Coping With COVID-19 Crisis: R&C PMK’s Craig Greiwe On Who’ll Play The Lew Wasserman Role To Lead Hollywood Through This Mess
With full acknowledgment of the large image implications of a pandemic that has already claimed hundreds of lives, cratered international economies and closed worldwide borders, Coping With COVID-19 Disaster is a discussion board for these within the leisure house grappling with myriad penalties of seeing an amazing {industry} screech to a halt. The hope is for an change of concepts and experiences, and solutions on how companies and people can greatest trip out a disaster that doesn’t appear to be it is going to abate any time quickly.
Craig Greiwe, Chief Technique & Transformation Officer at Rogers & Cowan PMK focuses on the necessity for management & coordination in a titan-less, COVID-19 Hollywood, asking for a brand new job power to assist steer the enterprise by way of this disaster.
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COPYRIGHT_BP: Published on https://bingepost.com/coping-with-covid-19-crisis-rc-pmks-craig-greiwe-on-wholl-play-the-lew-wasserman-role-to-lead-hollywood-through-this-mess/67397/ by Cecilia Jones on 2020-03-19T21:31:38.000Z
](https://deadline.com/2019/08/hollywood-agencies-producers-conflict-of-interest-movies-tv-peter-bart-1202700629/)
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Within the final week, we’ve gone from seeing our {industry} working at full tilt to a chilly cease as we confront the worst disaster of the final century, already in the midst of a pivotal time for our {industry}. Within the identify of prevention, studios, networks, and companies have shuttered workplaces, productions, and programming. Those that can nonetheless work are working from house, whereas hundreds of others are furloughed or laid off. Grocery cabinets could also be quickly naked, however the panic behind them could be very actual and long-lasting. Hundreds—even those that are members of guilds and unions with emergency funds however notably those that should not—are questioning what to do, who to show to, and, most significantly, what’s going to occur to our {industry}. And but, as of this writing, there isn’t a one to reply them.
Particular person corporations are working with their workers in actual time to reassure them, after all. Companies have advantages applications and VPNs and HR departments offering each day updates. Productions are assuring their crews they may return. Studios are releasing blockbusters early for shopper consumption. However what we actually want is reassurance from a coordinated management effort throughout this city and our {industry}, not a patchwork quilt of personal communications. We’d like coordinated, sensible management from everybody, collectively.
](https://deadline.com/2019/08/hollywood-agencies-producers-conflict-of-interest-movies-tv-peter-bart-1202700629/)
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Alfred Hitchcock, WassermanKobal/Shutterstock
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Positive, there might not be a cohesive plan, however why ought to that cease us from creating one? Within the outdated days, Jack Valenti, Lew Wasserman, or one other {industry} titan would have picked up the cellphone to each community and studio government and invited, cajoled, induced, berated, or kindly goaded them right into a single cohesive and calming message. And that message could be adopted up by an precise plan for a return to normalcy—one thing that’s necessary not only for our {industry}, however for our whole nation, who depends on our programming to flee, really feel, emote, and bond.
Within the absence of titans, now we have sprawling company empires who’ve taken “America first” to a company- or agency-level. I could know what’s occurring at my firm, and also you may know what’s occurring at yours, however what’s our {industry}’s plan to develop a plan round this globe-changing disaster? When it ends, and it’ll finish, what might be our plan to rise from the ashes and set up ourselves higher than ever earlier than?
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We don’t have one, however we should always. Now’s the time to steer and supply consolation, after we are at our most unsure; to not wait till issues are clearer. I hope this letter serves as a name to motion, particularly to create an industry-wide working group or job power to deal with not simply our response to this disaster however to the very way forward for our {industry} after it.](https://pmcdeadline2.files.wordpress.com/2017/08/lina-wertmuller-sophia-loren.jpg)
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Each studio head, community honcho, and company chief ought to endorse an open letter that might, in a single cohesive assertion, clarify to our {industry} that:
• Individually, we’re caring for our workers as a lot as our shareholders;• Collectively, we’re caring for one another as a lot as for ourselves;• Arduous selections lie forward, however we won’t take them frivolously, and we’ll proceed to financially help people so long as doable;• We’re engaged on a plan for these most in want now, together with however not restricted to those that aren’t protected by insurance coverage, advantages plans, guilds, and unions;• We’re additionally engaged on a plan to coordinate our {industry}’s efforts to return to normalcy in order that, when authorities and circumstances allow, we are able to get again on observe sooner than ever;• We’ll put our folks first, and coordination above particular person curiosity, for the advantage of our {industry} as a complete;• And most significantly, that we’re creating a proper job power whose work we’ll all endorse and help, to deal with all the above.
And as soon as we’ve reassured the general public with a gap letter, we’ll have to arrange the duty power. The group ought to be composed of equal illustration from representatives round our {industry}, together with:
• Unions and Guilds• Companies• Monetary & Legislation Companies• Studios and the MPAA• Networks & Streamers• Subsequent Gen & New Media• AMPAS, ATAS, and NATAS
These people should characterize the bigger entire, and have to have the help, buy-in, and endorsement of their respective constituents. Collectively, they want a proper construction and a impartial, guiding head. And so they should take measured, thought of, however rapid motion. Some beneficial actions might embody:
• A working manifesto and guiding ideas for the general public in full transparency;• An sincere evaluation of the wants of the {industry} throughout this time of disaster and after it;• A fund for these most in want, fueled by contributions from main firms and filmmakers, creators, and actors with essentially the most assets, and specializing in loans and different emergency monetary help;• A listing of further private and non-private assets, with a 24-hour hotline for anybody within the {industry};• A coordinated effort throughout all firms and unions to intention for equal however proportional monetary help, no matter whether or not you’re a publicist, gaffer, cinematographer or assistant;• Coordinated tips for programming, centered on creators, audiences, and security; For instance, are closed units endorsed; ought to we break the theatrical window; when can and will folks return to work?• A coordinated, sustained, and new lobbying effort of federal and state governments to financially help the return of manufacturing when well being officers allow, together with new tax incentive applications and different monetary helps;• A protracted-term technique for streamers, networks, and studios to return to success, together with a coordinated effort to get customers again in theaters when chains are allowed to re-open;
Collectively, our leaders should reassure not simply our whole {industry}, however our nation, that we, too, are a part of the answer, even because it develops in actual time. There’s no motive to let the mud settle when actual folks want actual reassurance and assist at present. We must always give it to them.
These are just some solutions, and they’re solely mine. The very best ones would be the work of many. I could also be one voice, however I’m asking for others—all of ours.
We should lead. And so as to lead, we should coordinate and be a part of forces to confront a disaster the likes of which now we have by no means seen and hope to by no means see once more.
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