mus.ings: a period of reflection or thought

Recently, I’ve been thinking about expanding the content on this site…sure, I love doing my quick reviews of the films and series that I watch…I love sharing my two cents. But I thought maybe it was time to expand my “musings” to more than just reviews and talk about happenings within the industry itself and how it affects these wonderful (and some not so wonderful) films and shows that we enjoy…and the wonderfully creative people who make them. So every week, I’ll share my thoughts on a different subject matter and I’d love for you to share yours in the comments or on social media. So lets get musing…

We are living in unprecedented times…with stay-at-home orders during the COVID-19 pandemic, a lot of us are spending way more time consuming and interacting with media and entertainment. Whether in the form of movies, TV series, documentaries, short form content, music or podcasts, these creative works are keeping us sane and entertained in these times of uncertainty. But the entertainment industry is one of the sectors hit hardest during these times of social distancing, affecting hundreds of thousands of individuals (from screenwriters, actors, sound effect artists, cinematographers, film grips, movie theatre workers, costume designers to local indie theaters and everything in between). Many of them are left without jobs and income and a vision of an uncertain, but no doubt changed, future. And here’s praying that our favorite local indie theaters survive this (especially my favorite Nickelodeon Theatre)!

So how can we thank them and ensure that they continued to be creative and create once the world returns to it’s “new normal?”

There are several different ways that we can help support this industry and its valued workers. Below are just a few:

• To help individual creatives/workers – Consider making a donation to either the Motion Picture & Television Fund, SAG-AFTRA Foundation’s COVID-19 Relief Fund, the Actors’s Fund , Artist Relief Fund
• To help your local independent theatre – Donate to Criterion Collection’s “Art-House America Campaign” and stream titles through local theatres’ Virtual Cinema Programs
• To help indie filmmakers – Try streaming/renting works on sites like Sofy.tv, FilmShortage.com, Vimeo, YouTube or through Osilioscope’s “Circle of Quarantine”
• To help support canceled in-person film festivals – Some festivals are switching to virtual festivals and you can still purchases passes to stream festival films online (ex. Sarasota Film Festival & Ashland Independent Film Festival); you can also streamed selected films from SXSW & Tribeca Film Festival

These are just a few of the many ways you can help support creatives (with dollars and viewing habits) both big and small. Try something different…stream a short…use a smaller platform to discover new up-and-coming filmmakers…or give someone moral support and encouragement. They are really getting us through these trying times (I don’t know what I’d do without Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Prime Video, Criterion Channel, FilmShortage, Vimeo and books right about now) so lets make sure we return the favor!

Are there some other ways we can help that I may have overlooked? Are you an artist/filmmaker in need? Have a suggestion? Drop a line in the comments below.