We're all watching more movies and TV shows during the current quarantine period, that is undeniable. Thankfully, there's plenty to look forward to coming up over the next few weeks – a new series of Money Heist has landed on Netflix, the third season of Killing Eve comes to OSN's Wavo later in the month and the launch of the regional Disney+ service this month has Star Wars fans salivating at the prospect of the well-received spin-off series The Mandalorian.
How long can this last though? Production on new movies and shows has already ground to a halt around the world. Film sets have gone dark, TV studios are eerily deserted and Hollywood stars including Tom Hanks and Idris Elba are among those to have been struck down by the virus.
So how will content be kept fresh enough to keep those with fully paid-up Netflix, Amazon, Wavo, Shahid, Hulu, Vimeo, Vu, Quibli and Mubi accounts, plus a top-end OSN subscription, too, from complaining that there is nothing on TV but repeats?
With thousands of hours of content currently accessible across the myriad platforms now available to TV addicts, it would have to be a very long lockdown for subscribers to them all to run out of things to watch, but we could soon be in danger of exactly that if sets can’t open up again and the cameras start rolling soon.
The solution could come from the often overlooked world of the documentary-maker. These unsung heroes of the cinematic world could save us from repeat fatigue for three main reasons.
Firstly, and most simplistically, because they can make films, even during a lockdown, and certainly quickly after it ends. The bread and butter of most documentaries is archival footage, which is in plentiful supply and doesn't require leaving the house to access.
When Abu Dhabi Media began digitising its own archives back at the turn of the last decade, those tasked with the job spoke of “tens of thousands of hours” of footage to be transferred. That was from one media organisation, which was only founded in 2007 (although it had inherited a sizeable library of older footage, too). Now multiply that by every broadcaster, news agency, cultural institute, filmmaker, production house, advertising agency, museum and dusty box in the attic, in the world.
There are millions, possibly billions, of hours of unused footage in the world ready to be discovered and shaped into something new, and nobody needs to leave the house to film it. Once the footage is in place, the days of visiting an awe-inspiring editing suite to sit in front of a huge machine and splice it together are long gone. Simply send the file to your crew and they can use software such as Premiere Pro, Da Vinci and Baselight to handle all the editing remotely.
If you need to have a meeting about the film’s progress, fire up Zoom, and while you’re there, you can reach out to interview any talking heads you may have identified, to add context to the story you’re telling. Voila – your film is complete, and you’re still on your sofa in your pyjamas.
Secondly, there is an undeniable appetite for factual content from audiences, particularly during the unusual times we're experiencing. The breakout hit of the coronavirus age has been the Netflix documentary Tiger King: Murder, Mayhem and Madness, a story few had heard of and even fewer cared about prior to social media making it the quarantine must-see.
A look at audience ratings around the world also shows a voracious hunger for facts currently. TV ratings in the UK, according to the Broadcasters' Audience Research Board, are up around 32 per cent since the lockdown began, and of the top 20 shows for the week to March 29, eight were news or fact-based. In fact, six were simply the evening news.
While some activities have naturally paused ... other activities are able to continue due to our extensive library of evergreen content
Discovery Networks provides factual TV content through channels such as Discovery and TLC. Henry Windridge, its head of brand for the Middle East, tells The National that, although specific viewing figures are not available for the UAE, since the outbreak of the coronavirus, the broadcaster has seen a double-figure upturn in number of viewers across 13 markets in Europe, the Middle East and Africa.
Windridge also adds his support to the theory that documentary production is better-equipped than most to see through this tough period. “In terms of production, while some activities have naturally paused as we exercise responsible social distancing in line with the global community, other activities are able to continue due to our extensive library of evergreen content,” he says.
Thirdly, documentaries represent good value for money, and in a recession, which seems almost inevitable, this could prove crucial. The Guinness Book of World Records cites the BBC's Walking with Dinosaurs as the most expensive documentary, per minute, made. Its budget of $9.9 million (Dh36.3m) worked out at $61,112 (Dh224,433) per minute over its 162-minute length. If Avengers: Endgame had adopted the same economic model, it would have cost only $11.1m (Dh40.8m) to make, rather than its actual $356m budget.
