Film and television productions have been upended around the world as the coronavirus forces people to socially distance. But for mobile-friendly video service Quibi, ending production on its Daily Essentials shows was not an option. So they pivoted everyone to work remotely.
It took two to three weeks to make sure producers, editors, and graphic designers had the tools to work from home, not to mention creating home studios so some anchors and talent could tape their segments.
"That took a lot of time, but we're really proud of the response from our partners and the people who work on the shows," Quibi's head of Daily Essentials news Ryan Kadro told Cheddar. "We wanted to ensure their safety and wanted to ensure they could do their jobs. It's been really amazing to see how everybody has rallied around this launch. We've been really proud of how these shows look now entering our fourth week."
The spotlight is still on Quibi, which just launched on April 6 in the middle of the pandemic. In the first two weeks, the company said its app was downloaded more than 2.7 million times. For comparison, Disney+ had 10 million subscribers on the first day.
But Disney had name recognition on day one. Quibi is building out a new service with a different format from most streaming platforms, even though it has media and Silicon Valley executives to lean on including Dreamworks founder and former Walt Disney Company chairman Jeffrey Katzenberg and former HP CEO Meg Whitman.
Quibi had already been betting that consumers on the go are looking for high-quality entertainment that lasts 10 minutes or less. Now, it believes it has a market among people trying to sneak in a few minutes of break time when childcare, work, and relaxation all occur from the confines of their homes.
Big names like Sophie Turner, Chance the Rapper, and Liam Hemsworth were also supposed to draw in new Quibi viewers with flashy, highly produced shows and movies.
Daily Essentials, on the other hand, provides bite-sized chunks to keep people checking in on the service. Partners like NBC News, BBC, Pulso News by Telemundo, ESPN, and TMZ are reporting U.S. and global news. Other hosts like Adam Rippon and Rachel Hollis update people every day on lighter watercooler topics.
"You're going to spend six or seven minutes with us, and we're going to get you all caught up and be respectful of your time," Kadro said. "It's really about the efficiency of information and communication — and, you know, you're going to have fun and learn something."
It's still full steam ahead for Quibi, though there have been some modifications. Daily Essential show Sexology with Shan Boodram had to revamp its 10 episodes to cater to those sheltering in place. Boodram had to film at home, even tapping her husband for a special episode focused on couples.
"They pivoted into what we call 'physical distancing' edition of sexology," Brooks said. "It really started taking on quarantine topics. How can you utilize tools in surviving a quarantine with your significant other? Alone? What does this mean or do to the online dating world?"
Though life may be different due to the coronavirus, there's still plenty of news to talk about even if we're not seeing co-workers at the office or friends over brunch.
"Daily Essentials were designed to be informative and pretty much headline-driven," Brooks said. "You come in, and it's basically a curation of information around what is your essential needs."
