Tyler Perry puts his creativity and financial might to get the cameras rolling again - CNN

Four people were found to be positive at that time, yet no one tested positive since.

And Tyler Perry Studios is turning around and doing it all over again to film the second season of the primetime soap opera, "The Oval." Less than two weeks ago, 377 people were tested upon arrival.

But also, get us all at the studio -- let us all live here during the production period," Perry said.

"We got [cast and crew] down to 360 people, and we all moved in and we just finished our first television show successfully with no positives throughout the quarantine bubble," he said.

The cost: $18 million.

I asked Perry about the thousands of tests that were performed at Camp Quarantine, at a time when testing is woefully inadequate for so much of the country.

"So let's be clear: If that happens, we would step back and shut down, because the important thing is that people are able to get the testing that they need."

A trusted leader with a plan

Cast and crew were excited to be back to work.

Shortly after the coronavirus had forced the cancellation the production schedule and press tours, she said they got on a call with Perry who assured everyone: "We're going to figure this out."

And then, she said, the cast and crew received a 30-page document.

I tell people all the time: I 100% trust Tyler Perry.

So we were really, really protected," Smith said, adding, "There were no loopholes.

the majority of the people that work with me are Black and Brown people.

But I was aware -- and he made us aware -- of the people who needed the work, who needed to be there, who wanted to be a part of this, who had [pre-existing] conditions that could affect them.

And so that had to stay at the forefront of my mind, so that we could all protect those people."

At first, Smith said it was a bit tough, remembering to work in this new way.

It was really uncomfortable the first few times, but after the first couple days, we all were able to just get into the groove," she said.

Also hard: not greeting fellow cast members with a hug after being apart for a year, and not being able to sit around casually and catch up.

But all in all, Smith said the whole experience was fun.

We have [hundreds of] people here and we were able to manage it just doing that: testing, isolation and contact tracing," he added.

"All those guidelines work.

'I feel safe.' And that is what the country has been missing for a long time," Perry said.