Due to the pandemic and the need to adhere to safety protocols, the movie industry has had to make adjustments to work under the new normal.
When it comes to everyone who is involved in the production of a film, they must wear personal protective equipment such as surgical masks, face shields, and gloves at all times. Celebrities also added extra layer of protection for themselves as they usually shoot a scene with a face shield at a safe distance.
For romantic films, it may be weird not to see any kissing scenes but we may be in for a surprise if film makers and directors manage to insert some intimate scenarios.
Digital platform
Establishments such as theaters have been closed because of COVID-19. With movie-goers unable to watch films on the big screen because of the coronavirus, filmmaking firms have entered the digital platform and have been releasing their movies via video streaming platforms.
In order to reach the Filipino community, ABS-CBN Films partnered with iWantTFC and digital site, KTX.ph to bring newly produced films available for viewing inside the comforts of one’s abode. The network already has a number of titles available like ‘U-Turn, ‘The House Arrest of Us, ‘Four Sisters Before the Wedding’, ‘My Lockdown Romance’, and ‘Boyette.
Meanwhile, Regal Entertainment will have their first movie, ‘Ang Mga Kaibigan ni Mama Susan‘ available on the digital platform on December 25. Their horror movie, ‘The Missing‘ was able to make the cut for the Metro Manila Film Festival, making it the only horror movie in this year’s entries.
Free!
While in the height of the strictest quarantine, which is the enhanced community quarantine (ECQ), the biggest entertainment companies such as ABS-CBN, GMA, TBA Studios, One Sports, One Championship, and DAZN chose to stream movies in YouTube’s Super Stream—for free! It was available last August 30 up until September 26.
For ABS-CBN, these are the movies which were available:
- Ang Pagdadalaga ni Maximo Oliveros
- The Gift
- Everybody Loves Baby Wendy
- Allergy in Love
- Barbara Reimagined
- Agawan Base
- Mamu and a Mother, Too
- Baka Bukas
- Tisay
- Happyland
- The Reunion
- SPARK
- Apple of My Eye
For GMA:
- Overtime
- Spirit of the Glass 2: The Haunted
- Instant Mommy
- Above the Clouds
- Sana Dati
- Asintado
- Mulawin: The Movie
- I Will Always Love You
- Si Agimat at Si Enteng Kabisote
- Kiko en Lala
- Sosy Problems
- Meant to Beh
- Barbi D’ Wonder Beki
- Enteng Kabisote 10 and the Abangers
TBA Studios:
- Heneral Luna
- Taguan (EP 1)
- Taguan (EP 2)
- How She Left Me
- 1-2-3 (Gasping for Air)
- Tayo Sa Huling Buwan ng Taon
With COVID-19 still posing a threat, switching to the digital platform such as YouTube is an option for these entertainment companies. This is a good strategy since the platform has an option to monetize videos through views. The movies may be free, but we all know that they still earn profit (if they monetized their videos) just by racking up views on their movies.
