Sunday, November 30, 2008
Tuesday, September 16, 2008
Going green a true focus of their production
Hollywood is known for its pro-environment stance, but the industry itself has always been extremely resource intensive. In recent years, a number of productions have made the effort to go carbon neutral, but for the most part, this has involved calculating a film’s carbon footprint and purchasing offsets. Now a Seattle-based independent production, The Off Hours, is taking sustainability to a whole new level by reducing the film’s carbon footprint from the get-go.
The Off Hours follows a group of characters who work the night shift in a 24-hour diner. Though small in budget, the film has attracted Hollywood talent. Schedules permitting, Aidan Quinn, Alicia Silverstone, and Billy Baldwin are on board as co-stars. Shooting is tentatively planned for this fall, when the Northwest nights will be long and dark enough to meet the requirements of the script.
Writer/director Megan Griffiths and her team, producers Lacey Leavitt, Mischa Jakupcak, and Joy Saez, have made going green a true focus of their production. Some of their initiatives are fairly simple, such as using biodiesel, buying locally grown and organic food, using eco-friendly cleaning supplies and paints, and running a paper-free office whenever possible.
Other ideas go beyond the basics to a whole new way of thinking about filming. The Off Hours will use secondhand wardrobe, set, and construction materials rather than creating new pieces. The team has established partnerships with Goodwill Industries and Second Use Building Materials, which will loan production items from their stores, to be returned after filming.
To further reduce waste, the team will work with Shoot It Green, a new Seattle company established to provide recycling services to film productions. “We have all experienced how a production normally runs, and the amount of waste that is generated,” says Griffiths. “Even though most of us are responsible and recycle at home, when you get in an on-set environment, it’s more difficult.”
“The nature of location shooting doesn’t really enable an already tapped production to provide the infrastructure to recycle,” says Shoot It Green founder Alison Kelly, who will provide recycling of aluminum cans, plastic bottles, glass, paper, and compostable waste. The Off Hours will be Shoot It Green’s pilot production.
Griffiths calculates that The Off Hours will reduce its carbon footprint by 80 percent compared to standard industry practices.
Lindsey Johnson, interim manager of the Washington State Film Office (WSFO), says The Off Hours is blazing a trail by going beyond carbon offsetting to making actual changes in the production process. The WSFO is creating a resource guide to promote green filming and plans to use The Off Hours as an example.
The Off Hours team aims to demonstrate that it is possible to significantly reduce a film’s carbon footprint - and that you don’t need a big budget to do so. They also hope to produce a ripple effect.
Monday, September 8, 2008
Ginger Sledge was determined to make her film as green as possible
Boosters of the state's film production boom love to tout it as a clean industry. And compared to, say, a petroleum refinery, it is. But film shoots still have significant environmental impacts, especially the bigger feature films that are increasingly shooting in New Mexico.
A 2006 study by the University of California Los Angeles compared filming on location to moving an army. Production crews are often more than 100 people and the process can entail moving equipment and construction materials to a site. A production may even have to pave roads and prepare support services such as restrooms, holding areas and craft services (catering), which will need trash collection. There usually will be tremendous energy needs that sometimes require diesel generators. And don't forget all those vehicles needed for transportation.
Ginger Sledge was determined to make her film as green as possible. It was not without its challenges. Sledge is the producer of the film "Appaloosa," a Western that shot in New Mexico last fall, starring Ed Harris, Viggo Mortensen and Renee Zellweger.
"We had a lot of four-wheel-drive situations," Sledge said. "So the people I put in [Toyota] Priuses had a really hard time and could not get to some of the destinations."
That did not deter her, however. Everyone on the set got a canteen and there was a large container of water for refills. Not everyone kept them through the whole shoot, but it did cut down on plastic bottle use quite a bit, she said. Their caterer, Tree Hugger Catering, used vegetable oil for fuel and biodegradable dinnerware and plates.
Sledge also had a company come to pick up recycling from the set. She sought out paints from Santa Fe company BioShield for set construction because they are low in volatile organic emissions. Only green cleaning products were allowed in the production offices.
"We paid a little extra to do all that, but in the end it helps everybody," she said.
