Two years after relocating to Hollywood,BBC Studiosexec Mark Linsey had a week he wouldnt forget.
Awards season was in full swing.
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L.A. Elation at the beginning of the week and absolute devastation at the backend, was his read.
What felt at the time like a nightmare is now the cause of a great deal of introspection.
It has been an extraordinary time.
When harking back to that fateful week,ITV Americaboss David George recalls his time living in New York.
I dont think Ive ever seen that sort of destruction, he says.
I have way too many friends who lost everything.
wildfiresmakes one consider the bigger picture.
You find yourself feeling silly talking about TV with people who lost their homes, he says.
Although, of course, not everyone.
Our relationship [with American contacts] has quickly returned to normal.
It seemed somewhat surreal sitting here and watching it on our news feeds, he adds.
Most of our key exec relationships were impacted and in one case one of them lost their house.
We had to be really careful about their care, but knew they felt they were doing something positive.
There has to be a way of keeping business here, he says.
Whether international shows begin returning to L.A. to roll cameras remains to be seen.
Its just another thing we didnt need, says Gurin.
Producers are having to be more aware of the global market and more aware of the costs.
Any fat in a budget now has to get trimmed, he adds.
With co-pros there are multiple people you are trying to service and that drives costs up.
Everyone is looking for the cleanest model.
You might see a change in the kind of content that gets picked up.
What has happened with the wildfires has been reminiscent of Covid, adds Linsey.
People work out how they are going to carry on in a creative industry with certain restrictions around them.
You have to believe in the quality of your ideas.
