COVID Restrictions Cause Income Loss in Entertainment Industry

Maintaining social distancing guidelines may be difficult to do in normal day to day life with regular events; it becomes even more challenging to follow guidelines if people were to go to concerts or even the movie theater in town, which is causing entertainment-type businesses to suffer as a result.

In order for these businesses to be open, and for them to be safe to open their doors to the public, it is necessary that they follow the guidelines recommended by the Center for Disease Control. These current guidelines involve social distancing, wearing a mask, and washing your hands.

While it would be possible to social distance at the movie theater, it would not be a possibility for something like a concert. Even though it is a possibility for movie theaters, like the Schubert's Hartford Theatre, not everyone is comfortable with going to the theater due to the pandemic.

According to a box office report done by Variety magazine, the box office revenues for January 2021 took a 90 percent decrease from January 2020, when the pandemic was just beginning. This is evident with “The Marksman,” released Jan. 15, that made just two million dollars in its opening weekend.

Even though that this might seem like a large sum of money to make in opening weekend, especially during a pandemic, it really was not a good opening weekend. With a budget cost of $15 million, this is not a break even for the movie nor does it make up for what they spent producing the movie.

The low turnout for public events can be seen with local venues, such as the Schauer Arts Center. With a limited audience capacity set at just 25 percent, or a mere 140 people, their turnouts for shows are not what they were prior to the pandemic.

After having months without performances, numerous cancelled events and limited classes, the Schauer Arts Center has had to make certain changes. According to marketing and development coordinator Julie Johnson, the center had to “furlough employees or significantly reduce their hours.”

For now, the center has been putting on various events in order to continue earning money in some form. In the fall, they were able to host a Fall Beer Garden Fundraiser that utilized their outdoor space to have live entertainment and a silent auction. They have also asked for donations during this time with their “Raise the Curtain” event, and have applied for COVID relief grants aimed for facilities like the Schauer Arts Center.

Even if capacity was not limited as much as it is currently, or with more people feeling comfortable with going to a theater, there are alternative ways that new films have been released lately. Instead of waiting to see a movie in theaters and then having to wait months to own it on DVD or see it on cable, movies have been released on streaming sites the same day that they have been released in theaters.

The movie “Scoob!” was originally set for a worldwide theater release on May 15, 2020. In a response to the pandemic that had caused theaters to close, the Warner Bros. decided to make the movie available digitally on the same day that it was released in select theaters around the world.

By doing this, the film was available to see from the comfort of a person’s home via Prime Video and people did not have to go out to see it in theaters. This trend has followed with movies like “Vanished,” “The Invisible Man,” and “Trolls: World Tour”. In fact, most movies released in 2020 were either released directly to streaming sites or available to view on streaming sites shortly after their release date, according to Esquire.

It is clear that the entertainment industry is suffering as a result of COVID. With reduced capacity combined with periods of time where they might not be hosting any events, entertainment businesses are forced to find other means to make ends meet. It might mean hosting fundraisers or adapting to show their performances in a different manner; things that would seem abnormal in any other time.