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by Emily PowerSat in the Cork School of Music on a cold March morning, the faint whispers of a virus called Covid-19 suddenly became a harsh reality when my lecturer walked in and explained that this was the last time we’d be meeting face to face. My classmates and I all parted way that evening, naively saying, ‘See you in two weeks’ not understanding what was to come. As a soon to be graduate, my life was completely halted and through into chaos. The ‘plans’ I had so meticulously made were now non-existent and everything in the world just seemed to stop, including the film industry.
This ‘new normal’ saw the halting of several television and film productions with large amounts of production staff who typically work freelance being laid off. For other areas of the industry, the easing of restrictions did allow work to resume such as smaller productions and animation but as the restrictions eased and work slowly trickled back, the industry faced new issues such as social distancing and securing adequate funding. Considering this, Screen Ireland announced that it would be offering new support measures that would hopefully cushion the blow of Covid-19. Production isn’t the only area being affected, with production halted and less film being released, cinemas are now struggling with the next James Bond film and big budget productions like Dune (Denis Villeneuve) being pushed back and less than satisfactory ticket sales for Tenet (Christopher Nolan, 2020). Cinema chains like Cineworld are now considering closing all its cinemas in the UK and Ireland causing mass job loss. Adapting is the new norm in today's society, with events such as the Academy Awards and Golden Globes pushing dates back and extending the period of eligibility. Other festivals such as the BFI and Slam Dance have created a type of hybrid festival with viewing available in cinemas and online. Many films that were slated for theatrical release such as Lost in Russia or Mulan have now moved to online streaming platforms. Television productions has also had to adapt and a prime example of this is EastEnders and how they’ve managed to create a ‘covid free zone’. The studio has turned into a one-way system and actors have Perspex glass between them to keep them safe during scenes. These new tricks will have to be the way forward for productions to continue running in this uncertain climate.
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