Grim (Updated)

People who work for a living are currently eating it.

... IATSE reported Tuesday that the COVID-19-related production suspensions snd event cancellations have resulted in the loss of 120,000 jobs held by its 150,000 members. A large number of those affected work in Hollywood production but IATSE also covers live events, conventions and all people-facing businesses that have been hard hit by the coronavirus outbreak. ...

“As social distancing measures are enacted and events and projects across all sectors of the entertainment industry are cancelled, it’s become clear that the COVID-19 crisis requires decisive action from our federal government to support displaced entertainment workers,” [I.A.President Matt Loeb] said in a statement.

Huge swaths of the country are shutting down. Animation employees are (relatively) fortunate in that many of them can work at home *. When you're a crew member on-set and your movie halts production, you are Shit Out Of Luck.

* Anecdotally I'm hearing that several studios have already sent animation employees home to work. Word also reaches me that the Animation Guild is raising the "work from your bedroom/home office/basement" strategy with other studios.

** Cartoon Brew has pulled together a partial list of studios who are allowing artists to work from home. There are other studios who still have employees working in; that will likely change, and soon.

*** Update -- Indiewire gives a newer rundown of what L.A. animation studios are doing right here. In a nutshell:

Disney animation Studios staff that can work at home, do work at home; Pixar and other Disney bay area units are complying with state decree to "shelter in place" and have employees work at home.

DWA open -- as many employees as possible work at home.

Paramount Animation having employees work at home.

Sony Picture Animation having as much staff as possible work at home.

Warner Animation -- ditto.

And the number of virus victims continues to rise.