On Wednesday evening, Warner Bros. Television Presidents Susan Rovner and Brett Paul held a conference call with showrunners and executive producers to detail how the studio is planning to combat the effects of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
According to Variety, who reported the original story, both Rovner and Paul hope work will be able to resume soon, but much will have to be accomplished to make that possible. There are many practical concerns.
The call shed light on some unexpected ways in which the coronavirus might affect television production, down to its plots. There was a suggestion that love scenes might need to be eliminated temporarily, because actors won’t want to be in close contact. The same was said of fight scenes that would require stunt doubles to violate the rules of social distancing. However, larger stunts which take place from at least six feet away “may still be okay.”
“Now we want to be really clear, no one is dictating that The Flash should now talk down bad guys from his bedroom via Zoom. That would be a terrible, terrible episode of ‘The Flash,‘” Rovner noted. “But we are saying there are going to be very real challenges ahead, and it is not business as usual.”
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From a practical standpoint, Warner Bros. will keep writers rooms and casting virtual for the foreseeable future, while post-production is also going to be remote for the most part.
On set, everyone except actors who are shooting scenes will have to wear face coverings, gloves, and possibly even gowns, while access to outdoor locations is likely to be much more limited.
SOURCE: Variety