Cardi B says COVID-19 testing for 'WAP' video cost $100,000
Some artists have turned to animation to make music videos in the wake of the novel coronavirus. Some have filmed themselves lip-syncing in isolation. Others have gone the crowd-sourcing route. And for Cardi B and Megan Thee Stallion, their crew apparently spent $100,000 on COVID-19 testing to make the "WAP" video.
Cardi mentioned the hefty price tag in a recent interview with i-D. "It was kind of weird shooting the video in the age of corona," she said. "Like, we had to spend $100,000 dollars just on testing. Everybody on the shoot had to get tested for coronavirus."
The hip-hop megastar also said they shot the scenes involving the big cats separately. "We had a tiger and a leopard there, but we didn't film with them in there because of safety and because of the pandemic," Cardi said. "We spliced those scenes together." But not the snake scene: "I was naked, and one of them peed all over me."
For those looking to kick-start production again, it seems that massive spending is required to ensure safety. Universal Pictures reportedly spent about $9 million in order to start shooting Jurassic World: Dominion again -- that includes the cost of having everyone on the set tested three times a week. The same goes for music video shoots.
"Everything has completely changed because of the pandemic," Cardi remarked in the interview. "You know, I was constantly on the road, now I'm mostly at home with my baby. Everything that I had planned for this year has to be rescheduled for God knows when. So it's just crazy, it's a lot."
For the latest information on coronavirus (COVID-19), including how to protect yourself and what to do if you think you are sick, please visit coronavirus.gov.
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