As the pandemic-caused shutdown starts to loosen throughout the country, the content creation industry looks to recover. Production has already returned in assorted locales with relatively minimal restrictions and the promise is that with each passing week, we will get closer to filmmaking normality.
Facilitating and advancing that return to normal in the U.S. are local and state film commissions with permit issuance, safety protocols, logistical trouble shooting, financial incentive initiatives and other myriad services and resources. Their groundwork will help navigate a path to some semblance of business as usual without compromising health and safety.
The film commission community is part of an industry that has long been characterized by its ability to adapt to changing circumstances and emergency situations. It’s a community that was tested like never before during the COVID-19 crisis.
SHOOT surveyed a sampling of film commissioners to get a sense of procedures, guidelines and policies they have instituted to get production rolling again, as well as advice and guidance they would offer to producers spanning features, TV, commercials and branded entertainment, along with other forms of content. What lessons were learned during the pandemic and how could they be applied to moving forward?
Certainly strength can emerge from adversity and people can unite even during an era when polarization has been the norm for far too long. Film commissioners have made efforts to bring the industry together–and active again.
Survey questions
SHOOT posed the following questions to select film commissioners:
- Are film permits being issued, enabling lensing to go on in your jurisdiction and if so, under what circumstances and with what, if any, requirements?
- Within your jurisdiction/territories, are any regions/areas in particular more conducive to filming in light of the pandemic? How have those areas made themselves more able to safely host lensing?
- How have your procedures, modus operandi, process and responsibilities changed in light of the pandemic?
- Are certain kinds of productions generally more feasible during this time? Commercials and shorter duration projects, for example.
- What advice or guidance have you to offer to the production community at large during these challenging times?
- What’s your biggest takeaway or lessons learned from your experience dealing with production during the COVID-19 pandemic?
Here's the feedback we received from select film commissioners: (in alpha order)
