Randy Douthit Discusses the Difficulties Of Producing In A Pandemic
Randy Douthit, a film director who has led many successful Hollywood productions, recently shared his experience of the difficulties he and other filmmakers encountered in producing during the 2019 corona pandemic. Many industries were hit hard by the pandemic, and television production was not left behind. Bucking the trend of other infected industries, film directors and producers continued to work during the pandemic. They were assisted in this effort because their particular industry was highly mobile and able to meet in safe areas or at least areas with a lower rate of infection than other metropolitan regions.
How things have changed:
Randy Douthit points out how his industry has changed now that it is post-pandemic. He says that the pandemic was like a reality check for them. The production industry realized how vulnerable it was and needed to take precautions. This led to a drop in the number of full-time employees working in the production industry, a decline in the amount of equipment and supplies worldwide, and a decline in film budgets. The decline was so drastic that Randy Douthit and his crew were forced to work on their old equipment. In addition, there was even less money available for actors and extras who happened to be infected by the virus.
How they were able to overcome these obstacles:
One of the things they had to adapt to was working remotely. Due to the virus, they could not have their cast and crew physically on site. This meant that they had to use Skype, Google Hangouts, and other similar tools to communicate with them. In addition, they had to use Google Drive and other similar tools to transfer the footage over. This meant that the film director had less control over his film crew, but he could still get the film done on time.
Conclusion:
Douthit concludes by saying that the pandemic was a wake-up call for the film industry, and it will prepare them better in case another epidemic arises. He feels that they are better prepared now, and they should be able to deal with future pandemics using the experience they gained from this one. He hopes all filmmakers will be as successful in dealing with future pandemics and that his experience can help them get their work done on time.