As the number of daily COVID-19 cases continues to increase in Indonesia, content creators are left with no choice but to think of fresh ways to keep producing new content despite the challenges posed by the pandemic.

Founder and CEO of Vinci Studios Vincent Ricardo and actor Kevin Anggara are among the content creators in Indonesia who have managed to keep their creative juices flowing.

Vincent, a former associate director of educational technology platform Zenius Education, is focusing on creating educational, historical and political content, which he publishes in video form on his YouTube channel, Vincent Ricardo. His channel has gained over 100,000 subscribers since it was created in January 2016.

“Content production during the pandemic can be very challenging and forces us to make some adjustments to make it work,” Vincent said during “Content production during COVID-19: Strategies to stay creative and safe”, a webinar held by The Jakarta Post and Tenggara Strategics in partnership with the national COVID-19 task force, on Wednesday. 

“Large-scale production becomes impossible, for example, since places are limiting maximum capacities over COVID-19 concerns,” he said, adding that his crew had to take careful measures given the looming risks of COVID-19.

Vincent also lamented that production had become more costly since his studio was unable to rent out the cheaper spaces commonly found outside of Jakarta. Having a limited number of staff also forced crew members to take on multiple roles, he added. 

“But by the end of the day, these challenges make us work harder in the production,” Vincent said. 

Aside from production issues, content creators are also facing another challenge: hoaxes.

How to establish and grow a YouTube channel. (JP/Hengky Wijaya)

A recent study by scholars from the University of Indonesia revealed that a significant number of Greater Jakarta residents believe that COVID-19 is a conspiracy created by members of the global elite.

This is worsened by the fact that many people, including content creators, are utilizing the wave of faux information to gain more followers or subscribers.

“These people know which topics are trending and they often ride the wave,” Kevin said. “Us, content creators, are not capable of educating the public on this matter.

“So stick to your [main topic]. You don’t have to make content out of everything just because you feel the need to share it,” he added.

Kevin, the creator of YouTube channel Kevin Anggara, has tried to educate the public on the importance of complying with health protocols during COVID-19 through comedic skits.

One of his skit videos, titled “Cuci Tangan” (Washing Hands), depicts a day in Kevin’s life and how he never fails to wash his hands each time he completes a house chore or any other activity. 

“I want to share the importance of hand washing, but without making it like a public service announcement. So I tried to deliver it through comedy,” he said, referring to the nearly 2-minute video that has garnered 700,000 views. 

The Kevin Anggara channel, launched on YouTube in September 2013, has a total of over 180 million views. (dpk)