DIRECTOR CHAIR SAFETY-SAFE SETS-COVID 19 UPDATE

Filmcraft Studio Gear

PRESS RELEASE

7309 Atoll Ave  North Hollywood, CA 91605
818-927-4163    www.filmcraftla.com   info@filmcraftla.com


Contact: Rachel Wilson
rachel@filmcraftla.com
For Immediate Release

SAFE SET RECOMMENDATIONS FOR DIRECTOR’S CHAIRS

In response to the current climate of the pandemic, Filmcraft Studio Gear, the premier director’s chair to the production industry, has issued safety recommendations for director chair usage and disinfecting guidelines for safe sets.

It is not advised to replace your current chairs with plastic. Not only is plastic already proven to be terrible for our environment in terms of biodegradability, it also is dangerous when it comes to the virus. Studies have shown that the stability of Covid-19 on is longest on plastic and stainless steel. Not surprisingly, wood was one of the most sanitary materials when it comes to minimizing the viability of covid-19. In fact, covid was found to be stable up to 7 days on plastic surfaces whereas the virus was completely undetectable after 2 days on wood.   

Just like wood cutting boards are the preferred choice for chefs over plastic, wood has natural antimicrobial properties that plastic does not. It has been shown in several scientific studies that covid-19 can live the longest, almost 7 days, on plastic, glass and stainless-steel surfaces.

ACTION:
The first, and most recommended course of action is to have fresh replacement canvas sets for your director chairs. In addition, canvas can be washed with soap and water and/or sprayed with disinfectant and/or steam cleaned and reinstalled on the chair frame. Just a 5 minute wash with soap destroys covid on the surface. This versatility is why we feel the iconic wood director’s chair is the ideal choice for film sets. 

According to Joe Iacobellis, owner of Filmcraft Studio Gear, the best cleaning recommendations for director’s chairs are:

 

1 - Spray with an antiseptic like Lysol and let dry. Drying usually takes less than 3 minutes.

2 - Wash the canvas with warm water and air dry. Most director's chair canvas are made of cotton and washing is easy. However, we don't recommend drying them in a dryer because it might melt the plastic dowels in the seat portion of the chair. Air drying is recommended. 

3 - Use a steamer to steam clean the surfaces safely and without the use of harsh chemicals. A garment steamer, commonly found on film sets and rental companies, is a great way to quickly kill any bacteria or virus, The steam reaches a temperature of 212F which is enough to wipe out any virus it comes in contact with. It's the best and easiest method that can be repeated often.

 

There’s more than it’s quality and durability that make director chairs a staple on studio sets for over 75 years. Wood frames can be easily wiped with Lysol and/or other disinfectant wipes and canvas can be steam cleaned with no damage. Canvas is a durable, strong material unlike their plastic counterparts.

Filmcraft cares about your health and wellness. Although we are eager to get back to normalcy, we realize the importance of making our sets as safe, secure and as clean as possible and these recommendations will help us all get there much faster.


1 Alex W H Chin, Julie T S Chu, Mahen R A Perera, Kenrie P Y Hui, Hui-Ling Yen, Michael C W Chan, Malik Peiris, Leo L M Poon “Stability of SARS-CoV-2 in different environmental conditions”

Open AccessPublished: April 02, 2020  https://doi.org/10.1016/S2666-5247(20)30003-3

2 Jill Seladi-Schulman, PhD “How Long Does the Coronavirus Live on Different Surfaces?” April 29, 2020 https://www.healthline.com/health/how-long-does-coronavirus-last-on-surfaces

3 NESE O. AK; DEAN O. CLIVER; CHARLES W. KASPAR  Decontamination of Plastic and Wooden Cutting Boards for Kitchen Use J Food Prot (1994) 57 (1): 23–30. https://doi.org/10.4315/0362-028X-57.1.23