Episode 1 - Testing in Tinseltown

So you're finally ready to go back to work and make a film during COVID times. You've done your research, you're about as prepared as you could possibly be. But what's one thing you probably haven't thought of? Insurance? Permits? Have those changed in the past year?Turns out, the answer is yes! There's been plenty of change in those departments. Thankfully, Front Row Insurance VP, Mike Groner, and FilmLA President, Paul Audley, took the time to chat with Anna in this episode about those changes.

It takes a village to make a movie. And while some roles are recognized in awards shows and rocket people to stardom, most of them fly largely under the radar. But even the least known roles are absolutely instrumental in reaching the final product. And every single department has been affected by the pandemic.In this episode, Anna leaves the floor open to several different crew members from several different departments to talk about the biggest ways COVID has changed their jobs or challenged them each day.Guests include make up artist Brittany Fontaine, Set Decorator Colin Redmond, 1st AC Matthew Borek, and set PA Rachel Allen.

So we've established that the film industry has changed. And we've established that this pandemic wont last forever. But are there some facets of this change that should be ever lasting?In this episode, we take a closer look at how safety on a film set has evolved over the years, and how 2020 may just fit into our history as one of those evolutions. And who better to talk safety with than the person who stands up every morning and runs the safety meeting?Anna interviews 1st AD Ryan Cho about COVID, safety, and the future of filmmaking.

When film went back into production in mid 2020, one of the biggest differences we had to contend with was the addition of an entirely new department. Who does this department consist of? What do they do? And are they here to stay?In this episode, Anna lays out the two main components of the newly formed COVID department with interviews and insight from CCO Diane Curley and HSM Kevin Christenson.Want to share your story on our podcast? Contact us via [email protected]

Anna continues to take us through The Safe Way Forward, this time focusing on the Zone System, and how it builds off of testing to make a film set safe.She is joined by production manager Tatiana Vallin, and COVID supervisor Cutter Ray Palacios, both of whom have first hand experience and extensive knowledge of how the zone system functions on a set.

Have you ever wondered why the film industry was able to bounce back so fast? How a work environment that is so the opposite of socially distant and COVID compliant was able to pick up and continue business while restaurants and shops were stalled endlessly?It all comes down to "The Safe Way Forward". In this episode, Anna takes you through the first facet of the DGA's intricate plan to bring back film and TV: TESTING!With guests Kik Udomprasert, a Testing Coordinator for Warner Brothers, and Jon Helgren, a non-union Production Designer, Anna gets to the bottom of how testing works on a film set- and why its so darn important.

Join us every Thursday as we discover how COVID has changed the film industry, and what the future may hold for Hollywood. New episodes out every Thursday!