No matter the size of your movie or television production, there are valuable assets on set that need to be protected. People, equipment, personal items, and intellectual property all need to be looked after. You wouldn’t leave the door to your home or office unlocked, would you? So why wouldn’t you lock down your film or TV set?

The surest way to disrupt your production is with a security breach. Your server gets hacked. Your talent gets harassed. Your camera gets stolen. To protect yourself, your co-workers, and your IP, your set needs to be locked down. That’s why we’ve put together this list of film and television set security best practices.

What Are the Security Risks in Film Production?

There are different types of security risks on film and television sets to consider. There’s physical security, which protects people and equipment. There’s electronic security, which protects digital valuables like your IP and other sensitive information. In some cases, you’ll even need to consider crowd control for extras or onlookers. Security comes in all forms!

But there’s also more intangible or off-site security to consider, such as how to securely mail physical items to and from the set. It’s a lot to consider, but with the right procedures in place, it’ll begin to seem like second nature to know how to work on a movie set while keeping everyone safe.

1. Assign a Security Team

A film set can be chaotic even on the best of days, but the last thing you want is your security to have that same chaos. To make sure that the Is are dotted and the Ts are crossed with your on-set security, you should assign a team to handle it. Every member should have clear and specific duties, so that if there’s a breach, you’ll have traceability and accountability.

On a smaller set, this might consist of an internal team of just a few people. On a larger or more long-term set, this should be a professional security team. Regardless of who makes up the team, some duties should be set in stone:

• Overseeing physical, digital, and creative assets
• Creating intersecting lines around individual duties, so that communication is open and no person is without backup
• Outlining and implementing security policies and processes before production starts
• Making sure that everyone on set knows the security policies and procedures
• Outlining chain-of-custody processes for equipment and digital files
• Detecting and mitigating risk
• Noting potential security breaches and weak areas
• Monitoring feedback and considerations for policy change

There are hundreds of duties-within-duties that need to be addressed and assigned on any film set, but these are the big-picture duties that those fall under.

2. Create a Consent + Release Form

Consent and release forms help prevent legal complications that could sabotage a project. Consent forms should be created and be ready for signing before filming starts, to prevent future issues, like someone’s image being used without consent. This saves time and potentially a lot of money down the road.

3. Limit Access

While you want the public to have full accessibility to your project after it goes live, on-set access is a far different story.

Anywhere where there are valuable assets — from expensive equipment to secret plot points — access should be limited to essential individuals, and those individuals should be logged in and out every time they enter the space. This can be accomplished physically by security personnel or through an electronic key card that limits access to the area and logs who came and went.

4. Have Everyone Sign NDAs

A nondisclosure agreement (NDA) on a film set exists to protect the privacy and IP of a project.

Not every set is filled with secrets, but often you don’t want competitors knowing what you’re up to, or you want to avoid accidentally giving the general public a sneak peak. NDAs help ensure that any information on set is released when you want it to be, so it retains its value as long as possible.

Everyone who enters your film set, from talent to security, should sign an NDA, and that extends to those who handle your information off the set. At Rev, for example, we require our transcribers to file NDAs before ever transcribing a word of footage for a secure transcription every time. Ensure that anyone you work with does the same!

5. Secure Your Perimeter

A film set can be anywhere from a single living room to a soundstage the size of a city block, so perimeter security is a malleable idea. Regardless of the size or complexity of your film or television set, your perimeter should have multiple layers of protection in case one layer fails. These measures might include closed-circuit television cameras, a security TV or two, alarm systems, keycard access, or even interns with clipboards.

On bigger sets or sets with heightened risk, professional security guards might be utilized. Deciding on your perimeter security measures is a matter of knowing your cast and crew’s comfort level and the known risks.

6. Verify Your Employees and Vendors

It might sound overly cautious to run background checks on your employees, but if there are potential security issues, background checks for all cast and crew can help filter them out before they happen. Again, it depends on your comfort level, the size of your set, and potential threats.

