With Broadway dark and concert halls closed, New York’s arts and entertainment industry has been devastated by the pandemic. But film production has been a bright spot, with streaming TV and series once again filling city soundstages and, increasingly, city streets.
The industry has not yet returned to its old heights. Of the nearly 80 series that were filming or planned to film in New York City during the 2019-20 season, 35 were back to work in early November, with five more expected by the end of the year.
A wave of viruses could threaten this recovery, especially if Governor Andrew M. Cuomo declares New York a “red zone” and orders non-essential businesses to shut down.
Yet in a pandemic-weary Manhattan, whose streetscapes are marred by closed storefronts and “for rent” signs, the sight of glowing production trucks and the buzz of workers rolling equipment over and over. off film sets gives the city a glimpse of its former self.
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Major studios – Kaufman Astoria Studios in Queens, Steiner Studios in Brooklyn Navy Yard, and Silvercup Studios in Long Island City – all report full, though each stage can only operate at 50% of its normal occupancy. according to state rules.
Overlapping security protocols industry unions, parent companies in Hollywood and New York State and the city government have led to robust safety protections, as almost daily viral tests return cases among the team and actors, productions, for the most part, continued with little delay.
About a person a week or two tests positive somewhere in the field, said Doug Steiner, managing director of Steiner Studios. But so far, he said, productions have managed to isolate the cases and their contacts, and keep filming.
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