Ricardo Coeto, CCO, and Paco Cordero, CEO, both founders of BTF Media, reported that in 2020 they made five productions in Mexico during the pandemic, without suspending any of them due to covid-19.
“We were very strict, together with our producers in Mexico, led by Gaby Valentán, Mariano Carranco, Laura Veytia, and Felipe Martínez, responsible for the four units in Mexico,” said Coeto, who was proud of the team.
Paco Cordero explained that in one of the productions they had up to three units shooting on the same day.
They furthered that they ran over three thousand COVID tests, detected more than 40 positives, separated the production by rings and sectors, in which there were no intersections. The personnel took turns to eat separately. “Less than 15% of the crew had permission to approach the set,” they clarified. They sent daily polls via an app for each call and documented a protocol that consolidates over 180 pages, for which they made explanatory videos.
Cordero also mentioned that in 2020 they stopped for seven months, but in the remaining five during which they worked, they finished two series, a film, and a reality, in addition to advancing on a fifth production, which they ended in January. They cannot further details of the projects due to confidentiality commitments.
All the productions were made in locations and were attended by sanitation companies, medical personnel, as well as “COVID guards”. “The team basically got used to the protocol and took things seriously. The most important thing is that it works and that in 2021 we will continue producing,” they said.