Coronavirus has changed everything in just months, and many industries are shaping and facing a lot of challenges. Everything gets cancelled, and people are staying at home to fight the disease in order to go back to our normal life as soon as possible. Of course, Hollywood is not an exception, and the Coronavirus had its effect in Hollywood. In March, SXSW Conference and Festivals were supposed to happen, but of course, it also got cancelled. In addition to this, everything is now closed, including Hollywood acting schools. Although there are some predictions of this disease, anyway, Coronavirus has left the world in a very uncertain situation. Being a headshot photographer in Los Angeles who takes affordable headshots for film industry professionals, I know that Coronavirus in Hollywood has left many people quite stressed. But in these tough times, it is essential to be calm, and remember that everything will be over soon if we follow all the safety rules and be responsible.
Number of Cases
Right now, there are more than 4 million cases across the world and approximately 300.000 deaths. The borders of countries are still closed, and most of the countries are in complete lockdown. In the United States, there are about 1,5 million cases and about 84.000 deaths, which is the biggest number in the world. At this moment, scientists are working on finding the vaccine. But as they have not discovered it yet, the number of infected people is rising, and many people are dying. Stock prices are falling, schools are closing, people are panicking and buying a lot of products in the stores. There were days when the stores’ shelves were empty. People were not able to purchase anything. Maybe panic is as dangerous as the virus is. So these days it is crucial to stay calm, be kind to each other. And remember that everything will be back soon.
As everything is closed and people are not leaving their houses, it is evident that the economy is being affected very severely, and the world needs time to recover after the Coronavirus. Maybe many companies will go bankrupt in the end, and others may find a way to survive. Anyway, there are other spheres, such as the IT industry, where different IT companies are benefiting from this situation. For example, these days, many people are using ZOOM for their classes, meetings, etc. And their shares also rose.
Effects of COVID-19
It is essential to state that it’s hard to comprehend precisely how enormous an effect this pandemic will have on the world, particularly the entertainment industry, a multibillion-dollar business that is based on different social gatherings, interactions, and, of course, travel. It is evident that this may take a long time, and Coronavirus will have its effect in Hollywood. But anyway, today, it is essential to stay positive and believe in the best scenarios.
Economic Effect
Since updates on the outbreak of the COVID-19 started to rise out of Wuhan, China, in January, entertainment organizations and talent offices have begun forcing travel limitations. They asked a few representatives in influenced territories to work from home. Besides, they urged staff members to accomplish more video chatting and less in-person gatherings. The critical economic impact is already starting to include the entertainment and media industry. As reported, Disney shares have fallen almost 23%, while ViacomCBS has fallen over 51% so far this year. During past economic declines, shared utilization of mainstream society — going out to see the films, seeing a show — has frequently been seen as downturn confirmation. That is not the situation with COVID-19.
Condition of Entertainment and Media Industry
As media analysts state, every industry is going to suffer because of COVID-19, but one of the most significant impacts will be on the entertainment and media industry. People are not going out of their houses, and even if the situation calms a little bit, anyway people will still be afraid to attend places where there are a lot of other people. And if this continues for a long time, then the entertainment and media industry is going to suffer hardly. In the following article, you can find a fascinating and useful article about the impact of Coronavirus in Hollywood.
Administrators, movie producers, operators, marketing specialists, and experts state that the circumstance is entirely exceptional. In recent years COVID-19 is the first epidemic which affected every country in the world and every industry, at the same time.
When more individuals become ill with the virus, they will probably remain at home, staying away from crowded places, Broadway theatres, and different performances. People stay at home and want to entertain themselves, so they will probably run various streaming services such as Netflix or Disney Plus, which offer motion pictures and shows. That’s why Netflix is doing very well in this situation. The shares have risen by 12.5 %. And if people continue staying at home for months, then obviously the streaming will keep growing. As a headshot photographer in Los Angeles, I also stay at home these days, and watching movies or shows on Netflix helps me to stay entertained. As we can notice, the situation is very beneficial for Netflix in the financial aspect. Anyway, Coronavirus remains a massive danger in Hollywood and other parts of entertainment.
Netflix
But this doesn’t mean that companies like Netflix do not have hard times. For example, the production of movies or TV shows stopped because of the lockdown. Actors are also staying at home and not working, so it is hard to film anything. Of course, this situation is not easy for actors too. Most of them maybe had massive projects which are now in a very uncertain condition. As a headshot photographer in Los Angeles who takes affordable headshots for actors, I know that many beginner actors were very excited about their projects, which got delayed, for an uncertain period. Right now, it is essential to stay positive and try to work from home if it is possible. I have an article which may be useful for actors in this situation. In the article, you can read about five things actors should do during COVID-19.
