The Impact on Film and Theatre Productions
By: Melissa Tran
All around the world, cinemas have been shut down and the process of filming and many film releases have been postponed. With Covid-19, movie and theatre productions are going through many changes during this time.
According to NBC News, the movie industry is slowly resuming with strict safety protocols required to appropriately work during the pandemic. Hollywood and other film industries were shocked when the first wave of the coronavirus occurred, causing major changes and shifts never experienced before. As these industries attempt for normalcy this new year, many have accepted the decrease in success of wrapping up a movie in previously expected time.
Some of the regulations of filming require actors to test daily when they are on set as well as all of the crew members present. Masks are changed frequently, and locations have changed in certain productions to safely film wherever they are able to.
Los Angeles has elevated with a total of 1.12 million cases, where the heart of cinema is located. Many productions have taken action to move the entire production elsewhere to prevent the potential virus from rising in Los Angeles. However, the L.A. Health Department of Public Health acknowledged this and urges the country’s film industry to pause productions as well as limiting their travels.
There have been many losses in the industry that may or may not be regained back such as the shortened availability of jobs, local theaters that are shut down, and even branded names like AMC remained at risk. Movie theaters are heavily affected due to their reliance on daily customers that purchase movie tickets, concessions and more. Movie theaters also relied on content of the film industry so there has been reduced business in both.
With these conditions and regulations taken place, competition among theaters can elevate after reopening. Spectrum News states,
“With millions of people now signed up to get movies at home, it’s unclear whether theater going will ever return to pre-pandemic levels.”
Netflix, Hulu, Amazon and many more production companies that are accessible to people at home have seen an increased growth in revenues. Netflix received 16 million sign-ups in a span of three months after quarantine took place. Compared to the last few months of 2019, these numbers are double the amount of new members the following year.
The spike of users streaming movies at home may not actually start competition with theaters.
A study made by Harvard Business Review analyzed the theatrical revenues in Korea from 2015 to 2018. They were able find a 0.8% inconsequential deduction of audience viewers after digital releases were out at the same time as theaters. Nonetheless, these statistics may differ in America and the different situations of a lockdown presented.