Navigating Through a Pandemic to an Endemic
Jim Draper
Production Pivots
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Production Pivots 〰️
We all experienced the loss of work in early 2020 - shows cancelled and we hunkered down at home, hoping it would last the “three weeks” the lockdown was estimated. As the lockdown expanded, it became clear this would not be business as usual.
Blueprint NYC - Studio setup in Hollywood
When live events in front of audiences ended, production companies pivoted to meet the needs of business to communicate with their employees and clients. They sought out studios to produced a hybrid of live and recorded meetings.
Video staging companies built out pop up TV studios in their warehouses. Fortunately for me, whether a production is in front of 20,000 attendees in an arena or just a crew and talent in a studio, directors were needed.
I must have taken over 100 Covid tests since productions resumed but it’s what we all have had to deal with, oh and the masks. New tools of the trade are glass defogging spray and wipes!
Here’s a gallery of photos from some of the studio productions during the pandemic. The second to last photo, backstage in the fall of 2021, was my first production in front of a limited audience since the pandemic. The last photo was my first production in 2022 with a live audience.
As I write this, I’m back in Las Vegas doing a corporate event at the MGM Grand in front of 5,000 - Masks optional! Production is coming back strong and our industry has evolved to meet the demand as we navigate through this endemic.
Stay Safe and Carry On!
