So it might surprise you to realize that keeping a crew masked, six-feet apart, and following COVID compliance regulations might be more daunting a task than visual necromancy, but that's exactly the case for almost all of the studios producing live-action films. Then again, it makes sense when you think about it. So much of what happens on a set is communal and in tight proximity and, if one of the actors were to get sick with COVID, that means you might have to shut down production for two weeks or longer.Â
Virtually every aspect of running a set has had to be changed. Craft services (the snacking station), for example, is typically a buffet-style sprawl, but during the time of COVID, every item of food must be individually wrapped and sanitized. And, because actors can't wear masks or practice physical distancing while on camera (unless it's a film about COVID and dear god, don't give us another one of those), sets are split off into "zones" in accordance to their proximity to the actors and the level of safety measures required. Also, anyone within a fart's length of the entire production is required to take a minimum of three tests per week just to show up to work.Â
It's a logistical and budgetary nightmare, and some studios have reached the point where they'd rather postpone production than try and fight through it. That is unless you're an animation studio, which by and large have remained unaffected by the pandemic. Sure, your writers' meetings have to be conducted on Zoom now, but that's hardly an issue when compared to flying across the globe and beating travel restrictions for films like The Gray Man. (Which, surprise, had to push back production.)
If anything, animation has started to run even more smoothly during the pandemic. Voice over work, for example, is now done from home, making for even faster deliverables. It's why you can expect a lot more animated shows in the near future. Everything has been churning along for the past year now, and even if COVID were to magically disappear tomorrow, live-action studios would still need time to adjust back to the new-old-normal.