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How COVID-19 and Oklahoma’s film industry growth impacted top 10 movies of 2020

 

Movie theaters shut down, streaming services ramped up, and superheroes and other tentpole protagonists were suddenly sidelined during 2020, a year with more plot twists than a horde of Hollywood screenwriters could have ever imagined.

Even as COVID-19 continually changed — and continues to change — all aspects of American life, heroes new and old emerged in the film industry. Oklahoma’s burgeoning movie scene started making an impact on awards season, with the celebrated Tulsa-made drama “Minari” generating Oscars buzz (assuming, of course, those coveted golden statuettes actually get handed out on April 25) and Edmond-based filmmaker Andrew Patterson picking up prizes for his feature film debut “The Vast of Night.”

Although many potential blockbusters were pushed out of their release dates due to the pandemic, plenty of independent and foreign films like the Irish animated tale “Wolfwalkers” and the Russian horror film “Sputnik” made meaningful bows in the year just past. Even when they were forced to close their physical theaters, art houses like the Oklahoma City Museum of Art, Rodeo Cinema, Tower Theater and Tulsa’s Circle Cinema have helped curate such promising titles through their innovative Virtual Cinema offerings.

By: Brandy Mcdonnell

Continue Reading at oklahoman.com

Artpark announces organizational & strategic business updates (wnypapers.com)

Organizational changes, selection of new ticketing platform & New York State Film Production Facility designation

Artpark & Company revealed organizational and strategic updates as it works toward continued future growth.

The board of directors announced Sonia Kozlova Clark as president of Artpark. Clark, who has served as the organization’s executive director since 2016, will continue to lead Artpark.

Joanne Bauer, chairwoman of the board, said, “Sonia has been instrumental in developing a new vision for Artpark and her accomplishments are numerous. Her appointments to various Artistic committees have been well deserved and exemplify her importance in the arts. Her creativity to keep Artpark relevant during these unprecedented times has been outstanding. She understands the importance of the arts and continues to serve our Western New York community.”

Artpark also announced Dave Wedekindt, who has served as director of marketing and sales since 2018, was promoted to vice president of concerts and marketing.

Continue Reading at wnypapers.com

Chicago film and television industry embraces COVID-19 reality (dailynorthwestern.com)

After almost a year of staying home and social distancing, the film and television industry has adapted to the consequences of COVID-19. Although the future still remains unclear, professionals are optimistic about a prompt return to filming.

“COVID-19 effectively stopped a majority of productions immediately, which caused a cascading effect, shutting down businesses that depend on the film and TV industry, like caterers, production equipment rental businesses, post production houses,” Chicago freelance television producer Craig J. Harris said.

Harris, who has won local Emmy awards for his previous works, said COVID-19 disrupted his filming process as a producer, as some workers didn’t want to risk their health, making it difficult to hire people.

By: Rayna Song

Continue Reading at dailynorthwestern.com

Wilmington’s film industry makes a comeback after COVID-19 lockdown (theseahawk.org)

Beginning in the early 1980s, Wilmington became a go–to location for many film productions—ranging from horror to crime to romance. At the beginning, producers filmed in Wilmington to capture a location that offered a small town feel as well as the opportunity to explore city skylines and coastlines. Pretty soon the streets of Wilmington and the surrounding beaches became a film set all on their own. 

With Wilmington’s historical buildings and long narrow streets, combined with the feeling of a coastal town, film was just the beginning of what gave this quiet North Carolina town its nickname: “Hollywood of the East”. The land surrounding Wilmington is non-descript so the story could be set anywhere, and Wilmington would still hold its name as a perfect filming location. Being just far enough south to maintain mild weather year around, climate did not turn people away from this then quiet coastal town.

By: Kiley Woods

Continue Reading at theseahawk.org

Coronavirus: Slow Vaccine Rollout Could Spark More Movie Delays (cnbc.com)

A slower-than-expected rollout of the coronavirus vaccine could have a domino effect on the 2021 movie slate, with possibly devastating effects on the industry.

Movie theater operators and studios had been optimistic heading into the new year that a steady rollout of vaccines to the general public would result in more people heading to cinemas and keep films firmly set in their current release dates.

However, monthly targets set by President Donald Trump’s administration are not being hit, which has already forced Sony’s “Morbius” to be moved from its March debut to a seemingly greener October. The film had already been displaced twice from its original July 10, 2020, debut because of Covid.

By: Sarah Whitten

Read More at cnbc.com