text: Ex-Viacom Entertainment Chief Jonathan Dolgen on Resuming Production – The Hollywood Reporter
  Former Viacom Entertainment group chief Jonathan Dolgen, now on the board of Los Angeles' Homeland Security Advisory Council, talks about resuming film and TV production.
  June 17, 2020 7:00am
  It has been three months and counting of film and TV production shutdowns in Los Angeles due to the coronavirus pandemic. But the end might be in sight as the state of California and Los Angeles County lifted restrictions on shooting on June 11. Jonathan Dolgen, former chairman of Viacom Entertainment Group, currently serves on the board of the city's Homeland Security Advisory Council, a nonprofit housed at Pepperdine University's School of Public Policy that was created before COVID-19 to help support efforts to prepare for and respond to a crisis — whether man-made, pandemic or natural disaster. But given the pandemic's devastating impact, the HSAC board, which also includes Mayor Eric Garcetti and LAPD chief Michel Moore, is liaising with the city's business community to get key industries like entertainment back up and running. Dolgen spoke with The Hollywood Reporter about why this struggle is unique and what he is hearing from Hollywood executives.
  I believe the biggest challenge that is going to be faced in the "new world" is safety. How can we safely create entertainment for our audiences? When will audiences feel safe enough to come back to theaters and what kind of entertainment experience will be there? Over the years, the industry has faced a variety of problems, some of which threatened its existence. There was the advent of sound, color, television and a variety of others, each one having its own set of fundamental issues. However, with COVID-19, one difference in all this is "When can we feel comfortable going back? What will the theater experience feel like? Can we feel comfortable sitting in a large room with others being entertained?" None of the other issues have threatened our personal sense of safety. These problems are in many ways different and more difficult than the ones that came before. I don't believe that it will be easy to determine when we will be willing to come back.