The show must go on. But how?
THE GOVERNMENT
confirmed last month that film and TV production can restart in the UK, within social distancing guidelines. Clearly, that doesn’t mean that everything must adhere to a two-metre rule on screen, which is lucky, otherwise there would be no sexpacked Normal People, that’s for sure.
Official guidelines recommend daily Covid-19 symptom checks, distancing ‘whenever possible’ and a suggestion that actors dress themselves and do their own make-up. These recommendations, drawn up by the British Film Commission, are similar to those in the US, where buffet food catering is banned, sex scenes are likely to be CGI, and productions are encouraged to hire so-called ‘autonomous Covid-19 compliance officers’, to make sure nobody does a Dominic Cummings.
The desire to get back to work is understandable – when Pinewood Studios closed for lockdown, so did production on Jurassic World: Dominion. When the lot reopens, the mega-budget blockbuster will too, pushing other projects back – and that is a lot of actors and directors sitting at home, twiddling their thumbs. Meanwhile, production has stalled on new series of Peaky Blinders, The Handmaid’s Tale, The
Morning Show, Stranger Things, Euphoria and Succession. So there is a looming cultural black hole, unless people can figure out how to make TV and films while not contributing to a second wave of infection.
With cinemas shut for weeks, the small screen has become essential for, sure, news, but also, fun. Remember fun? Lockdown has given us Quiz, Normal People and Tiger King, but such hits take planning. So there is now desperation to commission and produce shows, while not being entirely sure what is possible.
‘Starting up production is a challenge,’ says James Ross, a documentary film-maker who’s worked with the BBC and Channel 4. ‘They will have to find creative solutions to allow them to film, and they will, but the problem is commissioning. Massive uncertainty over where we’ll be in six months makes it hard to gauge what to green-light. I’ve heard some say there’s a shift towards feelgood programming but, either way, factual productions can be up and running faster than drama, and better operate within new safety protocols.’
So if, in the long run, we can expect non-fiction on TV, daft fictional escapism will have to be found in cinemas, which are due to reopen in July. It helps that Christopher Nolan’s Tenet is arriving on 17 July to tempt reticent audiences out of their homes. Phil Clapp, chief executive of the UK Cinema Association, says that this is possible because ‘most cinemas are able to operate on occupancies of 50% or less’. Expect enhanced cleaning, social distancing and plenty of hand sanitiser. And if people misbehave? ‘Cinemas will have no hesitation in asking customers to leave,’ he says. Which, surely, is threat enough. After all this time, do you really want to be forced straight back to your sofa?