Since the dawn of the COVID-19 crisis, the fashion and entertainment industries have been severely impacted all over the world.
Indeed, event and program planners, movie distributors, have been postponing the releases of some events, programs, films, despite the school spring break, normally being a peak period at the box-office and for many popular events at the beginning of spring.
In addition to the postponing, several festivals have preferred to cancel their latest editions completely since last year like the famous Anime Japan 2020.
However, the situation seems to become a bit more under-control than the past year and the business is recovering step by step.
Indeed, the current period is a new transition for the entertainment business, causing many changes especially in Japan, and all the companies are trying to manage the crisis in varied ways to find a compromise, based on a new hybrid working style: combining remote work with office work.
However, for the entertainment and the fashion industry, the activity itself needs in general many physical interactions between people.
For now, it is difficult not to think about the possibility of a global recession that can have as a consequence the increase of unemployment and hard times to come in those industries.
In addition, generally speaking, it is pretty clear that freelancers are always among those who are left behind concerning financial supporting measures and face more difficulties during hard times.
On the other side and depending on the area, freelancers have the freedom and opportunity to be creative and find new ways to pursue their goals.
Consequently, the industry and the people involved are more likely to focus on the positive side of the situation from now and the truth is that this pandemic bring a whole re-learning of human values too.
Thus, the issue is a little more intricate but the different agencies and companies of the entertainment industry are also making some changes by reducing the number of people onsite, by creating and diversifying online contents and events, or even by organizing smaller festivals, to keep on working despite the impact due to the corona virus disease pandemic.
We can also notice recently the rise of VR (virtual reality) technologies to develop exhibitions and shows remotely.
Should this go ahead, it is likely that VR concepts are going to become more present in the industry in the future.
Therefore, compared to the past few months, even if the activity has not been back to its fullest yet, models and talents can see the job opportunities coming back again, slowly but surely.
Among which, we can find back opportunities as models for photo and video shootings, extra for commercial videos or dramas as it does not require many people in general in such a case.
To a lesser extent, promotional models, hosts and hostesses or master of ceremonies can also work again for smaller events by respecting the security and sanitary measures taken on-sites.
Lastly, translators, interpreters and voice actors can also find more offers than other works as those jobs does not require physical interactions at all and everything can be done from home.
But even if you would be able to find jobs, the world is changing “with Corona” and it will not be the same anymore from now.
So it is more important than ever before to remain strong through a challenging time, to develop skills and good networks in order to become unique and to stay in the competition.
And even if the outbreak is still part of our daily life for now and will stay for a while, it is up to us to work hard while the situation gradually changes for the better in order to build a new vision of the industry for a post-covid future…
ChatNoir, the model agency always thinking of tomorrow.
