How Hollywood is Bouncing Back
The Film Industry Gets Back to Work
We could all use some good news, right? These days, the current climate makes good news hard to find. But it’s out there – we know it is. In the entertainment industry, the good news orbits a single theme – opportunity. It’s odd to think that opportunity is really out there, when we’ve all been busy adjusting our lives in response to the pandemic. After all, we have seemingly been surrendering privilege after privilege over the past several months. Yet as we’ve collectively been pulling back, opportunity has actually been materializing on the other end. And it’s waiting there for all of us. Here is some of the best news in the entertainment industry today. Go ahead, eat it up.
Three Positive Takeaways from Working in the Film Industry During COVID
1. Productions are starting back up, with cast and crew deemed “essential”
Despite a second round of COVID closures in Los Angeles County, the list of film and television productions that are starting (or re-starting) production is continuing to grow. In June, FilmLA allowed permits to be pulled again, along with some new health and safety guidelines in place. Thankfully film and television production cast and crews have now been deemed as “essential workers” by the State of California and are able to continue their work, despite fluctuations in confirmed Coronavirus cases in the County. Knowing that this sector of the entertainment industry has the green light to safely continue its work is a great sign for the trajectory of the industry and a positive indication of consistent work coming down the pipeline.
2. Animated productions are increasing
While we all enjoyed a coveted remote workday in the past, we had no idea how vital the capability of working remotely would ultimately end up being. The animation industry’s ability to move the entire sector remote during the pandemic has proven to be a massive advantage. This flexibility has set animation apart from other production industries – it’s actually expanding. Disney Plus completed several features during shut down, causing them to put out requests for several more. Confirming this, the Animation Guild has seen an increase in workers since the start of the pandemic. With animation being the safest and overall most low-risk of all sectors, we can expect opportunity in animation to continue to multiply, regardless of the volume of Coronavirus cases.
3. CGI, it’s your time
Productions are getting back to work, albeit with some augmentations. Producers and filmmakers are getting creative in their ability to complete filming while still meeting all the health and safety measures laid out by the State. This is where CGI can fill a void that wasn’t present before. Script requires a crowd? This is now a job for CGI. Can’t have a large crew out on site? Let’s move it to a stage and fill in the environment digitally. CGI is predicted to supplement filming and assist filmmakers in new ways, creating room for rapid growth in this sector. All of this good news gets even better, as the demand for content is endless. With safety protocols flushed out and creatives devising new ways to satisfy scripts, the entertainment industry is positioned to offer great and varied opportunities to those ready to pursue them, despite the pandemic.
What’s next for the Entertainment Industry?
While it will take some time for the film and TV industry to bounce back from the pandemic, studios are finding new ways to reinvent themselves. In an interview with The Business Journal, Senior Program Director Mac Torluccio explained how Hollywood has shifted its focus to other distribution channels.
“Drive-ins have been a positive way to keep the industry alive until indoor theaters can stay open. In Los Angeles, people are reviving drive-ins in parking lots,” said Torluccio in his interview with The Business Journal.
He believes that despite the restrictions, the film and TV industry is creating space for innovation and alternative movie releases on demand. Read Mac Torluccio’s full interview with The Business Journal.