The entertainment industry continues to rely on Apple products and services to continue production amid the COVID-19 pandemic. A new report from Deadline today details how ABC is working closely with Apple to continue production of American Idol from home.
American Idol showrunner Trish Kinane explained to Deadline that the production team quickly put together a plan for remote live production of the show during the COVID-19 shutdown. During that planning process, it became clear that the easiest solution was to send contestants an iPhone.
Kinane explained that rather than send a camera that you “really need a camera operator to use,” the American Idol production team opted for something that kids are “really familiar with” already:
ABC executive Rob Mills added that the network is working “hand-in-hand” with Apple:
If this story sounds familiar, it’s because this isn’t the first time a TV show has turned to Apple technology for at-home production during the coronavirus outbreak:
- Conan O’Brien will use an iPhone to shoot his TBS show from home
- CBS using FaceTime to create new episode of drama ‘All Rise’ during COVID-19 pandemic
- Al Roker shows off his backyard ‘Today Show’ broadcast setup with dual iPhones + iPad Pro
