS (pointing) on location
with B-camera operator/2nd-unit director of photography Richard
Bradshaw (middle) and director Bruce Beresford while shooting
Ladies in Black. Right: Anthony inspects a mountain-climbing rig.
difference in the industry after his death. "
James is no stranger to risky situations after working on projects
across the globe that have included rugged shoots in extreme weather
(Black Robe) and at high altitudes (Alive), and he has nothing but praise
for the role safety coordinators now play on sets. " I'm thrilled that someone
is taking charge. In the U.S., productions submit storyboards to the
DGA, and they are assessed for stunts and risk, but I've been on sets
where that hasn't been done.
" In Australia, where sets are controlled by safety officers, we'll have a
special meeting to discuss any stunts or anything remotely dangerous.
Even when we do a location scout, we take the safety officer with us, and
they write an assessment report for every location. "
The chief advantage, says James, is that safety officers remove any
conflict of interest. " The AD may see the presence of safety officers as a
threat to their authority and their control of the set, but you aren't giving
away control. You have someone else who is part of the crew, in the same
way that the sound crew, the production officer or the cinematographer
are part of the crew. "
A major contributor to better safety on Australian sets is the " collective
duty of care " principle. Under both the Screen Safe guidelines and
Australian legislation, anyone considered a Person Conducting Business
or Undertaking (PCBU) - or " who engages, directs, manages or controls
the work of other people " on set - has a legal obligation to ensure a
duty of care to people under their supervision.
Ray Anthony of Stunt Action Consultants notes that this mandate
is reinforced by the guidelines' recommendation to use experienced
and certified safety coordinators at each stage of production - not
just on set. " In Australia, you need to go through our MEAA union to
qualify as a film-industry safety coordinator, " he says, noting that other
requirements include 10 years of experience as a stunt performer as well
as training from Australia's WHS. " I was a stunt performer for 15 years,
then got graded as a safety coordinator, and now I'm also graded as a
stunt coordinator. "
Although he specializes in water shoots, Anthony says most Australian
safety coordinators are multiskilled and versatile. They have the
power to shut down a set if it is deemed unsafe and can overrule the
stunt coordinators - although a producer can still override a safety officer.
If that happens, he says, " you walk away from the shoot and production
and go home so that you're not involved in decision-making at
any stage. This will absolve you from legal action in court. Fortunately,
I've only had to do that twice in 27 years. "
Anthony says producers and directors are generally supportive of
safety officers. " It's all about budget. When you have a hundred people
on set who you are paying for, and the safety officer deems your location
or action unsafe, you're going to butt heads with someone at some point.
But it's better than killing or injuring someone, which will change your
life forever.
" What I try to do is to give them another option. I'm not there to hinder
the shoot or to stop them - or end up in a court of law. So, I look for
a way to shoot more safely if we can. And if we can't, then you need to
change the script or the action. "
The New Zealand film industry has similar guidelines, developed
after the establishment of WorkSafe New Zealand in 2013. WorkSafe
is a workplace health and safety agency that was formed following the
Pike River Mine disaster that resulted in the deaths of 29 coal miners
in 2010. It has brought sweeping changes to New Zealand's workplace
safety laws.
Cinematographer Richard Bluck, NZCS, a former president of New
MAY 2022 / 55
American Cinematographer - May 2022

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