The devastating effects of covid19 on human life and economy have been enormous to say the least. Equating human life with the economy may sound a tad bit insensitive but the bitter truth is if the economy flourishes, human lives thrive. Just like any other sector, the film industry too is bearing the brunt of the pandemic with shooting and film production coming to a standstill. Mandatory social distancing and the fear of the deadly virus have compelled people to take a sabbatical from work, whether they like it or not. But how long can this continue is the gnawing question on everyone’s mind. Will the studios, big production houses, artists etc resign themselves to the inevitable? I doubt that very much.
Coronavirus, can well be termed as an invisible enemy but it certainly has not robbed the ingenuity of few people in the industry. The creative potential got a much-needed fillip when we saw Varun Dhawan at his wackiest best in the flipkart ad. Shot entirely at the artist’s home, this advertisement set a precedent of sorts of a new norm in the entertainment industry. Soon, we saw Jhanvi Kapoor and Shobhita Dhulipala gracing the covers of Grazia and Vogue magazines. Both the photo shoots were done at home akin to a studio setup. It’s impossible to ignore another elegantly done ad starring the charming karan johar, who boldly displayed his salt n pepper hair and enticed his viewers to use hair colour. Yes! With moments of great uncertainty comes great creativity. People in the entertainment and advertising industry have proved that they are an indomitable force that refuse to be pinned down by a virus.
This new norm of creating ads and magazine covers from the comforts of home has led to a drastic reduction in production and operational costs. The clever use of technology, be it in sharing content on whatsapp or using facetime to discuss ideas, or using tablets or phablets for mobile filmmaking has proved that the show must go on! People are surely walking that extra mile, albeit in their homes, to confirm that creativity will triumph even in the time of corona.
So, is this new norm of creativity in a confined space here to stay? Can shooting of TV serials, web series, short films and movies leverage this new trend? With technology being used to the hilt, nothing seems impossible and if shooting on a shoestring budget is an enticing prospect, then I am sure there will be many takers for this. Having said that, the days of grandiose in terms of lavish set designs and exotic foreign locales is not likely to make an early comeback even after covid is laid to rest. However, I firmly believe that this new norm is certainly a glimmer of light which can show us the way out of this dark tunnel.
Authored by Grishma Shah, Consultant at Matrix IEC PVT LTD