Sledge is part of a growing legion of creative professionals who are trying to make filmmaking as green as possible. And New Mexico is doing its bit to help. The state film office launched a green filmmaking program last year that encourages productions to use green products, buy local, and recycle everything from paper to construction materials. The office lists resources at its Web site, www.nmfilm.com, to help productions find vendors that will help a film stay green. The city of Albuquerque's film office has a similar resource list at www.cabq.gov/film.
Going green is a topic of growing interest in the industry, said Taylor Grant, executive environmental advisor with the nonprofit Environmental Media Association in Los Angeles. The Association works to get green messages included in scripts, relying on the notion that people in movies and on television have a powerful influence on their audiences. Its EMA Awards recognize productions that incorporate environmental themes creatively.
It also has created voluntary guidelines on making productions green. And since Hollywood loves awards, the Association gives out Green Seal awards every year that acknowledge efforts made by production crews to be green in their offices and on-set.
The Association is now working with studios and other industry players to create a set of standards under which a film or television show could receive a Green Seal, indicating it followed certain environmental standards in production.
Like all green efforts, there is a continuum of options that can range from printing all documents on a set double-sided to making an entire production carbon neutral, as Warner Bros. did with "Syriana." The studio invested in renewable energy to offset its carbon footprint.
Jeremy Hariton, senior vice president with Albuquerque Studios, said more productions are asking for environmental resources, including information on renting hybrid cars (which sometimes means bringing them in from out of state if there aren't enough here) to finding green companies for buying products. The studios harvest water from the roofs for irrigation and recycle construction materials from productions to donate to various federal and state agencies.
"It's certainly a popular issue in Hollywood," Grant said. "Everyone wants to be at least environmentally aware or friendly. One of the issues now is that it really comes down to cost. That's the main barrier to getting this done. This is still a fledgling sort of movement. It's still more expensive to deconstruct a set than just demolish it."
That did not stop Paul Haggis from pushing for an environmentally sensitive shoot for "In the Valley of Elah," which he directed and shot in New Mexico in 2006 and 2007.
Anne Johns was production supervisor for the film during the Morocco shoot, but also worked on the main production in Albuquerque. Johns has been in New Mexico for four years and worked on numerous film productions.
"This was the first one that was really over-the-top conscious of being green, because Haggis was on the board [of the Environmental Media Association] and made a commitment to that," she said.
He wanted hybrid cars for the shoot, but there weren't enough in the state and it was too expensive, Johns said. Nevertheless, all the rental cars had to get at least 20 miles to the gallon. Recycling was de rigueur, including construction materials. The art department used paints from Diamond Vogel that had low volatile organic compounds. Christopher Windisch, the construction supervisor on "Elah," made sure his lumber suppliers found products that were not made from endangered old-growth forests.
"It takes someone in a power position to say this is the way it's going to be down the line," Johns said. "This is the first movie I've been on where it came from the director, from the top."
The caterer for the film, Reel Chefs Catering, composted 80 percent of its waste, said owner Steve Watson. Soilutions, an Albuquerque company located in the South Valley, handled all of Watson's composting. All of his dinnerware was made of potato- or corn-based materials that are biodegradable. Even the trash bags were compostable. He used sugar cane-based sterno for heating buffet foods and the cans themselves were refillable. His company, which is based in Los Angeles and has operations in New Mexico, recycles all of its cardboard and paper as well.
A 2006 study by the University of California Los Angeles compared filming on location to moving an army. Production crews are often more than 100 people and the process can entail moving equipment and construction materials to a site. A production may even have to pave roads and prepare support services such as restrooms, holding areas and craft services (catering), which will need trash collection. There usually will be tremendous energy needs that sometimes require diesel generators. And don't forget all those vehicles needed for transportation.
Ginger Sledge was determined to make her film as green as possible. It was not without its challenges. Sledge is the producer of the film "Appaloosa," a Western that shot in New Mexico last fall, starring Ed Harris, Viggo Mortensen and Renee Zellweger.
"We had a lot of four-wheel-drive situations," Sledge said. "So the people I put in [Toyota] Priuses had a really hard time and could not get to some of the destinations."
That did not deter her, however. Everyone on the set got a canteen and there was a large container of water for refills. Not everyone kept them through the whole shoot, but it did cut down on plastic bottle use quite a bit, she said. Their caterer, Tree Hugger Catering, used vegetable oil for fuel and biodegradable dinnerware and plates.
