Table of Contents 64q43
With isolation and social distancing to try to reduce the level of contagion of the coronavirus, responsible for the disease Covid-19, the cultural industry is on pause. Cinemas, theatres, concert halls and museums are closed, while literary events, festivals and performances have been postponed until the second half of the year – all to ensure that people stay at home and that the virus does not spread. 4n5a5p
This advance of the coronavirus impacts the global economy, which, according to experts and economists interviewed by Reuters, is already in recession. On March 20, the Ministry of Economy lowered the projection of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) from 2,1% to 0,02%. already one study by the Center for Applied Macroeconomics of Fundação Getúlio Vargas (FGV) predicts a less optimistic future: according to the survey, COVID-19 can cause a loss of up to 4,4% in Brazilian GDP.
This scenario of cancellation or postponement of events, companies in suspension or closing and with restriction of people on the street will affect the most diverse industries in the world, including cultural. According to the IBGE, the industry employs around 5 million people in the country, involving more than 300 thousand small and medium-sized companies. Specifically, how the coronavirus affects the culture and entertainment industry? How will COVID-19 impact cinema, literature, music and other cultural productions, as well as the 5 million Brazilians who work in this industry in the country?
The overview, by the Brazilian Association of Event Promoters 6d6a
The impact of the coronavirus on the cultural and entertainment industry will be of $ 90 billion, according to a survey carried out by the Brazilian Association of Event Promoters (Abrape), released on April 2.
According to the survey, the crisis caused by Covid-19 could cause 580 people (30% of employees in the events sector only) to lose their jobs. 51,9% of cultural events planned for this year were cancelled, postponed or suspended, due to the uncertain scenario of the pandemic – which could make the data on layoffs become a reality.
Also according to Abrape, 92% of the companies have lost up to R$ 290 million so far. Doreni Caramori, president of the Association, concluded in a statement that the new scenario that the culture and entertainment industry “is bitterly experiencing” is “something unprecedented”.
The coronavirus impacting cinema 3594m
One of the biggest film festivals in the world, the Cannes Film Festival, would take place between the 12th and 23rd of May. Due to the coronavirus pandemic, the French event has been postponed and still does not have a new date. According to the official statement, the festival may take place between the end of June and the beginning of July, but depending on the scenario, the event may take place at the end of the second semester.
According to The Guardian, around 170 people are expected to lose their jobs in the film industry because of the coronavirus in Hollywood and the UK. In addition, there is also a drop in the box office around the world: Variety reported that the box office at US and Canadian theaters had their worst result since September 2000 – that is, it is the worst box office in two decades.
Instead of postponing the premieres, another solution that producers are finding is to release the films only on streaming, and not on the big screen, as is the case with “Wonder Woman 1984”. According to The Wrap, sources have reported that Warner Bros. is analyzing the possibility of making the film available online, allowing the film to be individually purchased on the most diverse platforms.
In Brazil, the coronavirus is completely affecting cinema and distributors, as he says Felipe Lopes, general manager of the distributor Showcase Movies, in an interview with Showmetech:
“With movie theaters all closed for the first time in history, our main source of income is suspended. This has a huge economic impact, puts small businesses at risk and affects the lives of everyone working in the industry and their families. (…) I worry about independent exhibitors closing and about professionals in the sector. A lot of people are watching movies at home, but there are few transactions for the title.”
– Felipe Lopes, general director of Showcase Movies
Vitrine Filmes was responsible for the distribution of films such as “Bacurau” (winner of the Jury prize at Cannes in 2019 and great highlight this year), “A Vida Invisível” (a film chosen to represent Brazil in the category of Best Foreign Film at the Oscars). 2020 – which unfortunately did not happen), “Aquarius”, “Benzinho”, “Divinas Divas”, among other titles that have been successful in the Brazilian cinema scene in recent years.
The distributor had to postpone the premiere of four films: “Three Summers”, “Chão, “A Fever” and “Pacarrete”, which were scheduled for March and April. Due to the current moment of quarantine and without the forecast for the return of the opening of cinemas, the calendar for the next films is suspended.
The postponement of “Three Summers” was the most felt. Directed by Sandra Kogut and starring Regina Casé, the film was the winner in the Best Editing category at the Havana Festival 2019 and Best Actress at the Antalya Golden Orange Film 2019 and Rio Festival 2019 awards, in addition to being part of the Toronto selection. International Film Festival. It was less than a week away from the premiere date, with disclosure being made on TV Globo, on social networks and at physical points at bus stops, in addition to having already had preview events. "This investment never comes back”, says Felipe.
