This article is from the source 'nytimes' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.

You can find the current article at its original source at https://www.nytimes.com/2020/05/08/business/media/documentary-filmmakers-coronavirus.html

The article has changed 15 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.

Version 13 Version 14
With Hollywood Productions on Hold, Documentary Filmmakers Keep Going With Hollywood Productions on Hold, Documentary Filmmakers Keep Going
(10 days later)
Jehane Noujaim and Karim Amer know about putting themselves at risk for their work. While they were shooting thousands of hours of footage for “The Square,” the 2013 documentary directed by Ms. Noujaim and produced by Mr. Amer on the popular uprising in Cairo, they were often in the middle of the action in Tahrir Square, where the military shot protesters and dispersed crowds with tear gas. Some of their footage was confiscated, and Ms. Noujaim was arrested and held for 36 hours.Jehane Noujaim and Karim Amer know about putting themselves at risk for their work. While they were shooting thousands of hours of footage for “The Square,” the 2013 documentary directed by Ms. Noujaim and produced by Mr. Amer on the popular uprising in Cairo, they were often in the middle of the action in Tahrir Square, where the military shot protesters and dispersed crowds with tear gas. Some of their footage was confiscated, and Ms. Noujaim was arrested and held for 36 hours.
Now, amid the coronavirus pandemic, conditions are arguably more difficult, they said.Now, amid the coronavirus pandemic, conditions are arguably more difficult, they said.
“At the height of the revolution, things got pretty chaotic and our office was raided,” Mr. Amer said. “That was a visible threat. You knew when the army was coming for you. This is not like anything we’ve seen before. This is an invisible threat that’s affecting every single member of the production team.”“At the height of the revolution, things got pretty chaotic and our office was raided,” Mr. Amer said. “That was a visible threat. You knew when the army was coming for you. This is not like anything we’ve seen before. This is an invisible threat that’s affecting every single member of the production team.”
Still, Ms. Noujaim and Mr. Amer have managed to keep going at a time when Hollywood has closed down film and television productions.Still, Ms. Noujaim and Mr. Amer have managed to keep going at a time when Hollywood has closed down film and television productions.
After shuttering their 35-person office in Brooklyn, the married couple decamped to a house in the Berkshires, where they have made progress on six projects in various stages of production, including an HBO documentary series on Nxivm, a secretive self-help organization that has been depicted as a sex cult. And they’ve been working while watching over their three children, all under the age of five.After shuttering their 35-person office in Brooklyn, the married couple decamped to a house in the Berkshires, where they have made progress on six projects in various stages of production, including an HBO documentary series on Nxivm, a secretive self-help organization that has been depicted as a sex cult. And they’ve been working while watching over their three children, all under the age of five.
“It’s a complete juggling act for everybody,” Ms. Noujaim said.“It’s a complete juggling act for everybody,” Ms. Noujaim said.
For a project they’re working on with filmmakers around the world on the pandemic’s effects, Mr. Amer visited the U.S. epicenter with a small crew to film one of their subjects, an employee of the Gerard J. Neufeld funeral home in Queens, N.Y., where mortuaries have been overrun.For a project they’re working on with filmmakers around the world on the pandemic’s effects, Mr. Amer visited the U.S. epicenter with a small crew to film one of their subjects, an employee of the Gerard J. Neufeld funeral home in Queens, N.Y., where mortuaries have been overrun.
Mr. Amer and Ms. Noujaim are not the only documentary filmmakers who have managed to keep busy at a time when nonfiction programming — Netflix’s “Tiger King,” ESPN’s “The Last Dance,” Apple TV Plus’s “Beastie Boys Story” — has been all the rage for people stuck at home. Unlike directors of dramas and comedies, who are dependent on film sets where social distancing is all but impossible, documentarians can more easily make adjustments.Mr. Amer and Ms. Noujaim are not the only documentary filmmakers who have managed to keep busy at a time when nonfiction programming — Netflix’s “Tiger King,” ESPN’s “The Last Dance,” Apple TV Plus’s “Beastie Boys Story” — has been all the rage for people stuck at home. Unlike directors of dramas and comedies, who are dependent on film sets where social distancing is all but impossible, documentarians can more easily make adjustments.
