Here’s how the Coronavirus is impacting the entertainment industry.
The Coronavirus COVID-19 is changing the entertainment industry. While some of the changes may be temporary, many of the changes could be permanent. Here are some of the changes the Coronavirus is changing the film and TV industry.
#1. Virtual Auditions
The film and TV industry is quickly moving towards virtual auditions, where actors would shoot an audition from home and submit the tape online. It offered a new way to screen actors for roles and allow casting directors to record, save, and share auditions with directors, producers, and executives. For example, American Idol is moving all auditions online.
The Coronavirus is pushing the film industry faster in that direction. No longer will virtual auditions become uncommon. But expect it to become more commonplace, whereby onscreen presence and the ability to stand out among thousands of auditions will be essential for an actor’s success.
#2. Less Casting Companies and Talent Agencies
Due to fewer productions, the entertainment industry will experience a severe downturn. As a result, there will be a smaller need for casting companies to hire a ton of background actors, and there will be fewer speaking roles to avoid contaminating people with the Coronavirus. With fewer actors and entertainers getting jobs, talent agencies will begin to close down and downsize as talent agencies only get paid when their talent gets compensated. For instance, according to a Variety report, Los Angeles talent agencies are forced to pivot and downsize due to the coronavirus.
Consequently, the COVID-19 pandemic will hurt actors who do not have an established presence, since smaller talent agencies recruit unknown talent or bet on new actors without extensive acting credits.
#3. Fewer Theaters and Plays
Working on a theater requires close contact with the cast, crew, and audience. But, due to social distancing requirements, do not expect theaters to open up any time soon. Consequently, many theaters will shut their doors, and there will be fewer jobs for those interested in working in the theater industry.
A New Yorker report dived into the impact of the Coronavirus and Broadway and found “the financial impact on its makers will be incalculable.” In fact, The Actors Fund, which helps entertainment workers, received fifteen thousand requests for aid in the first three months of the pandemic and has distributed some thirteen million dollars.
#4. Fewer Actors
As talent agencies and casting companies shut down due to the economic downturn, so will aspiring actors. In Los Angeles, where many actors work in the Hospitality industry due to the flexible hours, LA’s Coronavirus outbreak is killing the industry where many aspiring actors cannot find work due to the virus. Financial problems and limited job opportunities can have a significant impact on actors and will most likely put many actors’ acting careers on hold.
For example, the Pandemic caused the entertainment industry to shutdown what is typically the biggest time of the year for aspiring actors, Pilot Season. As The Atlantic describes, “the pandemic has cut off the revenue streams they need to pay the bills: The service and hospitality industries have come to a standstill, and those who found side gigs outside those traditional categories—such as in teaching, event planning, or stand-up comedy—can’t go to work.”
There will also be a drop in the number of background actors necessary to film a TV show or movie. Post-COVID-19, large scenes featuring hundreds of background extras will become impossible to accomplish. Those jobs will most likely wipe out large cattle calls and replace background actors with technology. Engineers could develop the technology to create background actors for a scene. In turn, it limits the liability for a production company in the event someone gets the Coronavirus.
Aspiring production assistants, producers, directors, and other crew members will also start searching for new job opportunities, as the drop in productions will leave many unemployed for the foreseeable future.
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