Toronto filmmaker and entrepreneur
The pandemic has made simple tasks like going to work difficult or impossible. This includes those involved in producing television shows and movies.
This problem is even more acute for food delivery workers, frontline healthcare workers, and others. The helpful distraction of streaming movies or TV shows during quarantine has been so widespread that the trials, tribulations and triumphs faced by content creators should not be ignored.
The evidence is overwhelming.
BBC’s new drama “Time,” was subject to a severe production delayafter an “Covid scare”, which left Sean Bean, and other key cast members, unable for 10 days to work on the set. Julianne Moore recently spoke about the abrupt termination of filming “Lisey’s Story” in Apple TV+. The Stephen King-based TV program was still weeks away when the pandemic took place.
Moore spoke in the interview, “There was that fear for my, always when I step away from anything, that you’re going lose the thread or the character.”
Bardya Ziaian, aspiring filmmaker, understands this well.
Bardya Ziaian was an entrepreneur working in the new fintech sector. He began filming his movie during the pandemic. Co-producing the comedy Super Dicks, Ziaian had been filming since the time Covid-19 brought about the end of the world.
Ziaian had to face the learning curve when making his first movie. But he also had the challenge of continuing production with the quarantines social distancing, medical dangers, and social disruptions that are associated with gatherings at in-person events during a global epidemic.
Ziaian stated, “Most script-writing was completed prior to Covid. And we had the choice to postpone the outbreak.” “And at that point I almost pulled the plug, at least for a time. I thought about it, and realized that comedy is what we really need right now. I believe we all need comfort now more than ever.
However, it wasn’t his sole concern. Ziaian had the same job as any employer during pandemic.
Ziaian explained, “My other thought was to think that many people in these situations were professionals who needed work and wanted work.” “So I decided not to stop filming during the pandemic, but to continue moving forward.”
Many of the actors were theatre artists with talent and wouldn’t be able to do any other acting work if Super Dicks had closed until quarantine was lifted.
Ziaian is based Canada. Canada recently started lifting some stay-at home orders which the country has enforced strictly since March 2020.
Paul Braunstein (with Michael Man) and Jennifer Hui (with Keara Graves), who are best known for their roles as “Grace” and “Saw V” respectively.
Ziaian relied heavily on his experience of two decades in financial services and fintech for the rest.
Ziaian was the President and CEO, Pario Technologies Corp.. He also founded Virtual Brokers and BBS Security Inc.. Now, Ziaian is the CEO & president of SITTU group Inc.
Bardya Ziaian was clear from the start that he could utilize the talented individuals he knew to help him fill critical roles in the filmmaking process.
“I had no industry contacts. Ziaian admitted that she didn’t have any industry connections and was not fluent in the basics. “The added pressure of trying to figure out how to keep producing during the pandemic seemed like another thing to learn.”
