How the Pandemic is Affecting Films and Television Shows

Without a doubt, this pandemic is impacting the film and television industry. Things will no longer be the same. On the more positive side, many production companies are adapting to the new normal, but this is not without a price.

In terms of costs, the movie and television industries have had to shell out a million or more dollars to address the pandemic issue. Some of these costs include actors being required to do daily testing, so they can safely interact with each other. Other expenses come from meticulously cleaning the set, which is a crucial part of the new protocol. Some producers are flying out actors and crew members to the production site via private plane to eliminate exposure. Because of these additional steps involved in shooting a movie or T.V. show, extra time is required to complete the work. As a result, this pandemic is turning out to be a costly endeavor for many in the entertainment industry.

Increase in Production Costs

The Halt in Production vs. The Show Must Go On


Under the pandemic, some production companies have given up taping altogether due to uncertainty. Some companies have temporarily halted filming until this whole thing has blown over. At the same time, other shows have taken to broadcasting from home without their audiences. For instance, shows like “The View” and “The Late Show With Stephen Colbert.” Nonetheless, there are production companies that are still filming and rehearsing by implementing the CDC’s safety protocols. These companies have taken on the old saying, “the show must go on.

Postponements of Box Office Hits

There were several feature films scheduled to come out this past summer. One such film is “No Time to Die,” the new James Bond movie. Studio executives have postponed the release of this feature-length film at least twice. This Bond film is a box office hit without a doubt, but due to Covid 19, postponements are a real problem. There were even talks of putting some of these films on streaming entertainment service companies; however, studios prefer the box office effect and opted to hold off the release. These executives are hoping people get cabin fever and rush back to theaters. Returning to the theater is a high stake gamble on their part. People may begin to enjoy streaming new movies from the comforts of their own home with a less expensive bucket of popcorn from the local store

With everything, there is always a silver lining. The Covid pandemic is impacting the whole world, and those in the film and television industry are no different. Many people who are home whether, by choice or misfortune, are binge-watching old and new shows, and those studios that are pushing through and embracing the new normal are the benefactors of this new captive audience. Indeed, the world will not likely go back to the way things were; all that can be done is to sit back and watch as a new way of doing cinema and television emerges.