It’s becoming increasingly clear that most sectors have not faced a crisis in modern times remotely on the scale of coronavirus. The threat it poses to most businesses, the people employed by them and the economies propped up by them, it hard to underestimate.
Film is no exception. Already, the impact of widespread cinema closures around the globe, combined with endless release and event postponements or cancellations, as well as production mayhem, is estimated to cost the industry more than $20bn. Given that this figure was $5bn a week before, it seems safe to assume it’s at the conservative end.
We want to hear from people within the industry about how it’s affecting them. From film-makers, cast and crew whose movie was in production or perhaps all set to premiere at SXSW but which may now struggle to see the light of day.
From people in streaming services, about how inundated with offers they currently are, and from producers, studios and distributors weighing up the pros and cons of going digital only, pushing back, or clinging on to the original schedule in case things miraculously improve. From festival programmers trying to decide how best to proceed.
From freelance composers and accent coaches, from caterers and cinematographers, film certificate classifiers, personal publicists and poster designers.
We also want to hear from people on the frontline: from ushers and managers of multiplexes and indies, from concession stall owners, cleaners and people working at screening rooms.
This doesn’t begin to cover the people affected. So, if you’re one of them, please get in touch and let us know your story and how best we should be covering the place of cinema in this crisis. Drop an email to catherine.shoard@theguardian.com and andrew.pulver@theguardian.com.
Thanks.