Of course, a wildlife documentary and a superhero film are vastly different beasts, but you can certainly see how the former could appeal to anxious studio money men looking to turn profitable content around in the midst of a financial crisis.
There’s only one flaw with this plan to save our screens. Just over three weeks into lockdown, and we are already spending so much of that time obsessively watching and analysing every news broadcast, with most of it being screen-on-screen interviews. And it seems we'll be seeing a lot of that for a long period of time, but documentary makers once the lockdown is over, please go out and interview your subjects in person. A human connection is needed, even at a screen level.
GAC GS8 Specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 248hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 400Nm at 1,750-4,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 9.1L/100km
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Price: From Dh149,900
The National's picks
4.35pm: Tilal Al Khalediah
5.10pm: Continous
5.45pm: Raging Torrent
6.20pm: West Acre
7pm: Flood Zone
7.40pm: Straight No Chaser
8.15pm: Romantic Warrior
8.50pm: Calandogan
9.30pm: Forever Young
Lexus LX700h specs
Engine: 3.4-litre twin-turbo V6 plus supplementary electric motor
Power: 464hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 790Nm from 2,000-3,600rpm
Transmission: 10-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 11.7L/100km
On sale: Now
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The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre flat-six
Torque: 450Nm at 6,100rpm
Transmission: 7-speed PDK auto or 6-speed manual
Fuel economy, combined: 13.8L/100km
On sale: Available to order now
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Red flags
- Promises of high, fixed or 'guaranteed' returns.
- Unregulated structured products or complex investments often used to bypass traditional safeguards.
- Lack of clear information, vague language, no access to audited financials.
- Overseas companies targeting investors in other jurisdictions - this can make legal recovery difficult.
- Hard-selling tactics - creating urgency, offering 'exclusive' deals.
Courtesy: Carol Glynn, founder of Conscious Finance Coaching
Specs
Engine: Duel electric motors
Power: 659hp
Torque: 1075Nm
On sale: Available for pre-order now
Price: On request
Labour dispute
The insured employee may still file an ILOE claim even if a labour dispute is ongoing post termination, but the insurer may suspend or reject payment, until the courts resolve the dispute, especially if the reason for termination is contested. The outcome of the labour court proceedings can directly affect eligibility.
- Abdullah Ishnaneh, Partner, BSA Law
The years Ramadan fell in May
The years Ramadan fell in May
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Blonde
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Fund-raising tips for start-ups
Develop an innovative business concept
Have the ability to differentiate yourself from competitors
Put in place a business continuity plan after Covid-19
Prepare for the worst-case scenario (further lockdowns, long wait for a vaccine, etc.)
Have enough cash to stay afloat for the next 12 to 18 months
Be creative and innovative to reduce expenses
Be prepared to use Covid-19 as an opportunity for your business
* Tips from Jassim Al Marzooqi and Walid Hanna
Museum of the Future in numbers
- 78 metres is the height of the museum
- 30,000 square metres is its total area
- 17,000 square metres is the length of the stainless steel facade
- 14 kilometres is the length of LED lights used on the facade
- 1,024 individual pieces make up the exterior
- 7 floors in all, with one for administrative offices
- 2,400 diagonally intersecting steel members frame the torus shape
- 100 species of trees and plants dot the gardens
- Dh145 is the price of a ticket
The Buckingham Murders
Starring: Kareena Kapoor Khan, Ash Tandon, Prabhleen Sandhu
Director: Hansal Mehta
Rating: 4 / 5
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League quarter-final, second leg (first-leg score)
Porto (0) v Liverpool (2), Wednesday, 11pm UAE
Match is on BeIN Sports
Global Fungi Facts
• Scientists estimate there could be as many as 3 million fungal species globally
• Only about 160,000 have been officially described leaving around 90% undiscovered
• Fungi account for roughly 90% of Earth's unknown biodiversity
• Forest fungi help tackle climate change, absorbing up to 36% of global fossil fuel emissions annually and storing around 5 billion tonnes of carbon in the planet's topsoil
LILO & STITCH
Starring: Sydney Elizebeth Agudong, Maia Kealoha, Chris Sanders
Director: Dean Fleischer Camp
Rating: 4.5/5
Tips for job-seekers
- Do not submit your application through the Easy Apply button on LinkedIn. Employers receive between 600 and 800 replies for each job advert on the platform. If you are the right fit for a job, connect to a relevant person in the company on LinkedIn and send them a direct message.
