Behind the Scenes Buzz

COSTUME DESIGNERS GUILD TO MAKE MASKS: The Costume Designers Guild is rallying support among its members to sew masks for hospitals who face a shortage amid the coronavirus pandemic. The president of the Guild, Salvador Perez, tells Variety: “We are organizing all our members from local 892 and local 705 costumers who can sew, to manufacture masks for hospitals. It will be good to keep busy and help the community.” Several productions, including Grey’s Anatomy and The Good Doctor, have already donated their masks and gowns.

ITV SLASHES BUDGET: ITV is cutting its programming budget by at least $116 million due to coronavirus chaos. The pandemic is threatening two main cases of revenue: production and advertising, ITV CEO Carolyn McCall tells investors. In a statement, TV said: “We expect to benefit from an additional offset due to increased demand for library sales. As a leading global distributor, we are well placed to deliver this, with a high quality library and strong relationships with broadcasters and platform owners. Demand for quality content remains strong and therefore we continue to work on our development slate and we are ready to resume production as soon as we are able. As one of the largest international producers of unscripted content which has a shorter lead time, we will be able to ramp up production quickly.”

CHINA REOPENS THEATERS: In a positive sign of things to come for the film industry, about 507 and counting movie theaters have been reopened in China. The coronavirus pandemic is finally showing signs of slowing in China. Most theaters around the world remain closes, though Brazil, Russia, Mexico, Korea and Japan are allowing limited showings.

ITALIANS PROJECT CLASSIC FILMS ON ROME BUILDINGS: Film lovers in Italy are getting creative in a bid to lift each other’s spirits. As the spread of coronavirus kills thousands in Italy, the country is in lockdown, but Alice nella Citt, the independent and parallel sidebar of the Rome Film Fest, has invited people to project movies on neighboring buildings and share images online. So far, Dead Poets Society, Billy Elliot, Cinema Paradiso, La Dolce Vita, Der Himmel ber Berlin, Miracolo a Milano, The Great Dictator, and The Aristocats have been shown. Are you getting creative with the way you take in films?