However, the biggest impact is on the productions of the films, and not on the distribution, which has not yet felt the thud. "There is a longer time between production and release of independent films”, comments Felipe, “so we are less affected. In this sense, the instability we experienced from audiovisual public policies has a greater and more direct impact."
"We are generating much less income at the moment and accumulating productions, guidelines and launch", to be continued. "This makes it more difficult to have financial resources in the resumption and we will share the results more – not to mention that the return will be little by little because we will continue to deal with fear."
When the situation normalizes, this accumulation will lead to an even greater dispute for premieres. With so many titles, it will be hard to find a release date with less competition.
Finally, Felipe demands an action from the Secretary of Culture, Ancine, and the Government: “We need a look from the Government to avoid an irreversible situation. (…) We expect an action plan for the sector. There are a number of resources from the Audiovisual Sector Fund to be released and that would help companies and jobs in the sector to be preserved. Agility to release resources is critical."
"In addition, Brazilian films are required to be screened in movie theaters.”, he finishes.
TV, series and streaming services in general s4r1o
To have a dimension of the impact of the coronavirus on television, just look at the measures adopted by the TV Globo, the largest producer of national content and which has programs that are part of the daily lives of Brazilians, even those who do not consume it directly.
During the week of March 16, the channel suspended the Mais Você program and gave way to in-depth and structured journalistic coverage to inform the population about the biggest news and the world situation of COVID-19.
But it is in the auditorium programs, such as the classic “Domingão do Faustão”, that the change is more drastic: the recording is made without the public, precisely so as not to gather people in agglomerations. "This Sunday of March 15, 2020 is the first Sunday in history, in its almost 31 years of life here at Globo, of an auditorium program, which will have its auditorium empty.”, commented presenter Fausto Silva.
Another decision by Globo that showed the seriousness with which it is dealing with the coronavirus was to suspend recordings of the soap operas that are on the air. “Amor de Mãe” and “Salve-se Quem Puder” will be paused and will be replaced by old productions – something that the network had not done since the Military Dictatorship, when the soap opera “Roque Santeiro” was banned on the day of its premiere, making with Globo having to reprise another plot.
Already in relation to Netflix, the coronavirus has impacted and paralyzed some productions, such as the second season of “The Witcher” and “Ruassian Doll”, as well as the pre-production of the new seasons of “Stranger Things” and “Grace and Frankie”.
“Coronavirus has raised some challenging questions for everyone working on set for Netflix productions. We are so grateful for all the work everyone has done to keep our cast and crew safe during this pandemic.”
– Netflix, in a press release
To help the people working on the production, Netflix will pay their salary for another two weeks and will them with a fund worth US$ 100 million (which results in about R$ 500 million), as announced. on the 20th of March. According to the streaming service, part of this fund will be dedicated to the people who were most impacted by the stoppage of productions.
In the same week, Netflix saw its branded value soar to $158 billion, suring the Disney which is worth US$ 154,8 billion. One of the reasons that must have caused this increase in value is the fact that people stay at home during the quarantine, consuming streaming services, while they can't go to the movies.
While competition in the United States is fierce because the Mickey Mouse company also has a streaming service, it is worth ing that the Disney+ streaming service has not yet debuted in Brazil and is scheduled to arrive in November 2020. It is not yet known if the current scenario will affect the debut of Disney's streaming service in the country.
Music 4r4q5b
With the instruction to avoid agglomerations, shows and festivals were canceled or postponed. Abroad, the Coachella, one of the most famous festivals in the United States, has been postponed from April 10th to October 9th. O Spring Sound Festival, one of the biggest in Barcelona, was postponed from June to the end of August, while the Rock'n'Roll Hall of Fame was postponed to November 7th.
The producer live nation entertainment postponed and stopped all tours that were taking place at the time, involving artists such as Billie Eilish, Cher, Kiss, Post Malone and the band Lynyrd Skynyrd. In Brazil, the Lollapalooza Brazil it was from the beginning of April to the beginning of December of this year. the festival john rock, also held in São Paulo, was another that was postponed to the second semester.
The trend with events scheduled through June is the same: concerts, gigs and performances in smaller venues have also been rescheduled or canceled across the country.
To deal with what was caused by the coronavirus at the shows, some artists are broadcasting on their social networks daily, playing music, showing a part of their routine and reaching out to fans through means like Instagram.
