Auditions via Skype, filming with respect for social distance and installation of the blockbuster from the house — a new reality film workers. By mid-March, largely due closure of cinemas in China, the industry’s losses stood at about $ 7 billion. By the end of may, as expected, they made 17 billion.
No one, including Directors, actors, and studios can’t predict when it will resume shooting even the most anticipated films and what it will look like.
the Creators of the new seventh part of the movie “Mission impossible” is expected to spend the summer in Italy, taking as Tom cruise once again dodges bullets and chases the car. The new part of the Thriller was supposed to come out next summer, but the release was postponed by almost six months of shooting had to be postponed due pandemic.
When most countries have introduced a regime of self-isolation, Universal studios was working on the last part of “Jurassic World”, Disney — on new “little Mermaid”, Guillermo del Toro was removed from the Searchlight Pictures ‘ remake of “Alley of nightmares”, and Warner Bros. has mounted a new musical “At the height of dreams.”
Now most of the projects have been suspended, some high-profile premiere was postponed, often indefinitely.
the Studio, producers and Union members trying to figure out how to resume shooting without any risks for all participants in the process. California must soon publish new rules that will allow studios to get back to work.
Authorities promise that in most districts soon it will be possible to resume production where it is possible to maintain the required level of testing for coronavirus and not to overload the hospital. However, Los Angeles remains closed for filming.
“In the history of cinema there were enough precedents that give an idea of what the movie creators have to do if suddenly a hurricane happens, or if the actor dies on the set. But there is no rule that says what to do in the event of a pandemic,” says in an interview with Variety, producer Matthew Baer, who worked with Angelina Jolie on the set of the film “Unbroken”.
In Hollywood, discussing what to full-scale filming will be back not before September, but such terms, apparently, taken from the ceiling: even if the US authorities will remove most of the restrictions, is unlikely to soon disappear recommendation to comply with social distance.
And during the filming of the movie nor the actors, nor the technical staff cannot be at a distance of two meters from each other.
by leading actors like Tom cruise are unlikely to have reason to fear for their future, but many beginners who live from one cameo role to another, was left without money. Among them there are many immigrants from countries wouldvshego of the USSR.
Vitali Philbert in Hollywood just four years — by local standards it was a short period to make a serious career. While that Philbert was only a small cameo role in the movies and TV shows, so he tries to apply for all, where the basic parameters — age, height, weight, skin color, body type.
During a pandemic, the casting was very little, and they are held mainly via Skype, says Philbert:
“All this lasts about ten minutes, not more. It’s not too different from ordinary life, when you come to the Studio. I think its not more complicated, but maybe it’s harder for them to see the whole image of the actor,” says Philbert.
online auditions, goes and Pauline Michaels — she’s already eight years working actress in Los Angeles. Michaels Recently participated in advertising the casting of a well-known manufacturer alcoholic beverages, which is not only the selection of actors, but shooting a commercial conducted via Zoom.
“For these auditions, I bought everything I could, including lighting installation, so it looks more or less good. But many casting Directors calm actors, saying that it’s okay if you are insulated and make the video bad quality, it will not affect our decision,” — says the actress.
In Russia, too, decided to use the new reality as a source of inspiration: directed by Alexander Molochnikov created vosmiseriynogo show “Bezumie” about life in isolation. In the story, the Moscow Director really wants to make a new show but all the actors are sitting in quarantine, and he was stuck overseas, so the team rehearses remotely.
the Director zoom series said to remove the project began on the third day of isolation — when everything has felt like it’s boring just sitting at home, so the difficulties with the selection and persuasion of the participants was: “I don’t think we ever with such ease collected castes”.
However, the trade Union of actors periodically sends emails to its members with a warning not to accept offers from some companies.
“Apparently, people are trying quietly something to do. This is understandable, everyone needs money. But not all companies comply with restrictions and take care of the safety of the actors,” explains Pauline Michaels.
Michaels was lucky: his last shooting in the sitcom — she managed to finish before the announcement of the quarantine:
Filberto less fortunate. Just before all the shooting had stopped, he has successfully passed another audition and got the role. “Shooting was planned later, but it was the quarantine. With me not even managed to enter into a formal contract,” says the actor left without work.
filbert, náchodasisa in the US on a work visa, got help from the state, which is assigned to all whose annual income is less than 75 thousand dollars (into this category falls most aspiring actors), and a monthly unemployment benefit.
“the money I receive is not comparable with the amount that I received, even for a cameo role. But they are enough to pay the rent, communal and food.”
