How has your company been impacted by concerns over the coronavirus–or the virus itself if a worker or client has been stricken–in terms of business, your staff, client relationships?
As with all production companies, Chelsea’s business has been totally upended. We are not able to do the work we are trained to do. Our crews are all without work. No one knows how long the Pandemic will last so it is extremely difficult to make business decisions. Right now my number one priority is keeping the Chelsea’ers safe, employed and healthy.
We are channeling our creative energy and coming up with really innovative execution approaches. We are also jumping on global initiatives such as the United Nations Creative Call to Action.
The well-being, health and safety of people is clearly top priority. What measures have you taken to protect your staff and collaborators during this challenging time?
Chelsea was early to move to WFH and self-isolating week’s ago and we encouraged others in our network to do the same.
We are connected with daily video calls. We prop each other up, make each other laugh and are now on a first name basis with everyone’s dogs.
How have you adapted your behavior, practices, policies, approaches, ways of thinking and doing business in response to the pandemic?
Me and my team and I have been tremendously energized by the sense of community that has exploded within the industry. Companies checking in on companies. Friends checking in on friends.
And while sadly we can’t do the work we are built for, Chelsea is using our resources to innovate, explore and come out of this not only intact, but creatively inspired.
Were you in the midst of a particular project when the coronavirus outbreak hit and how did you manage to deal with that situation?
Deal with the facts as I know them.
Trust the Scientists.
Forecast and collect information and then share everything I know.
Have Empathy. These are some tough, dark days.
Keep the faith.
What advice, if any, would you offer to your counterparts at other companies/agencies, your clients and collaborators?
The only thing we can do is take it day by day and make the best decisions we can with the information we have. It’s massively difficult to navigate a business with so many unknowns and such immense hardship hitting every corner of the globe. My advice is we all remember everyone is struggling and as an industry we are all in this together.
Contingency plans have been prepared by many in light of the situation. Please share any aspects of those plans or tell us how your short and long-term business plans have been affected.
Chelsea put together a kick-ass capabilities deck showcasing what we can execute during self-isolating. I am a big believer in just because something can be done DOESN’T MEAN IT SHOULD BE DONE– so we are keeping personal safety of our crew and everyone who works with us the priority and we are being careful about the projects we choose to take on.
Telling stories is central to everyone at Chelsea, we will keep telling them and we’ll find our way around the obstacles.
It’s said that strength emerges from adversity. Do you see any silver lining or positive dynamic emerging for our industry/marketplace from this global health crisis?
The darker the days the bolder the creativity.
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In the past few weeks the production community has come together like never before. We know we are all in the same leaky boat. May our solidarity and sense of community far outlast the virus.
