Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/1539634
9 - 1 - 1 | P E R S P E C T I V E 2 3 Until that day in 2020, there were seventy, if not eighty, streaming shows constantly in production in the greater LA area. Those days are gone. Today, I know of six, maybe eight, produced in this same area. Not sure, but it is sad. Really sad. I, and the Art Department that I represent, have worked consistently around COVID and the strikes. It hasn't been easy, but maintaining the structure I built has made it possible for us to navigate through these rough, very rough waters. The structure I'm talking about, I call "harmony." The facades that cover this structure are made of skilled union people. People, as we all know, are replaceable. Harmony is not. Once you shake it, most probably the structure will collapse. If that happens, the whole production becomes compromised because, even if the Art Department is the least appealing to the media, our performance and on-time delivery is key. (We all know that, right?) So here I am, talking to all of you, my colleagues. Along with having less time, less space, less money, often late scripts and lots and lots of pressure, we face the highest expectations in terms of the quality of the sets that we design and build, and all the locations that we choose and dress. Tension has increased tremendously in the last couple of years. In this time of change, we (Suzy, Bai, Kyle, Izzie, Nick, Alberto, Michelle, Sherling and myself, the Art Department for 9-1-1 season 7 and season 8) have learned to act as an organism that's been able to adapt to the "new" ways of producing. True values have been the best tools to fix the engine whenever it starts rattling: honesty, empathy and trust. We do not whisper. We talk out loud. We listen to what needs to be said. We trust each other…seems easy. The result: I've been empowering every single member who is part of the Art Department. Every single one, from the drivers to the laborers, from the swing gang to the decorator, from the prop makers to the construction manager, from the PA to the Art Directors and of course, the vital prop master and their team. In my opinion, the speed of production nowadays is ten times faster than it used to be back in 2015. It has become a scary beast that doesn't allow time to fix errors. Within this condensed time frame, it is impossible to design and decide on every single thing, at least it is for me. A. MARCO'S OFFICE WALL.