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Netflix
pledges $100m in production relief - 25th March 2020
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by
Greg Tingle
Netflix
will contribute $100m to production staff impacted by COVID-19 shutdowns. The
move is being applauded by others in the entertainment, arts, tech and media sector. It
comes in addition to two weeks’ pay for Netflix shows which where halted
last week. In
Australia Clickbait from NBCUniversal International Studios and Tony Ayres Productions
was forced to a standstill in Melbourne. Chief
Content Officer Ted Sarandos, said in a statement, “The Covid-19 crisis is
devastating for many industries, including the creative community. Almost all
television and film production has now ceased globally – leaving hundreds
of thousands of crew and cast without jobs. These include electricians, carpenters
and drivers, many of whom are paid hourly wages and work on a project-to-project
basis. “This
community has supported Netflix through the good times, and we want to help them
through these hard times, especially while governments are still figuring out
what economic support they will provide. So we’ve created a $100 million
fund to help with hardship in the creative community. “Most
of the fund will go towards support for the hardest hit workers on our own productions
around the world. We’re in the process of working out exactly what this means,
production by production. This is in addition to the two weeks pay we’ve
already committed to the crew and cast on productions we were forced to suspend
last week. “Beyond
helping workers on our own productions, we also want to support the broader film
and television industry. So $15 million of the fund will go to third parties and
non-profits providing emergency relief to out-of-work crew and cast in the countries
where we have a large production base. “In
the United States and Canada non-profits already exist to do this work. We will
be donating $1 million each to the SAG-AFTRA Covid-19 Disaster Fund, the Motion
Picture and Television Fund and the Actors Fund Emergency Assistance in the US,
and $1 million between the AFC and Foundation des Artistes. In other regions,
including Europe, Latin America and Asia where we have a big production presence,
we are working with existing industry organizations to create similar creative
community emergency relief efforts. We will announce the details of donations
to groups in other countries next week. “What’s
happening is unprecedented. We are only as strong as the people we work with and
Netflix is fortunate to be able to help those hardest hit in our industry through
this challenging time.” Unfortunately
much of the creative and arts world does not have the deep pockets of Netflix,
and many have been left without paid gigs for over a week. The
Media Man Group encourages readers to support the arts and creative sector however
you can, be it via a modest donation to an artists account, reposts on social
media and / or positive news media exposure. Creative types have a knack for getting
out of tough situations so here's hoping Australia's and the world's creative
sector can do some of their best creative work so far and get themselves out of
a jam. Writing news material, brainstorming, or organizing an online fundraiser
like Sydney's Taras Jones (Taras
The Electric Harpist) in collaboration with Georgia Lowe. These are all practical
ideas with merit. A
public thank you to the artists. Blessed are the weird people... Source:
Hollywood
Reporter 
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