Actors’ Union in Turkey: “Stop The Sets Immediately’

The most important measure we should take is not to leave our homes while the Covid-19 epidemic which has taken hold of the world as well as Turkey goes on. Unfortunately, this is not possible for some professional groups. The set employees, who are always on the agenda with disadvantaged working conditions, have to work during the coronavirus outbreak this time. Actors’ Union which struggles for the rights of employees of cinema, television, advertisement and voiceover sectors repeats the call for urgently stopping the sets.

Actors’ Union’s General Secretary Taner Rumeli and Board Member Tuba Erdem state that the sets are not permanent offices with few employees as well as not being controllable workplaces. Emphasizing that nearly 100 people travel around the city and film at various locations, they say that this situation which risks the health of not just the set employees and actors but of everyone, should be corrected as soon as possible and that the sets should be stopped immediately.

First of all, can you briefly describe the working environment in the sets for those who have not seen any set environments before or who do not know how the shows or movies are filmed?

Taner Rumeli: First of all, the sets are workplaces with an average of 70-80 people. According to the scenario, the number of employees can reach 100 and above. The routine is as follows: Employees arrive to certain meeting points by public transport, and then they are taken to the sets by shuttles. Some of the players are picked up from their homes, some of them go to the meeting points and reach the sets with shuttles.

Tuba Erdem: Our sets are very open to risks because of their complex and variable structures. Therefore, the risks we face vary according to the locations where the films are shooted. We use all the locations as places of filming. In fact, every location you see can be our workplace. For example, we shoot in the mines, under water, in the air, in traffic, in shipyards, in everywhere you can think of. Unfortunately, since we try to shoot 180-minute shows in five days, there is no time to identify the risks of the locations we shoot at. Our sets are working areas that are classified as “Dangerous”. Currently, we have a way of working without taking the necessary precautions to prevent corona virus transmission. Because, due to the nature of the work we do and the bad working conditions in our workplaces, it is not possible to take the necessary measures.

Because of the coronavirus, people are asked not to go out unnecessarily, maintain social distance, and avoid contact with others. To what extent is it possible to meet these conditions in sets?

Taner Rumeli: People come to sets aka their work environments from various parts of the city and it is not possible to prevent the employees from touching each other due to the nature of the sets. It is not possible for the costumier who will dress the actor not to touch the costume or touch the player, or prevent contact. It is not possible for the make-up artist to apply makeup without touching the actor. Sets are crowded environments where a lot of people work. Apart from those, foods come from outside, from catering companies. Collectively brought meals are eaten often in the open air, which may be cooked in unprotected environments where conditions are not apparent. In a set where so many people work, it is not possible to prevent contact. Also, the working age range in our workplaces is quite wide! There are children in the sets as well as the elderly. Schools were interrupted for now, but child actors are still working on the sets. Moreover, they work in the same environment as adults within the risk groups in terms of age.

The sets are unfortunately places with heavy working conditions and where unsecure circumstances predominate. Are there any precautions against coronavirus in the sets which continue to work? Are there at least measures such as disinfectants or masks?

Taner Rumeli: Some sets are said to have taken precautions regarding that. This can be done in controlled set areas. But in sets such as series and movie sets, that are sets that do not operate in plateaus and indoor spaces, which are mostly open or real locations, these conditions depend on many other variables. Even if you make the set environment hygienic, you will not know how hygienic the street would be. Because they are mostly filmed on the streets where everyday life flows. So you need to take control of an entire neighborhood, which would not be possible.

Tuba Erdem: Yes, we have heard about sets with hygienic conditions in closed environments, but we do not know how preventive this is for now. As we said, there is such a problem in the nature of the work. Set employees are already working unsecured and for quite long hours. Set employees are obliged to be in the set environment until the work is finished. We cannot know if the measures will work as the conditions are tough and the work is done in such stuffy environments.

Continuation of the sets risks the health of the public as well as the staff and the actors on the sets. Because the TV shows / cinema shoots are not stable but multi-located. Houses, restaurants, hospitals are used as shooting venues. You often mention these in your posts. Can you explain this side of the consequences of not interrupting the sets?

Taner Rumeli: The answer to this question is actually hidden among your other questions, all of these problems are linked in a set. Real spaces are used in the sets and it is not possible to control all of them. People come to the set by public transport, it is not possible to maintain control here, the average age of the set varies. Considering these factors, the sets are classified as dangerous workplaces. Therefore, sets should be stopped during epidemic conditions.

In your announcements on social media you defend the rights of not only the set employees but also the voiceover artists. What can voiceover artists who work in small rooms that are poorly ventilated do to protect themselves against the virus?

