Hollywood grinds to halt production amid coronavirus woes

The novel coronavirus, or COVID-19, now sweeping the globe, can boast of its latest casualty: Hollywood.

Responding to the new state of emergency that was declared by many US states as well as on the federal level by the Trump administration, Hollywood's Big Six studios shuttered production on all films and television series in the pipeline.

Virtually all production - from big studios to smaller independent films - ground to a halt late last week and this week, as the American film and television industry braced to do its part to contain and ride out the coronavirus outbreak.

Hollywood producer, Arthur Sarkissian, told Xinhua on Friday that public health and safety had to come before economic considerations. "As in other businesses, the entertainment industry will be affected... but right now everyone must face one thing first - that is the dealing with the virus," he said.

Film and some television productions often employ hundreds of people, from the highly paid, above-the-line creatives, including actors, director, writer, and producers on down to the rank-and-file, below-the-line artisans and crewmembers who work on location and in the editing bays after the film has been shot.

Emmy Award winning producer, Jeff Most, told Xinhua that he lamented the production shutdowns, "but, we have to look out for the safety not only of our executives and everyone in front of and behind the camera, but for everyone in society that we must protect in every way possible by not congregating on film and TV productions."