Right now, it feels as though the world is caught between two ends of the pandemic. Things don’t seem as dark as they did back in March and April 2020. But we are not out of the other side of it yet. The Delta variant is still wreaking havoc around the world, and there is still the threat of other variants to come. Case numbers are creeping back up, and we are all anxiously looking at the number of people who have been vaccinated.
As a result, we are still caught between the ways of getting by that we figured out during the worst of the pandemic and getting back to the old normal. While some people are returning to the office, others are working from home. While some people are happy to travel internationally for their vacations, others are choosing to holiday a little closer to home. All around the world, we are seeing individuals, businesses and governments do their best to explore this middle ground.
One of the areas that is still figuring out how to compromise is the entertainment industry. Given that people were doing their very best to not leave their homes, how could a sector that depends on people going out and spending money survive? As we head into the second half of 2021, we are starting to see how some of the changes made during the pandemic will never go away.
The Film Industry
When the pandemic first hit in March 2020, the big studios immediately started pulling movies from their schedules. Everything from ‘A Quiet Place II’ to James Bond found their release dates getting pushed to 2021. Then, as some kind of new normal was found, movies started to come back. The first major blockbuster to try its luck in a COVID-19 world was Christopher Nolan’s ‘Tenet’, although the results were mixed, and it wasn’t until this summer that we saw the industry gear up for a proper return.
However, we are still seeing analysts trying to figure out whether the current box office numbers around the world are low because of Coronavirus concerns, or because of a hybrid release strategy. Did ‘The Suicide Squad’ disappoint in the US because of the Delta variant or because it was released on the same day on HBO Max? Scarlett Johansson may be suing Disney because of their decision to release ‘Black Widow’ as a premium rental, but is that publicity hit more of an issue for them than the fact that they have already committed to a theatres-only release for ‘Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings‘? What will the studio think about ‘Free Guy’ surpassing expectations when it wasn’t based on an existing IP? The film industry is in a real state of flux right now, but hybrid releases and fewer risks could be the future.
The Gaming Industry
As you might expect, one of the entertainment sectors that probably wasn’t too worried about consumers spending more time indoors was the gaming industry. However, it is important to note that we should spare a thought for the people making these games, many of whom were working on huge multiplayer projects from home. Still, during the pandemic we saw an explosion in the numbers of people enjoying online gaming. Part of the reason is that we were all desperate for distraction.
But a major element was that gaming online was one of the most effective ways for people to connect when they couldn’t actually see each other. We may not have been able to see our buddies for a cheeky weeknight beer, but we could talk to each other and team up on a campaign. It was also a great way to let off some steam and mark a special occasion at a time when every day looked the same.
Take online gambling, for example. We couldn’t put on our best clothes and hit the casino at the end of a stressful week. What we could do is hit the online casino and play a game with a live dealer. Roulette, poker, baccarat and Texas Hold-‘em poker are all available as live games with highly trained real-life croupiers and dealers. Brick and mortar casinos may reopen but we have all seen just how easy, accessible and fun online gambling can be, and how it can still feel like a special occasion. If you want to learn more about online casinos and read about the best live dealer games out there, then visit Online Casino Review. Their guides and reviews are great for everyone, whether you’re just starting out or you’re an old pro.
The Music Industry
At the other end of the spectrum, live music was not geared towards a socially distanced world. Indoor live performances for crowds were one of the first things to be struck off the list, which was terrible news for the theatre community and comedy, not to mention live sports. From open mic nights to stadium-level concerts, live music was hit hard by the pandemic. Acts that spent huge chunks of their year on the road suddenly found themselves grounded with nowhere to go and no one to play for. Iconic live music festivals like Glastonbury had to cancel tickets in 2020, and again in 2021. And it wasn’t just about the acts themselves. For example, Nick Cave could livestream a concert that was just him playing singing and playing the piano, but he still had to organise a fundraiser for the road crew that had lost out on a year’s worth of work taking him and his band around the world.
Musicians have seen the benefits of live streaming, and the technology to facilitate live events has certainly improved. Zoom is probably the best example of a software company that has grabbed this opportunity with both hands. But it is the venues, and the people who make the magic happen for in-person crowds who will bear the brunt of this new normal. Now that these places are reopening (although many countries are requesting proof of vaccination before they allow entry), we may finally see the live industry bounce back.