One of the highlights is the #TamoJunto Festival, carried out by the Journal The Globe to deal with the pandemic and encourage people to stay at home. #TamoJunto brought together more than 30 artists and achieved more than 1,5 million hits on social networks during the 20th, 21st and 22nd of March, according to the newspaper.
Still, artists face a reduction in their incomes. Streaming services showed that people were, again, willing to pay for music after a strong phase of piracy in recent years - however, most of the artists' profit comes from the fees of their performances, whether in small venues. or big stages at festivals. During this period, this profit is suspended indefinitely.
Will full shows be made in broadcasts sold and shown on any controlled platform? Will they just wait and depending on the profit from views and reproductions on video or music streaming services? It is a delicate moment, especially for smaller artists, as well as producers and everyone involved in shows, from those who play to those who carry the instruments, provide cleaning services and take care of the box office.
Theater 5o2f1b
Like people involved in music, those who deal with theater will also face difficulties in times of social isolation and suspension of cultural exhibitions, whether on screens or on stage.
In an interview with Showmetech, Luis Guilherme Niemeyer, partner-curator of XP Investimentos Theater, spoke about how the coronavirus has affected theater: “Mainly the artistic part, the programming part. We had some seasons already closed, and, in fact, seasons that came from other theaters in São Paulo and other states, but now we have a tremendous uncertainty as to when the activities will be regularized.. "
Customers who bought tickets for the pieces have the possibility of asking for a refund, but some projects don't have versatility: those that can be postponed will take this path, but those that don't have this feasibility, will have to be cancelled. "It's good case by case”, explains Luis Guilherme, “we still don't even have a general definition of what will happen to each project. When it comes to music, it's still a little undefined. Most are postponing their shows until the second half, so it's likely that we won't even have anything very new in the second half, just what would happen in the first."
"It's still a very cloudy situation to understand what will happen”, he says when commenting on the uncertainty about how the cultural industry will be affected in the long term.
“Being cultural, I believe that when the country slows down in general, culture is always greatly impacted. In a situation of economic crisis, people prioritize what is trivial, food, health, and the cultural part is, in emergency situations, in the background. She doesn't stop eating, taking care of her health, but they stop going to the cinema, the theater, etc.”
– Luis Guilherme Niemeyer, partner-curator of Teatro XP Investimentos
And when the crisis caused by the pandemic es, how should the theater follow? In addition to trying to fit the schedule planned for the first semester into the second part of the year, a deeper analysis will be necessary: “The resumption of this is always a little slower, but anyway, to make an analysis, it is necessary to see what materializes these promises that are being made. We haven't even reached the peak yet, but we have to make sure that it will , at the same time we have responsibility to deal with a situation that will get worse before it gets better.. "
Museums and Cultural Centers 3x5v57
To stop the contamination of the coronavirus in São Paulo, Governor João Doria decreed the closing of cultural establishments from March 16. This includes cultural centers, cinemas, theaters and museums, which are expected to remain without an audience until mid-April.
A picture gallery, MASP, the sesc of State, My and other centers were closed indefinitely as reported on their official media. With the museums closed, a whole part of the industry will not be paid for the visitation, which pays for the preservation of the works, collaborators and everything that makes these centers poles of culture indispensable in society.
During this period, Sesc decreed that all its units will be available to the Ministry of Health, according to a press release released on March 23, for “needs arising from the coronavirus pandemic”. In a practical way, this means that the places could be used for vaccination campaigns or serve as a field hospital, housing new beds - which could save dozens of lives that could need them in the course of complications caused by COVID-19.
In the literary market 49663p
The literary market will also be affected by the coronavirus. The UNESP Book Fair, one of the largest book sales events in the country, which would take place between April 1 and 5, announced in an official statement that, “due to the advice of public health authorities regarding the pandemic of the new coronavirus, the event will be postponed”. However, there is still no new date.
The Poços de Caldas International Literary Festival, which will now take place in August this year, was also postponed. "It is the festival that opens the national calendar”, comments Jéssica Balbino, journalist and cultural producer. Flipoços is a space for launches, conversation tables, debates, sales, authors from other parts of the world and literature enthusiasts to meet for a common ion.
In an interview with Showmetech, Jessica commented on how COVID-19 affects the market: “This [the crisis caused by the coronavirus] broke the market for cultural production. It does not affect, for example, bookstores, which, with many people at home, tend to increase online sales. But, for those who depend on work and what is going to happen that month, like me, it is very harmed.” She worked with Casa Travessia, which suspended work for not having new activities for the next few months due to the coronavirus.
