It’s been quiet on the set at the sprawling Steiner Studios at the Brooklyn Navy Yard for the past four months. The sprawling 50-acre complex is the largest studio outside of Hollywood. The coronavirus pandemic brought all production to a halt. CEO Doug Steiner says the studio was operating at full capacity.
Monday will be the first day back on set.
“They will either start building sets that they haven’t done yet, or start tweaking where they were when they left off, and get ready to be back in business. They’re backed up in what they can deliver. They need to produce as much content as possible, especially during COVID, and they’re anxious to get started,” said Steiner.
As the city enters Phase Four, television and film production is allowed to resume. Steiner says there will be protocols to screen people for illness before they enter the lot and procedures to follow when anyone is infected. He says social distancing will be in place.
“The lot will not be as dense because of spacing, but otherwise, I think business gets back to normal. The productions are not ready to shoot yet. They’re still kind of figuring out how they’re going to shoot with background scenes and extras and things like that and protecting the actors,” said Steiner.
According to a report from City Comptroller Scott Stringer, 76,000 people are employed in the film and television industry in the city.
“We consider it part of New York’s economic future, and it makes a ton of money for the city and state,” said Steiner.
The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel is just one of the hit series shot at Steiner Studios. Steiner says while the industry took a four-month hiatus, he doesn’t think consumers will notice a huge difference while binge-watching series.
“Production will get back pretty fast. Some series will make their number of episodes fewer, and that will help solve the problem as well, but I think they’re going to crank it out as fast as they can because it’s time to create a larger subscriber base,” said Steiner.
Whether the coronavirus takes a star turn in the movies and television shows that will be shot here, that's a potential plot twist still to be written.