Movie and television production is crawling to a start after stay-at-home orders of COVID-19.  There will be short-term and perhaps permanent changes to filming due to the pandemic, according to Hollywood producer Roger Wolfson.

Some big-name films are slated to re-start filming in early July in the UK, though most think Hollywood will trail by several weeks, perhaps months, before any significant production begins again.

Some work has begun in Hollywood and around the United States, including scouting of locations and scripts that have been polished more than the silver in a mansion. 

Immediate Questions

Movie or television production, of course, is the result of a complex orchestra of various departments – makeup, lighting, cinematography, etc. – so planning to restart production is itself an immense task.  Hollywood’s unions have issued guidelines for continuing production. Among the guidelines issued by the Hollywood unions:

• All productions must maintain closed sets, with no visitors allowed;
• The addition of a health and safety supervisor (and department);
• Frequent COVID-19 testing
• Creation of “Zones” on set to maintain distance and determine test frequency

Any production that resumes this year will carry perhaps significantly higher costs and require longer timeframes for completion. Once those are factored, and addressed, productions in the future could look quite different.

Next Steps

Hollywood production may forever be changed by the pandemic of 2020, with approaches to filmmaking forever changed, according to Wolfson. Among the ways, at least in the short- and medium-term that can be expected in film and television production:

• Fewer extras – Perhaps the days of hiring 200 extras for a scene are behind us, especially in the short term;
• Environmental changes – Technology on the set, including better air filtration such as revolutionary technology of RGF Environmental Group, will be utilized to keep crews healthy and safe;
• Building more outdoor sets instead of “invading” a town for applicable scenes;
• Filming outdoor scenes first, especially upon restarting productions;
• More independent films with smaller crews.

Before and after cameras roll, there stand to be other changes as well, Wolfson explains.  For example, like most of America, Zoom meetings will become more common in filmmaking particularly in the planning process. Most businesses will look to reduce air travel – for health and budgetary reasons, so producers will turn to remote technology rather than on-location meetings in the planning process.

Additionally, in the editing portion or production, producers and directors will have actors re-read lines via FaceTime or other remote methods.

One uncertain area of filmmaking will be virtual production, especially the use of computer and live action technology, Wolfson observes. Producers will have the opportunity to use video game technology – and green screens for actors – to capture a certain place or time.  If a certain time of day or lighting conditions are necessary, using technology to create that scene might be easier, if not more costly, than having an entire crew on set for perhaps several days.

The biggest factor that will singularly determine the post-COVID-19 reality of filmmaking is the comfort of both actors and crew. If an actor is not comfortable, the entire show or film suffers.  And unhappy crews more often than not produce unhappy results for the bosses. 

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