Today (March 16th) is the 4 year anniversary of the near-instant shut down of the entire production industry in Vancouver (and close to that anniversary pretty much everywhere else).  In the space of a few hours, we went from “let’s see how this goes” to our entire workforce being asked to stay home, and filmmakers and crews everywhere scrambling to adapt.

Just a few days before, I remember being proud of our “Response Levels” – the plan to adapt our operations to the current state of the pandemic.  Seventy-two hours later we were locking the doors.  It was a shock, to be sure.  Uncertainty about what was going to happen at work, at home, and everywhere else was close to overwhelming.

There was definitely uncertainty in those first few days, but there was also patience.  And trust.  We didn’t know how yet, but there was an understanding across the 500 person team that we would figure it out.  This too, would pass, and we would make it to the other side.

So the team worked to secure our studios and offices, provide power equipment to temporary health facilities, and make hundreds of calls to crews about what was happening.  And leaned on each other as we all adjusted to what was going on around us.

It wasn’t long before the team rolled up their sleeves, gave Teams a serious workout, and started developing the plan for how we would operate when the industry restarted.  At the same time, some of us continued to connect with the film makers we exist for and helped them exercise their creative muscles during lockdown.

When things stabilized, we were ready, and we became one of the authorities for the industry as it figured out how to restart.  When the industry came back, it came back in more than full force.  There was a lot of pressure on the team, but they stuck together, helped each other, and delivered for the crews that relied on them to make it happen.  We learned, we adapted, and we grew.

When I reflect on that time, I reflect on how resilient that team was.  And is.  Everyone I worked with, directly or indirectly, worked through the uncertainty so we could bounce back – personally, as a team, and as an industry.

Resilience isn’t often talked about and is taught even less (the University of Pennsylvania’s Resilience Program is an excellent exception), but it’s fundamental to navigating challenging times and an uncertain future.  Being able to positively adapt to adversity is a vital skill, and we had a crash course 4 years ago.

Today, the entertainment industry is once again going through a sea change of how entertainment is made, distributed and paid for.  In one way or another we all grew through the pandemic that upended our world four years ago, and we will grow again.  To anyone in that industry today (including anyone that was part of my former team at WFW), know that you will weather whatever storm you face, now or in the future, in the industry or wherever else your career may take you.

Cheers to you all, R