Working in Rain & Thunderstorms

Overview

Central Florida is the lightning capital of the United States and one of the most active lightning areas of the world. When working on location, it is very likely that you will be dealing with rain and thunderstorms. Having a plan before you begin your production is the best way to prepare for the inevitable delays and risks.

Electrical Storms

Safety is of the utmost importance. If there are active lightning strikes in the immediate area you must stop filming immediately.

When working outside, do not take the risk. Metal stands and electrically powered equipment can attract lightning. Turn off your equipment, make equipment and props safe from wind and rain damage and get under cover until the storm passes.

Do not continue shooting until the lighting strike are a minimum of 8 miles away or when 40 seconds passes from the moment you see lighting to the time you hear the thunderclap.

Do not use electrical power generators in extreme wet weather unless properly grounded. All sensitive electronic equipment (e.g., cameras, monitors, and sound equipment) must be properly covered when working in the rain.

Do not cover hot lighting equipment with anything that may melt and stick to the fixture heads. Use only approved, heat resistant rain covers for covering lights and electrical equipment while in operation.

Trash bags can be used to safe lights from inclement weather, but only after they have had enough time to cool to the touch. Use apple boxes and milkcrates to keep equipment and electrical connections off the ground and out of forming puddles.

Use additional sandbags and rope to secure lighting and grip equipment, tents when bad weather is forecasted. Strong winds usually come before the rain, and you can easily be taken off-guard when focusing on your production duties. Sometimes it can be too windy to safely use overhead rags or large flags. Students need to use discretion when deploying them outside, as they are essentially large sails than can easily be affected by the wind. Depending on the weather conditions, they might need to come down as quickly as they went up. Overhead rags must always be properly secured using a lot of sandbags and handlines. On potentially windy days they must also be secured with ground stakes and additional handlines to prevent toppling.

If you are planning to shoot in the rain for aesthetic reasons, please consult with your instructor-ofrecord and the Operations Manager to best strategize your logistics and safety before your production begins