- Make sure you are an exact fit for the job advertised. If you are an HR manager with five years’ experience in retail and the job requires a similar candidate with five years’ experience in consumer, you should apply. But if you have no experience in HR, do not apply for the job.
David Mackenzie, founder of recruitment agency Mackenzie Jones Middle East
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The specs
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Fuel consumption: 6.9L/100km
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NINE WINLESS GAMES
Arsenal 2-2 Crystal Palace (Oct 27, PL)
Liverpool 5-5 Arsenal (Oct 30, EFL)
Arsenal 1-1 Wolves (Nov 02, PL)
Vitoria Guimaraes 1-1 Arsenal (Nov 6, Europa)
Leicester 2-0 Arsenal (Nov 9, PL)
Arsenal 2-2 Southampton (Nov 23, PL)
Arsenal 1-2 Eintracht Frankfurt (Nov 28, Europa)
Norwich 2-2 Arsenal (Dec 01, PL)
Arsenal 1-2 Brighton (Dec 05, PL)
Our legal columnist
Name: Yousef Al Bahar
Advocate at Al Bahar & Associate Advocates and Legal Consultants, established in 1994
Education: Mr Al Bahar was born in 1979 and graduated in 2008 from the Judicial Institute. He took after his father, who was one of the first Emirati lawyers
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Another way to earn air miles
In addition to the Emirates and Etihad programmes, there is the Air Miles Middle East card, which offers members the ability to choose any airline, has no black-out dates and no restrictions on seat availability. Air Miles is linked up to HSBC credit cards and can also be earned through retail partners such as Spinneys, Sharaf DG and The Toy Store.
An Emirates Dubai-London round-trip ticket costs 180,000 miles on the Air Miles website. But customers earn these ‘miles’ at a much faster rate than airline miles. Adidas offers two air miles per Dh1 spent. Air Miles has partnerships with websites as well, so booking.com and agoda.com offer three miles per Dh1 spent.
“If you use your HSBC credit card when shopping at our partners, you are able to earn Air Miles twice which will mean you can get that flight reward faster and for less spend,” says Paul Lacey, the managing director for Europe, Middle East and India for Aimia, which owns and operates Air Miles Middle East.
RESULTS
5pm: Maiden (PA) Dh80,000 1,200m
Winner: Shafaf, Sam Hitchcott (jockey), Ahmed Al Mehairbi (trainer)
5,30pm: Wathba Stallions Cup Handicap (PA) Dh70,000 1,200m
Winner: Noof KB, Tadhg O’Shea, Ernst Oertel
6pm: The President’s Cup Listed (TB) Dh380,000 1,400m
Winner: Taamol, Jim Crowley, Ali Rashid Al Raihe
6.30pm: The President’s Cup Group One (PA) Dh2,500,000 2,200m
Winner: Rmmas, Tadhg O’Shea, Jean de Roualle
7pm: Arabian Triple Crown Listed (PA) Dh230,000 1,600m
Winner: Ihtesham, Szczepan Mazur, Ibrahim Al Hadhrami
7.30pm: Handicap (PA) Dh80,000 1,400m
Winner: AF Mekhbat, Antonio Fresu, Ernst Oertel
Jetour T1 specs
Engine: 2-litre turbocharged
Power: 254hp
Torque: 390Nm
Price: From Dh126,000
Available: Now
