Just like any other field, the knock-on effect of the pandemic on the film industry has been far and wide, especially for independent filmmakers. As an industry that requires lots of people to be in one place, one of the most immediate effects of the ongoing global health crisis has been the closure of cinemas and the instantaneous pause of ongoing production activities. Unsurprisingly, this led to a worldwide revenue loss that is estimated to be at seven billion US dollars as of March 2020. As the world slowly adjusts to a post-pandemic society, it is becoming more and more crucial for filmmakers to reconsider their tactics, especially when it comes to shooting and promoting their films.

Switching to streaming platforms

Aside from the dramatic fall in revenue, the crisis also resulted in the postponement of most, if not all, of the lauded film festivals all over the globe. For instance, the organizers of the highly anticipated Cannes Film Festival, which was initially set to be held between May 12 and 23, were forced to adapt to make the annual film showcase a reality. They released the shortlist in June and will now look to have the festival resume in autumn. Most other festivals haven’t been so lucky. This means filmmakers must turn to a different platform to get their films to an audience. In this case the best option is online streaming platforms, which people love to watch in their TVs, if you’re thinking on getting a big TV, you can get a home theater installation atlanta, ga #1 in the southeast to prepare your setup.

There are 15 million new subscribers to the world’s leading streaming platform Netflix, showing how this has become the new way most people are currently watching content. Fortunately, streaming platforms such as these have always been welcoming of independent films, and online platforms like Theatrical-at-Home and Kino Marquee are helping films find audiences now that cinemas are closed. With the pandemic not slowing down, filmmakers will need to keep finding new ways to promote their films now that the traditional avenues have shut down.

Observing social distancing during the filmmaking process

Before the pandemic, people on set usually crowded around a single monitor to watch the content produced. However, new guidelines prevent this from happening. As an alternative, wireless transmitter options can stream this footage to multiple smartphones. Yet, production companies will need to make sure their devices can handle such files otherwise this will cause costly delays during production. Ensuring that the equipment is designed for high-speed transfer will help prevent any propogation delay (lagging) from occurring due to the size of large film files. In addition, independent production companies will have to also introduce new post-production solutions, such as virtual production work, that make full use of different digital technologies.

Overcoming budget constraints

After months of inactivity, production activities in some states are finally allowed to restart, provided that they strictly follow different health and safety protocols. Despite this, production companies of all sizes are still struggling to set a date to roll cameras once again because of a key issue: insurance. Insurance companies that service the film industry are currently excluding from their new production policies any coverage for COVID-19 on a go-forward basis. This effectively shifts the financial burden to the production companies that are already dealing with financial problems related to the lack of funds and sponsorships. Filmmakers that continue production will have to take this into consideration and adjust their budgets to fit with the new normal.

While the talks about insurance are still underway, independent production companies are forced to look for innovative ways to continue making films in the safest and most cost-effective way. One course independent filmmakers can do is to follow the example of many international film festivals and stream some of their movies on YouTube to gain a following and gain some revenue. It would also be best for many to amp up their digital marketing strategies to become more effective in reaching their target audience.

These are tough times for the film industry. But there are ways forward that will ensure production and promotion continue. After all, the world needs good films now more than ever.