How can production companies mitigate the impact of coronavirus on upcoming shoots?
Lisa Murua • 9 March 2020
Get the latest on filming in Brazil during the covid-19 pandemic >>
Working with a trusted local production partner can mean that shoots impacted by travel restrictions and health risks still go ahead. Sao Paulo, with its “vanilla aesthetic” and financial incentives, may be a good alternative for city shoots planned in high-risk coronavirus areas.
The news surrounding the spread of coronavirus is changing so fast that the facts are old by the time an update goes live. At the time of publishing this post, a handful of countries had imposed travel restrictions and others had closed their borders, including some of Iran’s neighbours.
Major events across the audiovisual sector are being postponed or cancelled, including MIPTV 2020 in Cannes
at the end of March. Film releases are being pushed back, such as the new James Bond film No Time to Die. As with so many other sectors, the production industry is facing tough times during the coming weeks and maybe months.
The show must go on
Despite the uncertainty and the travel restrictions, the show can go on for any production companies planning a shoot in Brazil, by outsourcing all on-the-ground aspects of a shoot to a trusted local production partner. Story Productions has years of experience executing shoots for our clients without them being present. We’ve taken care of all aspects of pre-production and production for Brazilian shoots for German broadcasters RTL
and Sat.1
as well as Sharp Entertainment, which entrusted us to do the field producing of a few story threads, shot 100 per cent by our crew in the Amazon, for its 90 Day Fiancé: Before the 90 Days
reality series.
We’ve taken care of corporate shoots for Hewlett Packard and Johnson & Johnson, arranging all logistics and finalising the equipment list and shooting script with the client via email and video conferencing before shooting using an entirely local Story Productions crew. We also offer FTP delivery to clients.
Coronavirus in hot climates
By the time of publishing, Brazil had 25 confirmed cases and the Brazilian government had not changed its entry requirements. According to specialists, the tropical climate in the country will help to slow down the spread of the virus. Despite the Director General of the World Health Organisation (WHO) asking countries to not impose coronavirus-related travel or trade restrictions, media giants such as Amazon and Twitter have already taken measures to reduce or ban any travel for their employees.
São Paulo: a generic any-city urban shoot location
For production companies rethinking plans to shoot in cities around the world that have travel restrictions and/or a high incidence of coronavirus cases, São Paulo is a good alternative worth considering. In addition to the financial incentive of a cash rebate for shoots in São Paulo, and the weak Brazilian real against the dollar and sterling, São Paulo is a hugely diverse city whose “vanilla aesthetic” could be (almost) anywhere in the world. Read our guide to the benefits of filming in São Paulo.
Story Productions can take care of your audiovisual project from start to finish, including:
- Concept and script development
- Casting & character research
- Location scouting
- Photo production
- Crewing
- Post production
- Video conferencing & live streaming
- Equipment rental
Read more about the Brazil shoots we have worked on so far this year, and get in touch
to discuss your next shoot.
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