“It greatly harms the cultural sector because many people their families through cultural production, which depends on holding events, with funds from fundraising, private initiative or ticket sales. When it is not possible to carry out them, the money does not come in, consequently, the consumption of that family will fall, directly impacting the economy.”
– Jessica Balbino, journalist and cultural producer
Jessica, however, believes that this scenario does not necessarily affect the public, “but it messes with the whole economy and it will take a long time for it to be recovered”. While the resumption does not occur, it is necessary to think of other ways to survive with the industry on pause.
"As an alternative, we are organizing an online soiree to not be so isolated and remain intellectually close, even if separated by the screen.”, says Jessica. "Another alternative I'm considering is selling online courses and tutoring/mentoring because as many people will be staying at home, maybe it's a good time to expand knowledge."
In addition to Flipoços, Flip – Paraty International Literary Festival, the largest in the country, was also postponed. In a statement published on March 23 on its official website, Flip said that, with the “aggravation of the global coronavirus pandemic and the need for social distancing”, “appropriate measures were taken to preserve the health and safety of all. ”.
Now, the Flip will take place in November 2020.
Marvel was another one that took steps to deal with the crisis caused by the coronavirus pandemic. In a statement, Marvel Entertainment president Dan Buckley said the comics leader will not publish any comics, whether online or in print, during the first week of April.
"This is a fluid situation with details that change more each day, so we appreciate your patience and understanding as we deal with this.“, wrote Buckley. "As more information is released, we will establish our long-term plans and provide opportunities to you and the industry."
The answers to trying to deal with the crisis 287036
As Felipe Lopes charged above, a series of measures are needed to be taken by the government and the Culture Ministry to help the 5 million people involved in the industry that is responsible for 2,6% of GDP Brazilian. How are public bodies trying to alleviate this crisis in the sector?
Measures suggested by the Brazilian Forum for Cultural Rights 255s6n
O Brazilian Forum for Cultural Rights published a document covering a range of measures to contain damage caused by COVID-19 in the cultural industry. The FBDC is classified as a “multisectoral, voluntary, collaborative and non-partisan movement, composed of 180 institutions, companies and managers of the cultural sector”, created with the objective of protecting “the creation, production, viability and distribution of Brazilian arts and culture”. ”.
The document requests that:
- The coronavirus is considered as a major impediment to cultural projects at the time of ability, “without additional and unforeseen costs”;
- Exemption from taxes, fees and contributions for cultural industry activities;
- Liberation of the National Culture Fund and the Audiovisual Sectorial Fund, which, by law, must be invested in cultural projects, which would inject “about R$ 1,5 billion reais into the sector”;
- Creation of new mechanisms for artists and producers in the states and municipalities, in addition to the distribution of available public funds resources;
- Articulation between the federal, state and municipal powers to “maximize the effects of actions to contain the crisis and the sector”.
What does the Secretary of Culture and the Federal Government do? 5s4k2f
So far, the Secretary of Culture has not commented on measures to help the sector during this time of crisis. According to Folha, on March 18, secretary Regina Duarte held a round of conversations with state secretaries to discuss what actions should be taken.
However, on March 25, Regina Duarte published an image on her Instagram approving President Jair Bolsonaro’s pronouncement against the closure of establishments and rebuking the measures adopted by state governments, which decreed isolation necessary.
In a press conference by the Federal Government to update the data on the fight against the coronavirus on April 2, the Minister of Tourism Álvaro Antônio said that he intends to meet with the managing committee of the General Fund for Culture so that this amount can be used as a contribution. financial to the sector during the crisis period.
According to the Ministry of Tourism in a note released on April 1, the minister spoke with BNDES and Caixa to discuss the possibility of creating a line of credit to be used by film companies in the country to maintain jobs and pay suppliers.
The actions of the Government of São Paulo 715i3q
According to the Secretary of Culture and Creative Economy of the State of São Paulo, Sérgio Sá Leitão, it is expected that the culture industry in São Paulo alone may suffer from the loss of R$ 34,5 billion, due to COVID-19. “It is, without a doubt, one of the most affected sectors,” he said. at a press conference on 16 in March.
To try to mitigate the effects of the crisis, the state government announced R$ 500 million in subsidized credit for companies in São Paulo, whether in the areas of culture, creative economy, commerce or tourism. In addition, it will also make improvements to release resources and launch public notices for ProAC – Cultural Action Program.
Due to the current scenario, it is necessary to wait for measures to help the sector in this period that will impact the world economy. It is worth ing that culture, like any other, remains an industry.
