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As Hollywood begins mounting an industrywide effort to create protocols for films and TV shows to safely return to production, there will be a test case to draw upon.

Australia’s long-running soap Neighbours will resume filming next week after a monthlong production shutdown because of the coronavirus pandemic. It is believed to be the first suspended TV drama in the English-speaking world to restart production.

Source: Deadline.com | Nellie Andreeva
April 21, 2020

Since becoming known as the directors behind the biggest film of all time, having worked with Marvel from Captain America: The Winter Soldier all the way through Avengers: Endgame, Joe Russo and Anthony Russo have been hard at work with their AGBO Films productions. Next from the brand is Extraction, a Chris Hemsworth-lead action thrill ride on Netflix, which will be followed by Spider-Man actor Tom Holland getting in front of the camera again with their direction for Cherry. The film is almost complete with a first look expected sooner than later but some distribution elements remain up in the air as theaters are currently closed down.

Source: ComicBook.com | Brandon Davis
April 19, 2020

Ohio Citizens for the Arts (OCA) is calling upon the arts community to Advocate for the Arts.

WHAT YOU CAN DO

Ohio Citizens for the Arts is asking the Ohio Arts and Creative community to reach out to your legislators regarding the Ohio House 2020 Economic Recovery Task Force. Help to ensure that people working in the arts receive the support they need during the COVID-19 crisis.

Some of the ways you can help:

•  Ohio speaker Larry Householder named 24 legislators to a bipartisan task force that will study ways the Ohio House can lay the foundation for economic recovery from the pandemic. At the bottom of this post, you will find the list of elected officials named to the Ohio House 2020 Economic Recovery Task Force. OCA urges you to reach out to these legislators and ask them to include arts and cultural concerns in their considerations. You can use the messaging provided below as a template, or personalize your own message:

Dear Representative,
Ohio’s Arts and Creative industries account for more than $41B in economic activity and employ nearly 300,000. Now, more than ever, Ohioans rely on the Arts to help them cope and survive during this trying time. And now, more than ever, Ohioans working in the arts and for arts organizations and businesses statewide – real people, working real jobs – need your help and the support of all Ohioans to survive.

•  Check out the Ohio Citizens for the Arts comprehensive list of Arts and Creative Sector and COVID-19 Talking Points

•  Ohio Citizens for the Arts has launched an #OhioArtsStrong campaign to showcase the resilience and strength of Ohio’s arts community. They encourage you to use the hashtag in your social media postings to help elevate Ohio’s arts community. They are grateful for the many artists and organizations that participated in their #OhioArtsStrong video (below) and have kicked off the movement on social media.

Ohio House 2020 Economic Recovery Task Force

Chairman Paul Zeltwanger (R-Mason) | [email protected]

Vice-Chairman Terrence Upchurch (D-Cleveland) | [email protected]

Brian Baldridge (R-Winchester) | [email protected]

Rick Carfagna (R-Genoa Township) | [email protected]

Jack Cera (D-Bellaire) | [email protected]

Jon Cross (R-Kenton) | [email protected]

Jay Edwards (R-Nelsonville) | [email protected]

Tavia Galonski (D-Akron) | [email protected]

Dave Greenspan (R-Westlake) | [email protected]

Brett Hillyer (R-Uhrichsville) | [email protected]

Adam Holmes (R-Nashport) | [email protected]

Don Jones (R-Freeport) | [email protected]

Laura Lanese (R-Grove City) | [email protected]

George Lang (R-West Chester) | [email protected]

Jeff LaRe (R-Violet Township) | [email protected]

David Leland (D-Columbus) | [email protected]

Jessica Miranda (D-Forest Park) | [email protected]

Jena Powell (R-Arcanum) | [email protected]

Michael Sheehy (D-Oregon) | [email protected]

Dick Stein (R-Norwalk) | [email protected]

Reggie Stoltzfus (R-Paris Township) | [email protected]

D.J. Swearingen (R-Huron) | [email protected]

Nino Vitale (R-Urbana) | [email protected]

Thomas West (D-Canton) | [email protected]

2ND UPDATE, 8:50 AM: The on-again, off-again EDD unemployment insurance webinar to answer entertainment industry workers’ questions about filing for benefits during the COVID-19 shutdown is back on again. The California Employment Development Department, which canceled Thursday’s webinar a day after it was announced, has rescheduled it for 10 a.m. Tuesday, April 14.

A coalition of Hollywood guilds and unions is encouraging their members to take part. Ken Gomez, deputy division chief of the EDD’s Los Angeles Workforce Services Division, will be fielding questions.

Those who want to watch must re-register here.

Source: Deadline.com | David Robb
April 10, 2020

A coalition of Hollywood producers, writers and directors have teamed to launch It Takes Our Village, an initiative to raise funds to support below-the-line film and TV crews who have found themselves out of work due to the coronavirus crisis.

Organizers said donations raised via the GoFundMe-based campaign will be distributed to two organizations supporting industry crew members: the Motion Picture & Television Fund and The Actors Fund. The nonprofits are working in tandem to organize and dispense the aid, generally $1,000 for an individual and potentially higher for families.

Source:  Deadline.com | Patrick Hipes
April 8, 2020

Visual journalism outfit Field of Vision is teaming with Spotlightproduction co Topic Studios to offer $250,000 in emergency financial help for struggling documentary freelancers during the coronavirus lockdown.

The two companies are divisions of First Look Media, the org set up by eBay founder and philanthropist Pierre Omidyar with doc heavyweights Glenn Greenwald, Jeremy Scahill, and Laura Poitras.

Source: Deadline.com | Tom Grater
April 7, 2020

The Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act includes benefits for professionals in the creative arts, entertainment, and media production industries affected by COVID-19.

Check out these resources to see how you will be affected:

Unemployment Insurance Guide for Creative Professionals – This snapshot guide is for people who lost current or upcoming full- or part-time work. For the first time, 1099 workers will be able to get unemployment insurance.

Unemployment Provisions in the CARES Act – This fact sheet from the National Employment Law Project details the three new unemployment insurance programs and their benefits.

CARES Act Overview of Benefits – This additional overview outlines exactly what is in the CARES act.

See more resources for film professionals in our GCFC Film Community Resource Guide.

Entertainment industry union leaders are applauding Congress for today’s passage of the $2 trillion coronavirus stimulus bill, part of which expands key benefits for hundreds of thousands of industry workers who have lost jobs because of the coronavirus shutdown of film, TV and theater productions across the country.

Source:  Deadline.com | David Robb
March 27, 2020

Mister Rogers’ message about looking for the helpers during scary times couldn’t be ringing more true than right now. “When I was a boy and I would see scary things in the news,” he said, “my mother would say to me, ‘Look for the helpers. You will always find people who are helping.'” As we’re all facing uncertainty around COVID-19, and when production work will return, it’s important to follow Mister Rogers’ lead, and “look for the helpers,” even look for the helper in ourselves.

Source:  Greater Cleveland Film Commission | March 24, 2020

As you are probably aware, Cleveland Mayor Frank Jackson has declared a state of civil emergency in response to confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Cuyahoga County, as has Governor DeWine in the state. This is to create the flexibility needed for the city and state to respond effectively in the coming days. Today the Governor issued a ban on events larger than 100 people.

Source: Greater Cleveland Film Commission | March 12, 2020