Sledge also had a company come to pick up recycling from the set. She sought out paints from Santa Fe company BioShield for set construction because they are low in volatile organic emissions. Only green cleaning products were allowed in the production offices.
"We paid a little extra to do all that, but in the end it helps everybody," she said.
Sledge is part of a growing legion of creative professionals who are trying to make filmmaking as green as possible. And New Mexico is doing its bit to help. The state film office launched a green filmmaking program last year that encourages productions to use green products, buy local, and recycle everything from paper to construction materials. The office lists resources at its Web site, www.nmfilm.com, to help productions find vendors that will help a film stay green. The city of Albuquerque's film office has a similar resource list at www.cabq.gov/film.
Going green is a topic of growing interest in the industry, said Taylor Grant, executive environmental advisor with the nonprofit Environmental Media Association in Los Angeles. The Association works to get green messages included in scripts, relying on the notion that people in movies and on television have a powerful influence on their audiences. Its EMA Awards recognize productions that incorporate environmental themes creatively.
It also has created voluntary guidelines on making productions green. And since Hollywood loves awards, the Association gives out Green Seal awards every year that acknowledge efforts made by production crews to be green in their offices and on-set.
The Association is now working with studios and other industry players to create a set of standards under which a film or television show could receive a Green Seal, indicating it followed certain environmental standards in production.
Like all green efforts, there is a continuum of options that can range from printing all documents on a set double-sided to making an entire production carbon neutral, as Warner Bros. did with "Syriana." The studio invested in renewable energy to offset its carbon footprint.
Jeremy Hariton, senior vice president with Albuquerque Studios, said more productions are asking for environmental resources, including information on renting hybrid cars (which sometimes means bringing them in from out of state if there aren't enough here) to finding green companies for buying products. The studios harvest water from the roofs for irrigation and recycle construction materials from productions to donate to various federal and state agencies.
"It's certainly a popular issue in Hollywood," Grant said. "Everyone wants to be at least environmentally aware or friendly. One of the issues now is that it really comes down to cost. That's the main barrier to getting this done. This is still a fledgling sort of movement. It's still more expensive to deconstruct a set than just demolish it."
That did not stop Paul Haggis from pushing for an environmentally sensitive shoot for "In the Valley of Elah," which he directed and shot in New Mexico in 2006 and 2007.
Anne Johns was production supervisor for the film during the Morocco shoot, but also worked on the main production in Albuquerque. Johns has been in New Mexico for four years and worked on numerous film productions.
"This was the first one that was really over-the-top conscious of being green, because Haggis was on the board [of the Environmental Media Association] and made a commitment to that," she said.
He wanted hybrid cars for the shoot, but there weren't enough in the state and it was too expensive, Johns said. Nevertheless, all the rental cars had to get at least 20 miles to the gallon. Recycling was de rigueur, including construction materials. The art department used paints from Diamond Vogel that had low volatile organic compounds. Christopher Windisch, the construction supervisor on "Elah," made sure his lumber suppliers found products that were not made from endangered old-growth forests.
"It takes someone in a power position to say this is the way it's going to be down the line," Johns said. "This is the first movie I've been on where it came from the director, from the top."
The caterer for the film, Reel Chefs Catering, composted 80 percent of its waste, said owner Steve Watson. Soilutions, an Albuquerque company located in the South Valley, handled all of Watson's composting. All of his dinnerware was made of potato- or corn-based materials that are biodegradable. Even the trash bags were compostable. He used sugar cane-based sterno for heating buffet foods and the cans themselves were refillable. His company, which is based in Los Angeles and has operations in New Mexico, recycles all of its cardboard and paper as well.
Saturday, September 6, 2008
The green film blog
Film's like Al Gore's "An Inconvenient Truth" and Leonardo DiCaprio's "11th Hour" are very important projects. They draw an entertainment industry focus around the idea that people can and should motivate themselves into saving the environment.
When it comes to the production of films, why not make carbon neutral film sets and recycle the goods that keep the film set running from day to day? Many different organizations and independent film projects have already offset their carbon emissions and adopted many sustainable practices.