R.J. Cutler, the director of the 2009 documentary “The September Issue” and an upcoming Showtime film on John Belushi, has been collaborating with his editors on Zoom as they complete postproduction work on a documentary for Apple TV Plus about the teenage singer-songwriter Billie Eilish.R.J. Cutler, the director of the 2009 documentary “The September Issue” and an upcoming Showtime film on John Belushi, has been collaborating with his editors on Zoom as they complete postproduction work on a documentary for Apple TV Plus about the teenage singer-songwriter Billie Eilish.
“We doc filmmakers are an adaptable bunch,” Mr. Cutler said. “We are going to do our best to not be slowed down.”“We doc filmmakers are an adaptable bunch,” Mr. Cutler said. “We are going to do our best to not be slowed down.”
Joe Berlinger, who made the acclaimed 1992 documentary “Brother’s Keeper,” has been racing to complete the first docu-series on Jeffrey Epstein, the billionaire who committed suicide last year in a Manhattan jail cell after he was arrested on sex trafficking charges.Joe Berlinger, who made the acclaimed 1992 documentary “Brother’s Keeper,” has been racing to complete the first docu-series on Jeffrey Epstein, the billionaire who committed suicide last year in a Manhattan jail cell after he was arrested on sex trafficking charges.
Mr. Berlinger, the producer of the Epstein series, has been working remotely with the director Lisa Bryant ever since New York officials enacted stay-at-home orders in March. His team took what they needed from the RadicalMedia office in Manhattan and got to work on color correction, graphics, sound mixing and scoring in their apartments. The series, “Jeffrey Epstein: Filthy Rich,” will be available on Netflix this month.Mr. Berlinger, the producer of the Epstein series, has been working remotely with the director Lisa Bryant ever since New York officials enacted stay-at-home orders in March. His team took what they needed from the RadicalMedia office in Manhattan and got to work on color correction, graphics, sound mixing and scoring in their apartments. The series, “Jeffrey Epstein: Filthy Rich,” will be available on Netflix this month.
“We felt it was important to be the first one out of the gate,” Mr. Berlinger said.“We felt it was important to be the first one out of the gate,” Mr. Berlinger said.
For other projects, Mr. Berlinger started the editing process before filming was done. That unconventional approach has allowed him to stay on schedule.For other projects, Mr. Berlinger started the editing process before filming was done. That unconventional approach has allowed him to stay on schedule.
“When you start editing before you finish shooting, it’s not always ideal,” he said. “But we have several series where we shot enough material that we came up with a game plan to keep working.”“When you start editing before you finish shooting, it’s not always ideal,” he said. “But we have several series where we shot enough material that we came up with a game plan to keep working.”
RadicalMedia is also producing “In This Together,” which captures life during the pandemic. It includes video shot by a nurse and a pregnant Covid-19 patient and will air Friday as part of the nonfiction PBS series “American Portrait.”RadicalMedia is also producing “In This Together,” which captures life during the pandemic. It includes video shot by a nurse and a pregnant Covid-19 patient and will air Friday as part of the nonfiction PBS series “American Portrait.”
Long before a national emergency was declared in March, Ron Howard, who made documentaries like “Pavarotti” in addition to features like “A Beautiful Mind,” took on a project that has turned out to be suited to the current crisis: a profile of the chef José Andrés and his World Central Kitchen, a nonprofit that delivers meals to victims of natural disasters. Mr. Andrés has served millions of Americans across the country during the pandemic, which has wiped out over 33 million jobs in the United States.Long before a national emergency was declared in March, Ron Howard, who made documentaries like “Pavarotti” in addition to features like “A Beautiful Mind,” took on a project that has turned out to be suited to the current crisis: a profile of the chef José Andrés and his World Central Kitchen, a nonprofit that delivers meals to victims of natural disasters. Mr. Andrés has served millions of Americans across the country during the pandemic, which has wiped out over 33 million jobs in the United States.
