CBS, Fox and other networks want quarantined viewers to have fresh content amid coronavirus-related production halts. But is that even possible?
The ongoing coronavirus pandemic and stay-at-home orders have dramatically altered the entertainment industry. Movie theaters are closed; films are on hold, and television networks are scrambling behind the scenes to reconfigure summer and fall programming amid production shutdowns.
“It’s just in a holding pattern until we can start shooting and figuring out how we can do it safely and effectively while also keeping the integrity of a story,” a representative for one of the major networks, who was not authorized to speak officially, told HuffPost. “How do you shoot, say, a romantic scene between two people or a scene where two people have to be in close proximity with each other? Now you really can’t.
The CW’s “Supernatural,” meanwhile, wasn’t able to complete episodes 18 and 19 of its 15th and final season, and the network aired only 13 episodes of a planned 20. The network intends to air the series’ final seven episodes in the fall, once production resumes. Reality shows, especially live competition series, had to get creative with their wrap-ups.
But the Big Five networks usually slow down in the summer season ― airing a few scripted series, reality programs or sporting events ― before picking up again in the fall with their tried-and-trues and those aforementioned new series. With no clue when productions will resume, scheduling has become tricky.
“Animation has a little bit less exposure compared to live-action programming, simply because you don’t need as many human beings in one place to put those together,” the network representative said. “There’s no set. There’s no art direction. There are no props. There are just animators, writers, producers and talent. A lot can be done remotely via computer for animators, and the talent can go in one by one to studios or, frankly, can do their lines from home.
An Unknown Future For ProductionDespite plans, it’s hard to imagine how productions will even reopen post-pandemic. Most TV sets consist of dozens, sometimes hundreds, of crew members working together in confined quarters for a long period of time. Considering the infection rate of COVID-19, being a gaffer or a boom operator or a camera assistant on a crowded soundstage is a dangerous job to take on.
Closed sets will become the norm, according to Steve Weizenecker and Scott Witlin, who are partners at the firm. People will interact directly only when necessary, such as actors performing a scene.
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