In a recent webinar, ace director Mani Ratnam spoke about how filmmaking will change in the post COVID world and one of the takeaways from the discussion was his suggestion that stars reduce their prices for the film industry to survive.
"Stars and technicians will have to reduce their price, to make sure that the industry remains afloat. We will also require help from the Government so that we can get back on our feet soon,” he was quoted as saying.
In the same conversation, he also touched upon the subject of OTT platforms and said: There is nothing like watching a movie in theatres. But the number of audience coming to the theatres has reduced, especially among the middle class and women. Digital platforms are yet another avenue which is very good.
He also spoke about how he is going to approach his forthcoming project, Ponniyin Selvan and said:
Pre- and post-production won’t get hit but production will. For example, I’m in the middle of shooting a movie set in the 10th Century that has war sequences and demands crowds. I don’t know how I’m going to shoot it but I will do it somehow. Filmmakers need to ensure that they are protected and maintain hygiene and should take one step at a time.
Mani also discussed about what he had been doing with his break and said, "I’ve worked on a few short films for digital platforms and have been thinking about future scripts."
Now, that really is some worthy pointers that the film industry could work on, what say?