In one of the biggest individual donations to the relief efforts aimed at people in the industry impacted by the coronavirus-related production shutdowns, top TV producer Greg Berlanti has committed $1 million dollars to the cause. He revealed his gesture in a letter to the staffs of Greg Berlanti Productions’ 17 current series, a copy of which was obtained by Deadline.
Of the $1 million, $600,000 “will go directly to our fellow co-workers that are most in need,” Berlanti wrote to employees, urging those in need of immediate assistance to contact one of his associates. That is “in addition to the pay that WarnerMedia generously committed to employees who had work halted,” noted Berlanti, whose company is based at Warner Bros. Television.
Overall, the plan is to start by opening the fund up to the shows that were shut down with production incomplete. Workers on series that are scheduled to start production in the next couple of months would be added to the list as details start to emerge in the coming weeks on the lengths of production start delays. The Greg Berlanti Prods series employ over 5,000 crew and production staff members.
The remaining $400,000 of Berlanti’s donation will be spread around “the following institutions that offer a range of financial and healthcare services to crew, actors, unemployed support staff and our other sisters and brothers in the entertainment industry: The Motion Picture Television Emergency Relief Fund, The SAG-AFTRA COVID-19 Disaster Fund and The Actors Fund.”
Here is his letter:
Dear Fellow Co-Workers,
I hope wherever you are, you and your family or loved ones are safe and healthy. Obviously, we are living in an unprecedented moment in modern history. The COVID-19 pandemic is devastating lives, nations and businesses around the world, including our own.
All of the shows our company is affiliated with were in various states of production when the pandemic began. We are working with your individual showrunners and the studio so that we can have as many shows back in production as quickly as possible once it is deemed safe to do so. If you have any questions about when that might be, I encourage you to reach out to your showrunner or line producer; otherwise, they will be sure to share any information they might have as soon as they have it.
Until that time, I know not knowing when your job might return creates a significant financial and emotional hardship for many. It is very important to me, and everyone at Berlanti Productions, that we are doing all that we can to help you during this time. To that end, in addition to the pay that WarnerMedia generously committed to employees who had work halted, I will also be donating a million dollars to relief efforts.
The first $600,000 will go directly to our fellow co-workers that are most in need. If you are in need of immediate assistance, email my associate [redacted], and let him know the show you work on and the best number to reach you at. He will coordinate the rest with you directly. We will not share your personal circumstance or request with anyone.
Given that we are associated with 17 shows in various stages of production, with over 5,000 crew and production staff members working on them, unfortunately this fund can’t support every single person and we will need to prioritize supporting those most in need. We would like to start by first opening it up to the shows that were shutdown with production incomplete.
Those shows are:
Batwoman ; Doom Patrol ; The Flash ; Riverdale ; The Flight Attendant ; Supergirl ; Prodigal Son.
In a few weeks, as we know more about the length of time production might be delayed for, our hope is to open up the remainder of the fund to the following productions:
All American ; Black Lightning ; The Girls On The Bus ; Katy Keene ; Legends of Tomorrow ; Chilling Adventures of Sabrina ; Stargirl ; Superman & Lois ; Titans ; You.
That being said, if you are in desperate need of immediate assistance right now, please reach out and we will do what we can now to get you help today.
An additional $400,000 will be donated across the following institutions that offer a range of financial and healthcare services to crew, actors, unemployed support staff and our other sisters and brothers in the entertainment industry: The Motion Picture Television Emergency Relief Fund, The SAG-AFTRA COVID-19 Disaster Fund and The Actors Fund.
If you have any other questions, concerns, or ideas of how we can help or be of service to you or those in our production families that are most vulnerable during this time, please let us know and we will do our best. Until then, please stay safe and know that we are very much looking forward to and planning for that time when we are all working together again.
Warmest,
Greg Berlanti