Updated July 7, 2020
The coronavirus can stay aloft for hours in tiny droplets in stagnant air, infecting people as they inhale, mounting scientific evidence suggests. This risk is highest in crowded indoor spaces with poor ventilation, and may help explain super-spreading events reported in meatpacking plants, churches and restaurants. It’s unclear how often the virus is spread via these tiny droplets, or aerosols, compared with larger droplets that are expelled when a sick person coughs or sneezes, or transmitted through contact with contaminated surfaces, said Linsey Marr, an aerosol expert at Virginia Tech. Aerosols are released even when a person without symptoms exhales, talks or sings, according to Dr. Marr and more than 200 other experts, who have outlined the evidence in an open letter to the World Health Organization.
Common symptoms include fever, a dry cough, fatigue and difficulty breathing or shortness of breath. Some of these symptoms overlap with those of the flu, making detection difficult, but runny noses and stuffy sinuses are less common. The C.D.C. has also added chills, muscle pain, sore throat, headache and a new loss of the sense of taste or smell as symptoms to look out for. Most people fall ill five to seven days after exposure, but symptoms may appear in as few as two days or as many as 14 days.
Scientists around the country have tried to identify everyday materials that do a good job of filtering microscopic particles. In recent tests, HEPA furnace filters scored high, as did vacuum cleaner bags, fabric similar to flannel pajamas and those of 600-count pillowcases. Other materials tested included layered coffee filters and scarves and bandannas. These scored lower, but still captured a small percentage of particles.
A commentary published this month on the website of the British Journal of Sports Medicine points out that covering your face during exercise “comes with issues of potential breathing restriction and discomfort” and requires “balancing benefits versus possible adverse events.” Masks do alter exercise, says Cedric X. Bryant, the president and chief science officer of the American Council on Exercise, a nonprofit organization that funds exercise research and certifies fitness professionals. “In my personal experience,” he says, “heart rates are higher at the same relative intensity when you wear a mask.” Some people also could experience lightheadedness during familiar workouts while masked, says Len Kravitz, a professor of exercise science at the University of New Mexico.
The steroid, dexamethasone, is the first treatment shown to reduce mortality in severely ill patients, according to scientists in Britain. The drug appears to reduce inflammation caused by the immune system, protecting the tissues. In the study, dexamethasone reduced deaths of patients on ventilators by one-third, and deaths of patients on oxygen by one-fifth.
The coronavirus emergency relief package gives many American workers paid leave if they need to take time off because of the virus. It gives qualified workers two weeks of paid sick leave if they are ill, quarantined or seeking diagnosis or preventive care for coronavirus, or if they are caring for sick family members. It gives 12 weeks of paid leave to people caring for children whose schools are closed or whose child care provider is unavailable because of the coronavirus. It is the first time the United States has had widespread federally mandated paid leave, and includes people who don’t typically get such benefits, like part-time and gig economy workers. But the measure excludes at least half of private-sector workers, including those at the country’s largest employers, and gives small employers significant leeway to deny leave.
So far, the evidence seems to show it does. A widely cited paper published in April suggests that people are most infectious about two days before the onset of coronavirus symptoms and estimated that 44 percent of new infections were a result of transmission from people who were not yet showing symptoms. Recently, a top expert at the World Health Organization stated that transmission of the coronavirus by people who did not have symptoms was “very rare,” but she later walked back that statement.
