Hollywood's a Mess, But There's Another Option
Channel: Foundation for Economic Education
Date: 2020-10-01

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We’ve spent a lot of time on this series talking about the effects of coronavirus lockdowns on the economy in general as well as the entertainment industry, specifically. The economic burden has been devastating to many, and it’s impacting other areas of our lives in really negative ways. It’s… not great.

Fortunately, there is at least one bright spot in the entertainment industry right now. Hollywood, and the film industry in the US in general, is a mess right now, but the Czech Republic is quietly coming to the rescue of some of our favorite entertainment projects.

Like pretty much everywhere else in the world, the Czech Republic shut down filming in March due to the coronavirus outbreak. However, they were able to resume filming in May, unlike the July reopenings in most other filming hot-spots. And how the country is managing it is just as important as the rescue itself.

The Czech reopening plan was developed in conjunction with health experts, sure, but also the people and organizations the plan would actually affect. More importantly, the guidelines laid out for the resumption of filming are just that: guidelines. NOT legally-binding regulations. This allows for the flexibility to accommodate the individual needs of each particular project.

More importantly, the guidelines expressly state that there are certain things that simply can’t be known during the unfolding of an epidemic, and individuals need to take responsibility for themselves and their projects. In this time of heavy-handed restrictions and over-reliance on the “wisdom” of experts, the intellectual humility and emphasis on personal responsibility in the Czech filming guidelines are both incredibly refreshing and incredibly important.

It’s also working. The Czech Republic has drawn some huge projects there due to its pre-existing qualities, but it’s keeping them there and keeping them closer to schedule than other locations have been able to.

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CREDITS:

Produced by Sean W. Malone
Written by Jen Maffessanti & Sean W. Malone
Edited by Paul Nelson
Asst. Edited by Jason Reinhardt
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LINKS:

--Czech Republic Filming--
https://filmcommission.cz/en/self-regulatory-recommendations-samoregulacni-opatreni/
https://variety.com/2020/artisans/global/carnival-row-starring-orlando-bloom-and-cara-delevingne-wraps-post-covid-shoot-in-czech-republic-1234745906/
https://www.praguemorning.cz/film-industry-flourishes-us-filmmakers-spend-czk-3-1-bn-on-series-shot-in-prague/
https://redanianintelligence.com/2020/01/22/season-2-czech-republic-slovakia-and-scotland/
https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/czech-republic-starts-film-production-coronavirus-guidelines-1293057
https://www.praguemorning.cz/shot-in-prague-the-booming-filming-industry-of-the-czech-capital/

--Hollywood Issues--
https://fee.org/articles/why-the-movie-industry-is-fleeing-california/ 
https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/hollywood-faces-devastating-costs-state-bill-targeting-uber-1219575
https://www.theverge.com/2018/1/3/16844662/movie-theater-attendance-2017-low-netflix-streaming
https://deadline.com/2020/09/california-coronavirus-update-second-wave-starting-says-state-official-as-9-counties-are-allowed-to-further-reopen-1234582207/
https://www.employmentlawwatch.com/2020/06/articles/employment-us/15-california-localities-increase-minimum-wage-on-july-1-2020/
https://deadline.com/2014/04/hollywood-unions-indie-film-production-problems-719954/
https://www.ocregister.com/2020/08/13/how-california-home-prices-hit-record-high-despite-coronavirus/