What’s the impact of the pandemic on you, your company, your approach to doing business in the future? What practices emerged that you will continue even as restrictions are loosening?
Personally, the pandemic forced me to realize that I didn’t have to commute to work everyday. I could accomplish my work from home and for the first time I was seeing my personal space in a new light. In the beginning, it was very stressful and I was very unclear about how to move forward as a company owner, as a producer. As time went on, I adapted and I relied heavily on my gut instinct to lead our team from a place that I would feel safe from COVID. The pandemic brought out fundamental values in all of us about what were the right decisions to implement as we moved forward.
For harvest, we’ve always been a close-knit bunch and the camaraderie and cohesion that exists when production is working together in the same space can’t be duplicated. Production thrives on a multitude of people contributing ideas; people sharing strategies and working as a team. Having said that, I also see the importance and value for our staff in having the flexibility to WFH.
While gazing into the crystal ball is a tricky proposition, we nonetheless ask you for any forecast you have relative to content creation and/or the creative and/or business climate for the second half of 2021 and beyond.
I believe our economic climate for the second half of 2021 will be healthy and that the creation of content will flourish in the current marketplace. There have never been more choices for talented and committed filmmakers in our community and while the number of new ideas and new filmmakers can seem daunting, it is healthy and vibrant and growing. Our commercial industry has never experienced the amount of voices and perspectives that we have today. This has opened up a whole new generation of very smart people who have a strong POV; that makes for great work.
Additionally, our culture is seeing a large of influx of new brands, new ideas and a new normal. This naturally forges the way for more content creation to spread the word and introduce society to ‘new’ ways of living, eating, traveling and enjoying each other. I am hopeful.
What trends, developments or issues would you point to thus far in 2021 as being most significant, perhaps carrying implications for the rest of the year and beyond?
Most Significant Issue 2021 ~ WASTE ON COMMERCIAL SHOOTS
Issues to review in production~
- Carbon Footprint REDUCTION
- Plastic Pollution in single use plastic
- Non-Compostable catering utensils, plates, cups
- Food Waste
- Recyclable sets, props and wardrobe
GREEN THE BID to learn how to produce less waste on set and during post.