Touching contaminated objects and then infecting ourselves with the germs is not typically how the virus spreads. But it can happen. A number of studies of flu, rhinovirus, coronavirus and other microbes have shown that respiratory illnesses, including the new coronavirus, can spread by touching contaminated surfaces, particularly in places like day care centers, offices and hospitals. But a long chain of events has to happen for the disease to spread that way. The best way to protect yourself from coronavirus — whether it’s surface transmission or close human contact — is still social distancing, washing your hands, not touching your face and wearing masks.
A study by European scientists is the first to document a strong statistical link between genetic variations and Covid-19, the illness caused by the coronavirus. Having Type A blood was linked to a 50 percent increase in the likelihood that a patient would need to get oxygen or to go on a ventilator, according to the new study.
If air travel is unavoidable, there are some steps you can take to protect yourself. Most important: Wash your hands often, and stop touching your face. If possible, choose a window seat. A study from Emory University found that during flu season, the safest place to sit on a plane is by a window, as people sitting in window seats had less contact with potentially sick people. Disinfect hard surfaces. When you get to your seat and your hands are clean, use disinfecting wipes to clean the hard surfaces at your seat like the head and arm rest, the seatbelt buckle, the remote, screen, seat back pocket and the tray table. If the seat is hard and nonporous or leather or pleather, you can wipe that down, too. (Using wipes on upholstered seats could lead to a wet seat and spreading of germs rather than killing them.)
If you’ve been exposed to the coronavirus or think you have, and have a fever or symptoms like a cough or difficulty breathing, call a doctor. They should give you advice on whether you should be tested, how to get tested, and how to seek medical treatment without potentially infecting or exposing others.
Now at home in Connecticut, Mr. Howard has asked World Central Kitchen staff members to chronicle the experience with iPhones and other cameras. He watches their work daily and advises the ad hoc crew from afar.Now at home in Connecticut, Mr. Howard has asked World Central Kitchen staff members to chronicle the experience with iPhones and other cameras. He watches their work daily and advises the ad hoc crew from afar.
“Right now we are just lucky to be getting footage,” Mr. Howard said. “I’m just trying to deputize them a little bit.”“Right now we are just lucky to be getting footage,” Mr. Howard said. “I’m just trying to deputize them a little bit.”
“They don’t work for me, but I’m trying to get them to not only cover the moments but to ask a couple of questions,” he added, “whether it’s to someone receiving food or to understand what the volunteers are going through.”“They don’t work for me, but I’m trying to get them to not only cover the moments but to ask a couple of questions,” he added, “whether it’s to someone receiving food or to understand what the volunteers are going through.”
Rudy Valdez had planned to be filming Carlos Santana during a concert tour right now. Instead, the director is doing what he can: conducting audio interviews with his 72-year-old subject for the documentary, which will tell the story of the musician’s life and career. The film is being produced by Imagine Documentaries, a division of Imagine Entertainment, the studio founded by Mr. Howard and Brian Grazer. Imagine Documentaries is also producing “The Day Sports Stood Still,” centered on how pro athletes have been dealing with the crisis.Rudy Valdez had planned to be filming Carlos Santana during a concert tour right now. Instead, the director is doing what he can: conducting audio interviews with his 72-year-old subject for the documentary, which will tell the story of the musician’s life and career. The film is being produced by Imagine Documentaries, a division of Imagine Entertainment, the studio founded by Mr. Howard and Brian Grazer. Imagine Documentaries is also producing “The Day Sports Stood Still,” centered on how pro athletes have been dealing with the crisis.
As they work toward completing their latest projects, documentarians are wondering what’s next for them and nonfiction film in general.As they work toward completing their latest projects, documentarians are wondering what’s next for them and nonfiction film in general.
“I think the most fascinating thing is, we don’t really know where it ends,” Mr. Amer said. “Does this change the way we make films for right now? Or does this change the way we make films forever?”“I think the most fascinating thing is, we don’t really know where it ends,” Mr. Amer said. “Does this change the way we make films for right now? Or does this change the way we make films forever?”