TV/Film Program Earns Grant to Teach and Promote Film Set Safety

The DeSales University TV/Film major is the first undergraduate program to receive a grant from the nonprofit Safety For Sarah to help promote safe practices on film and television sets.

The grant is from the Sarah Jones Film Student Safety Grant Program of the nonprofit, whose mission is to foster on-set safety through awareness and accountability.

The program offers safety grants to university film students with the belief that, “if you wish to change the culture of the film industry it is best to start with the young minds entering the industry.” The grant is intended to supply funds to film students to be used for such appropriate safety needs as proper permits, off-duty police to direct traffic, safety personnel, etc.

DeSales staff member Stephen Furry is a graduate of the TV/film program and currently the TV/film virtual production supervisor, theatre master electrician, and an IATSE Local 80 grip. He worked in the film and television industry as a grip for the last 20 years and was instrumental in obtaining the grant. “If our students learn and practice set safety on their student productions now, they will recognize unsafe work habits and voice any safety concerns as industry professionals,” he said.

The grant program and the Sarah Jones Film Foundation (SJFF) was created to honor the legacy of Sarah Jones, a 27-year-old camera assistant who needlessly lost her life on February 20, 2014, in an accident on the set of “Midnight Rider.” Sarah’s death prompted an outpouring of grief in the movie industry and galvanized film crew members throughout the entertainment industry, highlighting longstanding concerns about set safety.

The SJFF seeks to engage the entire film community in generating constructive and realistic strategies to prevent other such tragedies from happening in the future.  To learn more, please visit SafetyForSarah.org.