Everything which I mentioned above causes enormous financial losses. Production companies, crews, actors are losing vast amounts of money because of the delays. Many shows and movies may even cancel. So there is a discussion that maybe insurance companies may help in covering the financial losses.
Movie Premiere Cancelations and Delays
In addition to this, there were many ready films that had to make the premiere, but the organizers postponed them. Most of them have moved until the end of the year; at that time, hopefully, the situation will be better. For instance, the famous James Bond movie “No Time to Die” was ready to be premiered in April, but the producers moved it to November. Of course, this is the most reasonable decision, because no one would go to theatres these days. I know most of us were waiting for the premiere of “Mulan”, but it also is postponed, which caused financial problems.
As a fan of the “Friends” show, I was waiting for their comeback episode, which they announced at the beginning of the year. But it is not being filmed now, and we hope that at least at the end of the year we will be able to enjoy the famous “Friends” comeback. The estimation is that the movie business lost approximately 2.15 billion, because of all the delays, and the number will rise if the situation with the virus lasts for months. In this sad situation, the only thing that we can do is wait and stay at home to help fight this deadly disease.
Events Cancelation
Many of us were waiting for Comic-Con 2020, but it was also cancelled. It will take place in the summer of 2021, and hopefully, at that time, we will not think about Coronavirus anymore. The organizers were discussing postponing the events, but it is now clear that it will not be safe to attend the events. So the wisest decision is to cancel the events this year and come back in 2021. In the 50 years, this is the first year that they cancelled Comic-Con. Cannes has also been cancelled, which is also devastating, because many great movies had to be premiered during Cannes. And for the filmmakers, it is one of the best parts to create a film and eventually hand it over to the audience and listen to their feedback.
Alternative Solutions
Nowadays, it is essential to be flexible to come up with new ideas and ways to help the industry to survive. Most people are at home, and as they have a lot of free time, they need content to stay entertained. As everything is digital right now, organizers of different events are thinking of making a digital version of these events. For example, different movies may stream digital, and people will be able to watch them at home. Now the organizers are discussing whether it will be possible to make a digital event of SXSW.
Such big festivals are not only a necessity for filmmakers, productions, actors, etc., but these festivals are also great traditions. And many people are waiting for these festivals because it is a big part of the entertainment industry. Finding an alternative is not easy, but as the situation is critical, it is essential to experiment with ideas and come up with something new.
Effects on Music Industry
Different music festivals are also being cancelled, of course. For example, well known Coachella has already got cancelled. Many famous artists had to gather in one place for this great festival, and fans were already planning their unforgettable days during Coachella. But of course, COVID-19 changed everyone’s plans at the last minute. Besides this, imagine the amount of the lost money, because of the full cancellation. It will take a long time to recover from this, and hopefully, in 2021, nothing will stop us from enjoying these great festivals with great music.
Many famous artists have introduced their schedules for the upcoming tours. But many of these artists already postponed the dates.
For example, Justin Bieber released a new album in the beginning of the year called “Changes”. Fans were already waiting to see their favorite artist on stage and listen to good music, but the decision was to postpone the concerts for a couple of months. Recently, many artists are giving online concerts and performances in order to entertain people and keep them positive. Of course, this is an excellent initiative because each of us can contribute to fighting these hard times. For example, a couple of weeks ago, Andrea Bocelli gave a live concert in the centre of Milan, in front of the Duomo Cathedral. Of course, there was no live audience, but many people were watching it from home, which was very emotional.
To Sum up
COVID-19 will have a huge negative impact on every country in the world. Each of us became part of this situation, and it is our responsibility to help to fight this disease. The world is facing massive economic problems, and as I already introduced, the entertainment industry has suffered the most. Throughout history, people faced many scary and challenging issues, which they managed to overcome. Of course, the recovery will not be fast, but I am sure we are strong enough to overcome this virus. In the future, look back and feel proud that we were able to fight and continue living. As a headshot photographer in Los Angeles, I can’t wait to go back to my work. But now the only thing that I can do is stay at home, keep calm and try to think positively. Soon, step-by-step everything will be as it was before. I am sure that Coronavirus will no longer be a danger in Hollywood and in the world.
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