Variety: The world is still reeling from the coronavirus, but the resilient film and TV series production business has begun to move forward again in some locations.
There’s a lot at stake: a recent report endorsed by the Assn. of Film Commissioners Intl. shows that in 2019, global expenditure on production reached an estimated $177 billion.
8 comments:
I wish that this article had outlined the procedures and cautions that production companies are taking in order to ensure the safety of their teams, as well as the members of the communities where they are filming. While it’s glad to hear that industries are getting back onto their feet, and people are able to work again, as an U.S. citizen I do not feel particularly convinced by these “protocols,” considering how badly we - as a country - are handling this pandemic. This might be a hot take, but in the U.S. specifically I am nervous about reopening industries, but realize we have to because there has been a lack of financial support for those without jobs. In other countries, I understand that they can begin to open up because they took the pandemic seriously. There are so many people on film projects, and while everyone can wear masks, and they can cut back on numbers, give out individual equipment, etc….are performers more at risk? Especially if they are filming without wearing masks - or will all the new tv and film include mask wearing individuals? Also, how are people dealing with travel issues? If there is an American performer are they going to get special permission to travel outside of the country? Is that fair?
Really interesting to read about the protocols and precautions being taken to restart the film industry since it is such an adjacent industry to theatre. It was also interesting to hear about the different approaches being taken in different countries around the world. The producer who was talking about the silver lining and creating a more nimble and adaptable industry I think hit the nail right on the head saying we can't function now as we did before a whole upheaval is needed from the start of the process. If we're working under socially distanced conditions I agree that it makes the most sense to from the initial creative process take that into considerations the limitations and how to plan things in the most advantageous way. Shifting the entire process in my mind is a better way to focus the energy being expended to restart the industry in the safest way possible. If we continue to look at safety protocols as obstacles instead of a new part of the process I think the content being created will be sub-optimal and the protocols are far more likely to be broken. To me rewriting the playbook is a better solution then trying to shove a square block into a round hole.
It was such a relief reading this article, because it talks about how the entertainment industry is ready to move past this pandemic and get back on their work, while being careful of what that entails for the business, their personnel and themselves.
It would have been nice though to have more information in terms of what these new guidelines entail, how they are to acted upon etc. because I believe that at the end of the day, nothing comes before health. We have to try to get past this pandemic and begin to normalize our lives but only if we can do so while being extra cautious and aware, because our health has the ability to affect the healths of people around us and that is huge responsibility.
I hope that the efforts of everyone involved in this initiative are realized and that life can go back to the way it was a couple of months ago
It is heartening see that other countries are able to get back to work because they took the pandemic seriously, unlike the United States. While everyone has been quarantining and social distancing, demand for digital content is at an all-time high. As such, it's no surprise that media content creators want to start producing new content. Of course, striking a balance between safety and practicality. It definitely seems possible to find that balance while erring on the side of caution, as evidenced by the myriad of productions resuming work outside the US. It's truly a shame that this country could not figure out how to get its act together, and continues to flail about. Rewriting the playbook to adapt to new conditions is a foundational skill in the entertainment industry, especially in live performance. Even in countries where the pandemic is beginning to subside, normal will not return to what it was in the before times for a long time.
I am glad to see some sort of normalcy coming back into the film industry overseas. It does still make me nervous because the article did basically say, as long as everyone is smart and takes care of themselves, there should not be a need for worry. What happens, though, when someone does get sick? I suppose it would require a full shutdown. Like others have said, I also wish there was a list of protocols and such that we could peruse. Maybe what is being done in the film and television industry can be transferred to the theatre industry too? I have hope that as we learn to live with the COVID-19 pandemic, more protocols and standard practices will develop that will keep us healthy, even after we, hopefully, have a vaccine for COVID-19. I think it is easier to work with it than against it, so adjusting practices and paying attention to local health experts I think will be the way to move forward.
With the precautions we are taking in the United States and the constant increase in cases here, I wonder if we will begin to see a bigger shift to productions occurring oversees. I remember reading another article recently that was talking about a surge of production in Beijing since their cases have lowered tremendously there and are able to have looser restrictions. This article mainly highlights the western places that productions are resuming, like the UK, Canada, Spain, and US, but I think there is something to be said about the other countries that are having more success in their reopening and able to actually produce. I think it would be interesting for the author to have included more information as to what these protocols, rules, and regulations are when it comes to filming, because I can imagine what it might look like but I also know that the industry makes numerous adjustments to allow for some flexibility depending on the location.
While it's nice to read articles in which agencies and businesses are undergoing safe practices in the film industry, I think that it would be also nice to hear exactly what they are doing. If they can successfully continue shooting with no cases, or whatever keeps them from shutting down, then that means their practices are working, and part of me wants to know if those practices can be used in other areas of society and art. It also makes me wonder how expensive these practices are, and what expenses are being spent in order to upkeep them. I do think the lines about set and script changes are interesting because that's not something we usually think about when we think about people in a close space, we usually just think about the people. It brings to mind what sort of films we will be seeing in the near future. I think that it will be an interesting follow, in regards to how well these protocols work, as well as what type of content is produced from these new protocols, as well as how long it extends the filming timeline.
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