In Hollywood, most aspiring actors moonlighting as a rule, waiters. With the closure of the cafe people lost this source of income. Philbert spent in the parks classes in tai Chi Chinese recreational gymnastics, but California authorities at the time of quarantine was closed and parks.
Michaels continues to work on the localization of computer games and games for smartphones — the job she had before the pandemic.
“I was lucky: for this work I just need a computer and the Internet,” she says. But many other actors according to her, now spend the money or go to work in the food delivery service.
This went through a Moscow actor Maksim Loginov, recently participated in antrepriznyh productions and starred in the movie.
“But where to go? I, of course, is not to your liking. In the first month of quarantine, the work in Moscow was — or by courier, or taxi driver. And I chose a taxi driver — says Loginov. The income is generally not comparable with what I had. Just heaven and earth. To curse not, but the words just obscene”.
Loginov said that he barely have enough money for the Essentials, and all financial resources depleted. After one and a half months working as a taxi driver, the actor managed to get a coordinator to a temporary hospital for patients with coronavirus in “Expocentre”.
“I have no Support from the state not received — long spat on it and realized that the rescue of drowning — the handiwork of drowning. I don’t care if I get infected in the hospital. I’d rather get infected and die from this than die of hunger sitting at home.”
Michaels doesn’t believe that the Studio will be able to organize the shooting process, compliance with social distance: “I Think it’s unrealistic. Imagine that even during the filming of the sitcom and such a TV series shot in the same Studio, only the scenery changes — the first people come to the site about 3-4 in the morning.”
“They set the stage and prepare the room for filming. This man is 50. Then come the actors, Directors, operators are still 80 at least. A number of people, to film one series,” says Michaels.
agree With her, Eric Zucker, assistant Director of photography: “When we are shooting intimate scenes, we usually try to limit the number of people on the site. I think it will become the new norm after the pandemic. Actoryou are more valuable than us. I hate to admit it, but it is. And we must do everything to make them feel safe. But it will take time.”
Familiar to all of the conditions to which a film crew around the world do not allow people to keep their distance, and it is not even always about the actors.
“Even if one team makes a film, you always have the operator. And the operator is a special assistant, who operates the camera Dolly on which the camera is mounted. These two people cannot be at a distance of two meters from each other,” says bi-Bi-si American directed by Anton Cropper.
For example, to write the music for the debut film of British actor David Oyelowo The Water Man orchestra of 40 people divided in two groups: in the Studio will be eight musicians — this will allow you to keep your distance. They will perform several games which would later be superimposed on each other to create the feeling of playing an entire orchestra.
At home and mounted the new season of the British TV series “the Crown” — the shooting was able to complete before the lockdown. Producer of the series Andrew Harris is not sure that the new reality will be able to make a large-scale television drama. Their production it compares with the military operation.
“it is Very difficult to gather a big crew, a lot of actors and move them to locations. It’s like that to move the army. And you can’t place the army, keeping a distance of two meters between each man,” said bi-Bi-si Harris.
According to us media reports, the panel of experts now considers the possibility to check the temperature of everyone who comes to the set, or even check the team for antibodies to the coronavirus prior to filming.
Some people involved in the film industry, saying that probably at the time of filming, the whole team will be placed in a kind of quarantine is to live in isolation and communicate only with each other.
Operator-stage Director Taryn Anderson in conversation with bi-Bi-si confirms: “Indeed, I heard about a project whose creators want to set up a quarantine for the whole crew. It’s certainly an interesting way out of the situation. First of all you must test for Covid-19, and then the whole team will go to the quarantine and made the film. But of course, people will be hard not to see your family, especially if shooting lasts a long time.”
Actress Lesley Nicol, who plays Mrs Patmore in the series, “Downton Abbey” does not agree with the statement that the actors are demanding more protection during the filming than other members of the team:
the Writer Ewan Morrison, who worked on the Netflix film “the King outside the law” (the Outlaw King), believes that kineticmatographic now have to think about the creation of films, production of which will not require different locations and hundreds of employees, and the producers will have to give preference to the show, filmed in closed studios.
“So expect in the coming years many of the dramas which takes place in deep space, on the seabed or closed in a surreal environment, such as on remote Islands. Such conditions are ideal horror movies like “Saw” and “cube,” explained Morrison.
bi-Bi-si in June will start to shoot new seasons of Top Gear and the super popular UK series about life in East London, “the Inhabitants of the East End”.
the Company promises that all the participants of the show, the presenters and the producers will comply with social distancing, and the stars — to put on makeup and style your hair yourself.
