5 Positive Changes We Made in the Past Year

It may not seem like it, but we've all made some positive changes in our lives in the past year.  We just passed the one-year anniversary of the national shutdown, and it seems the pandemic has changed our lives and the industry in which so many of us work forever.  It remains to be seen how many of the changes we experienced will be permanent.

We've survived physical, emotional, and financial stresses this past year. It's time to focus on a few of the positive changes we've made.

Here are five positive changes we made in the past year:

1. We appreciate our health and don't take it for granted.

The pandemic made us aware of our physical and mental vulnerabilities.  Even the common cold or a mere sniffle took on a frightening dimension during the pandemic.

The heroic health care workers got us through this most difficult of years with their unwavering service, sometimes at the cost of their own health.  These essential workers took care of our communities and showed compassion to our families.

I know I'm grateful for my good health and will never take it for granted again.

2. We take safety more seriously.

Never has workplace safety been taken more seriously than it is now.  The COVID-19 Return to Work Safety Protocols established a previously unknown level of vigilance on set, and everyone has had to adapt.  A little more than a year ago, no one could have imagined we’d have to get a COVID-19 test before working on set, but now it’s standard practice.

Had we'd been aware pre-pandemic of the stringent safety protocols we'd have to work under, we wouldn't have thought it possible.  But everyone has managed to comply and get through the day safely.

Thanks to the union and guild negotiators' tireless work, we have a workable safety plan that probably exceeds most other industries' safety standards.   After all, our industry is known for creative problem-solving.

3. We learned to make maximum use of technology.

I can't imagine having gotten through the past year without the technology we so often take for granted.  I think everyone got more tech-savvy by necessity during the pandemic.  I couldn’t even tell you what Zoom was at the beginning of 2020.

We may not want to do as many virtual meetings in the future, but it’s sure been great having that option available to us.  I’m also a big fan of remote video village.  Who thought we’d ever see that in our industry?

It’s amazing how resourceful we can be when we have to.  And who doesn’t love sitting at home in sweatpants for a business meeting?  Technology scores big during the pandemic.

4. We appreciate the value of the entertainment we help create.

We’ve probably consumed more entertainment this year than at any other time in our adult lives.  We couldn’t get enough, especially in those first few months of the pandemic when we all stayed home.

I wonder how people survived the pandemic of a hundred years ago, with few radios and no TVs or computers.  We have the luxury of an endless stream of entertainment, and we work in the industry that creates it.

The past twelve months have certainly made me appreciate the value of entertainment.  The shows we watched saved our sanity.  We now understand just how essential films and TV shows are to our culture and our lives.

5. We realize that we’re capable of adapting quickly to change.

Most people are resistant to change.  There’s comfort in our daily routines.  Well, that all got turned upside down last spring, and it’s stayed that way.

We had to adapt and fast.  And we did.  I see that ability to pivot quickly as a positive change in how we see ourselves and our world.

We’re far more competent, capable, and adaptable than we thought we were.  That’s a win for ourselves and our industry.

Conclusion

2021 is the year we supposedly get back to normal, whatever that means.  As miserable a year as 2020 was, it made us grow and brought some positive changes.

The film industry has changed, and so have we.  That’s a good thing.