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Have CDC Guidelines Shut Down the Possibility for New Films?

  • Sep 3, 2020
  • 5 min read

CDC guidelines have slowed down film production but implored filmmakers to get more creative with technology, allowing production to start up again with new health and safety measures.


Article By Lindsay Wong


The COVID-19 pandemic has completely shaken up the film industry. No one is going to cinemas anymore, movies have been postponed, and production has been halted. Only streaming services have been benefited by the pandemic as more people are tuning in to Netflix, Disney+, and more. The halt in film production means that many films that were slated to be released in the coming years will be postponed. CDC guidelines have also made it extremely difficult for film production to resume as new health and safety measures are currently in place to contain the spread of COVID-19. However, these guidelines have not completely shut down the possibility for new films. Production teams are coming up with new and creative ways to remotely participate in the film production process using technology. Furthermore, many locations around the world that have been deemed as “safe” have resumed production with health and safety measures.


Since the end of May, California’s state government has had plans to reopen Hollywood for movie productions, but they have experienced many setbacks. Official CDC guidelines issued by the state declare that services are only allowed to reopen when certain thresholds have been met to ensure safety. The county of LA, where Hollywood is located, has been seeing an increase of 1000 to 2000 new cases every day for the past few consecutive months. Movie sets are considered to be higher-risk workplaces because everyone works together in such close quarters, making it easier for the virus to spread. Sets are known to be very crowded and, as a result, usually unclean. Due to all of these issues, Hollywood studios have not reopened on a large-scale, which has significantly slowed film production.


CDC guidelines allow production studios to reopen only if they have the correct health and safety measures set up in place. However, these rigorous measures are quite difficult to implement due to hefty costs and extra procedures, which reduce efficiency in production, and would still slow down the entire process. Such measures include hiring dedicated LA county health officials to monitor the situation and keep everything in check, frequent cleaning and sanitizing of equipment and areas, shorter filming hours, and a new division of zones with social distancing, aimed at reducing interaction to the maximum level. Furthermore, cast and crew members would have to be tested at least once every three days, depending on how much interaction there is on set. The entire country already has a problem with getting tested, making the situation even more complicated. This would result in a massive time lag in production and film shoots getting delayed or even cancelled.


Instead of taking the risk of going back to film sets, production studios must adapt to remote work if they still want to be productive and see results. The pre- and post-production processes are all highly collaborative and involve hundreds of professionals. New technological advancements are enabling the virtual workplace to thrive as people around the world can work together online. For example, the cast of ‘Parks and Recreation’ had a reunion on Zoom during quarantine. The stars tuned in from their own living rooms on Zoom to present a special standalone episode, with protagonist Leslie Knope determined to stay connected with her friends even during quarantine. Even though the industry is months away from physically filming at sets, studios working remotely can still complete pre-production, post-production and marketing. Likewise, many studios are coming up with new ways to engage in virtual production, which accommodates for remote working. For example, virtual production could involve merging computer-generated images with live-action images. This kind of film production method creates a virtual environment that does not require physical film sets.


However, like all new processes, virtual production has its costs. Training professionals for this kind of technological role involves a lot of practical skills and hands-on work, most effectively taking place in a physical setting. Virtual production is generally much more expensive – ‘Avatar’ had a budget of 237 million USD. Studios would have to find a way to make virtual production much more cost-effective if they are looking to adopt it on a large scale.


Nevertheless, Hollywood is not the only place in the world with film sets. The pandemic could pave the way for greater production of non-Hollywood films. Filming has already resumed in Canada as the country has more or less managed to contain the spread of the virus. There are strict health and safety measures to follow, but this has not significantly affected the filming procedure. Netflix has already asked for proposals for Canadian films and series. Likewise, film sets have started operating again in Syracuse. Filming locations are now strategically chosen so that the public is not at risk of being exposed to the virus and interactions on film sets are kept to a minimum. Face masks must be worn at all times, with exceptions for the cast during preparations and performances. Auditions and location scouting are now done completely online. If studios choose filming locations away from the big cities, where the virus spreads more easily, film production could resume.


From here on out, film production will be much slower than before. As audience members, it’s highly likely that we will be waiting for new films or seasons to come out at a much later date. Nevertheless, slow progress is ultimately still progress. Studios can also engage in virtual production, which can be completely done remotely. However, there are costs to consider. Around the world, film production has already resumed in certain cities. Eventually, new films will be released and there will be a multitude of films to watch and enjoy.

Sources

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Production This Week | The Motley Fool. Retrieved 13 August 2020, from https://www.fool.com/investing/2020/05/26/california-held-back-the-promised-reopening-guidel.aspx

D'Alessandro, A. (2020). ‘Parks And Recreation’ Reunion Special: The Pawnee Posse


El-Assal, K., & Miekus, A. (2020). Canada's Film Industry Rebounds from Coronavirus.

Herbert, G. (2020). Lights, camera, face masks: Film production resumes in Syracuse

Industry guidance to reduce risk. (2020). Retrieved 13 August 2020, from

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Russo, D. (2020). Why Hollywood movie-making may become more virtual in a

Sakoui, A. (2020). Here's why resuming TV and film production has gotten so

Schwartz, D. (2020). Hollywood Finally Has a Plan for Reopening—But Should It?.

Whitten, S. (2020). How movie industry execs see sets changing as filming resumes


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