Tuba Erdem: Our main wish is the recordings to stop for at least two weeks which is specified as the incubation period. We know that the demands of our members, who make up a large part of the voice over sector, are towards this direction. If the recordings cannot be stopped, we have solution suggestions such as sending the recordings from homes, entering the studio with fewer people, ensuring that those with illnesses other than coronavirus not to work during their illnesses and ensuring that studio owners take the highest level of measures to ensure the hygiene of the environment. We take recordings by standing 5 centimeters away from the microphones in closed, small, air-conditioned studios and sometimes we record altogether with 7-8 people. For this reason, it is not possible for us to take the necessary measures to protect against corona virus. For example, I am a voiceover director. On Tuesday I had to record a TV show. I talked to the owner of our studio, they immediately made a deal with a company and the whole building was disinfected. Let me tell you how to disinfect the studios, what we recommend to our members and employees:

• Disinfectants for use in pump sprays are purchased by the studio
• At the same time, ultraviolet light will be applied to each room for one hour in a row.
• Hand disinfectants are purchased.
• Outsourced courier or food delivery personnel were strictly recommended to stay outside the studio as well as being cautious when exchanging packages and money.
• During the dubbing process, it was recommended to enter the off-tube in separate sessions as much as possible instead of entering collectively.
• Ultraviolet light can be applied between dubbing hours.

In the light of all this, when you have to continue working due to ongoing records, please note the following:

1- Request to postpone the sessions of all non-emergency recordings and to work from home whenever possible.

2- If you have to go to the studio, always insist that the studio to be aired for at least 5-10 minutes before entering the recording, do not enter the studio without ventilation.

3- Ask the employers to show the documents concerning the disinfestation.

4- When you enter the studio, make sure you first wipe all surfaces (chairs, mouses etc.) that you will be touching.

5- Never touch the microphones or microphone filters.

6- While recording, ask the director team to use the mouse if possible, do not use it yourself.

7- If necessary, touch the surfaces with latex gloves.

8- After the recording, immediately throw latex gloves away and wash your hands with plenty of soap according to the warnings.

9- Strictly follow the social distance rule.

10- If possible, use your own headphones or request a disposable headphone hygiene pad from the studio.

In such a critical process, you urgently request that sets and voiceover studios to stop working. You are sharing posts with #stopthesets hashtag. You also have requests for payments. Can you tell us about the demands that you expect to be fulfilled as a union?

Taner Rumeli: Of course our priority is human health. We prioritize not harming human health. We are aware that this business may have material and moral aggrievements. We are trying to act with this sensitivity. In this sense, we continue our negotiations with all parties. The producers also have certain responsibilities to the channels. We are trying to find solutions through holding meetings with the state as well.

After the epidemic began to be seen in Turkey, panic start to spread. Especially in Istanbul, private screenings started to be canceled gradually among private theaters. Being in public areas started to panic people out. These were the cancellations that triggered each other. Some theaters expected news from each other. Most recently, theaters with their own stages tried to resist at first such as DasDas, Moda Sahnesi, Oyun Atölyesi. After things such as playing football matches without spectators or not being in collective places had been limited they also had to cancel the plays or take a break. Private theaters had to take a break for at least two weeks and some theaters until June. Costs such as rents, electricity, water use, and screen costs had put private theaters under a difficult situation. An attempt was made to find a way for this. This was discussed with the Minister of Culture and Tourism. A support package promise was made by the minister himself. A package will be prepared and this will most likely include some supports such as postponing, delaying, reducing, and if possible canceling the tax burden of private theaters. We hope that employees will also be included in this package. While the package is prepared, we will continue our interviews with the Ministry of Culture to highlight the special points that will be for the benefits of actors and the entire creative team, if possible. However, the Ministry of Health needs to act and take a decision in this direction as soon as possible so that the sets can be stopped.

Tuba Erdem: Another point is that the actors working in sets unfortunately getting paid eight, ten or even thirteen weeks later. In fact, some productions are victims of ratings and we have members who do not get paid when they finish the job. Unfortunately, this corrupted payment system puts employees in a very difficult situation in emergencies like today. The two-week break of the sets would  be a condition that can be tolerated for the employees who receive their payments on time, while it means debts for the ones who get paid late and not fulfilling their simplest daily needs, such as rents, bills or kitchen expenses.

We see that the actors and other associations and unions in the sector support you. Do the requests conveyed together reach their addressees? Who are the final decision-makers to stop the sets? And what are the reasons why this decision has not been taken yet?

Taner Rumeli: I think that the demands raised together reach their addressees. But it’s also about how loud you raise your demands. In this sense, we think that our actor friends should support our union more. The union is ours. It should not be seen as an office consisting of several people. We all do this work voluntarily. So we are all striving to make our industry better. Here, the protective and inclusive power of the union shows up. We think that that more crowded we are, the more we unite around our institutions, the better we can make our voices heard. So why were the sets not stopped? I think this depends on economic conditions. There are complex forms of contracts in our industry. In these complex forms of contracts, the parties have certain responsibilities to each other. Ultimately, I think there are economic concerns as a result. This may have a sociological side as well. Stopping broadcasts can have psychological effects on people. I think that the series / movies that people can watch for two weeks have been shot so far. I do not think that the production parties will object to the stopping of the sets as well. I think they are afraid too; after all, they have families too. Everyone has certain sensitivities. I can say that these types of heavy contracts allow us to encounter a process in which no one takes initiative.

Is there something you would like to add finally? 

Taner Rumeli/Tuba Erdem: First of all, we think that the most important thing to do now is to protect human health. As an institution, we are responsible for defending the rights of the actors. In this sense, we do our best and we will continue to do so. We are trying to develop ideas, projects, suggestions as much as possible in our minds and ideas regarding possible aggrievements. In this sense, it is our open call to our actor friends who want to contribute to us. Let them come to our union, contribute to us, share their ideas, it will make us very happy. Thank you.