Outside vendors and third-party contractors should be subjected to background checks as well. These checks include proof of identity, employment history, professional qualifications, and reference checks. For many companies, background checks are part of the hiring process, so you can simply request them from your vendor point of contact.

7. Don’t Forget to Secure Devices

Security on a film or television set is more than pat-downs and metal detectors; you have to make sure that any electronic devices on set are secure as well. A single weak password could open your IP to all sorts of danger, from plot leaks to image theft. Any personal information for cast and crew stored on these devices could be at risk as well.

Cellphones, laptops, and tablets should be secured with strong passwords and remote tracking software. When not in use, devices should be under lock and key with chain-of-custody noted. This same advice is true no matter what industry you’re in, include law firms, enterprise businesses, and even CRAs.

8. Protect Your Media

As important as it is to protect your people and property on a film set, arguably the most important thing to protect is the work itself.

While old-school film is still used by some traditionalists, the vast majority of footage is captured and stored electronically. Unfortunately, it’s much harder to protect a digital file from ne’er-do-wells than it is a physical object that can be placed under literal lock and key.

This is why footage or other sensitive electronic material should be watermarked and encrypted. A watermark prevents anyone from posting your footage or otherwise using it without signaling they didn’t obtain it legally. Encryption makes data unreadable by anyone without a specific password or code, making it hard to use data even if they manage to steal it.

Using both of these security methods helps your files stay secure even if one fails. Layers of protection, always!

9. Be Careful When Shipping Media

In the world of film and television, jump drives and external hard drives are the most common physical ways to transmit large files. Since these often contain confidential or time-sensitive information, packing your drive in a box and shipping it via media mail is a bad idea.

Using a trustworthy delivery method like Certified Mail or even a private courier is the secure way to go when shipping media files of any type.

10. Wi-Fi Networks

Often, the easiest way to break into anyone’s place of business is through the Wi-Fi network. According to the Cybersecurity & Infrastructure Security Agency, here are a few best practices to take when securing a Wi-Fi network:

• Change default passwords
• Restrict access, and only allow authorized users to access your network
• Encrypt the data on your network
• Protect your Service Set Identifier (SSID)
• Install a firewall
• Maintain antivirus software
• Use file sharing with caution
• Keep your access point software patched and up to date
• Check your internet provider’s or router manufacturer’s wireless security options

These are good best practices for any Wi-Fi network anywhere, but especially so on a set where intellectual property is such an important asset.

11. Have a Plan For a Security Breach

In the unfortunate event that all your best practices fail and you end up with a physical or electronic security breach, the best way to mitigate damage is to follow the plan you set up ahead of time. Think of it like a fire-safety plan you have for your own home; you might never need it, but you’ll be glad it was in place if you do.

The depth and complexity of a “disaster plan” as part of your film and TV set security can vary, but minimally it should offer some defined next steps for everyone involved in specific breaches. What do you do if an email was hacked? What do you do if an unauthorized person makes it onto set? What if there’s a footage leak?

Identify all possible issues and make sure every member of the security team, cast, and crew knows what to do in each situation.

Benefits of Increasing Security on Your Set

A secure film or TV set is important not just for personal or property safety, but for better work. You’ll get better performances from your cast and crew if they know they’re safe and their work won’t be compromised.

Here are some other benefits of location security:

• Focus. By not having to worry about breaches, you and your crew are free to focus on the job at hand.
• Streamlined set. With security limiting who can access an area, you can rest assured knowing that only the necessary people on set at any given time will be there. No actors getting angry because a fan walked into their eyeline!
• Peace of mind. People who know they’re safe are happier and more comfortable. That means a more pleasant set where the work gets done efficiently.

Secure the Chaos of Your Film Set

So much can go wrong on a set, so why make a hard job harder with lax film and television set security? The comfort that comes with thorough set security is well worth the extra cost and legwork. Knowing that your cast, crew, contractors, and outside vendors are safe and safe to work with is invaluable.

As one of those outside vendors, Rev understands the need for security. When it comes time to transcribe or caption your footage, our security speaks for itself.