Here are a few examples of what some filmmakers are doing to stay green:
Plan to make one of the first green production companies:
The plan for one of the first green production companies has been developing under the leadership of John Yost. The article [jacksonville.bizjournals.com] explains: "Slated for Robinson Township, the 750,000-square-foot facility would be powered by solar, wind and geothermal energy sources and include 13 sound stages ranging from 5,000 square feet to 25,000 square feet." Not only does Yost plan to promote green film making, but he also expects to cut the cost of production with his eco-friendly resources.
"Get On Board" with EVAN ALMIGHTY:
Universal is now involved with green film making through its implementation of the new "Get On Board" campaign [getonboardnow.org]. Universal hopes to create awareness and improve the state of the environment by informing people. The film EVAN ALMIGHTY, a Universal production, used green tactics on their set. In Variety's article [www.variety.com], it is explained that while already promoting an eco-friendly plot, "during its production, pic's cast and crew adopted such eco-friendly practices as recycling waste materials and riding bicycles on set in Los Angeles, Virginia and Washington, D.C. All of these measures contributed to a reduced carbon footprint."
3:10 TO YUMA: New Mexico helped make this film production green:
Entire cities--even states--are also strongly encouraging green filmmaking. Among those active in the process are Toronto, Canada, and the state of New Mexico. Very recently, the film 3:10 TO YUMA (shot in Sante Fe, NM), as well as the director Paul Haggis embarked on efforts to conserve. More on how officials are encouraging green practices and how films have already implemented these tactics can be found in the following articles:
Article 1 [www.studentfilmmakers.com]
Article 2 [www.thestar.com]
Article 3 [www.hollywoodreporter.com]
In case you are running a movie set, work on one, or know somebody who might be interested in being green in their film work, take a look at this list of green film making guides.
Guides to green filmmaking:
Online guide: Greening the Screen [www.greeningthescreen.co.nz]
New Zealand's film industry has developed a thorough guide to maintaining an eco-friendly production atmosphere.
A manual for green success:
The book Low Impact Filmmaking [www.glasseyepix.com] serves as a guide to prevent wasteful film making habits and to promote environmentally sound film production. It was written by filmmakers with experience in waste reduction practices.
Environmental Media Association: The Green Seal Award:
Not only does the EMA give useful tips for green film making, but it also offers its seal of approval, awarding films that take an environmentally conscious approach to their production with The Green Seal Award [www.ema-online.org].
Hollywood's solution:
Providing a simple solution to stop wasteful habits on set, California's Hollywood Recycles [www.eidc.com] offers free delivery and pick-up services of recycling containers during film production. The Office Coordinator for the MTV Movie Awards commented on their use of Hollywood Recycles: "The entertainment industry is definitely a place that needs recycling. It's sad to see trash bins overflowing with bottles and cans that should be recycled. It's nice to have a service like Hollywood Recycles that will take care of all of that for free. It makes my boss happy because it doesn't need budget approval and it benefits us as well as the environment."
Tuesday, September 2, 2008
Green Media Distribution Campaign and Competition
Big Window Video has just entered and idea on idea blob, for our go green
campaign To bring awareness to Alternative media distribution.
To lower the amount of eWast produced by plastic/paper media distribution.please go to idea blob and cast your vote for a greener planet and help me win the 10,000
http://ideablob.com/ideas/3111-Green-Media-Distribution
Idea Description
According to the EPA the United States produces 2 million tons of eWaste every year which is one reason we support and encourage filmmakers to submit their films on line, rather then sending DVD's which ends up as eWaste”, and empowering filmmakers with the opportunity to acquire their own distribution channel”, There are many other markets that produce high levels of digital media, like
Educational institutes, Religious organization, it goes on. DVD's should be outlawed its just
a piece of plastic that big companies made a lot of money on, with no concern for the planet.
I need this money to fight back the unconsciousness that's out there, and big business.
Thanks for your support.
What will you do if you win $10,000 for this idea?
As we all know if nobody knows what your doing, you can't do what your doing.
If I won the money I would use it for marketing public awareness about green
media distribution.
Friday, August 29, 2008
The United States produces 2 millionth tons of eWaste every year
A letter from Big Window Video
and The Filmmakers Channel Network
by Michael Palombo
Not to ditch on the Santa Fe Film Festival, but we offered them this technology, and
we told them it would make for a greener planet, it looks like they listened to us on the
eWaste part, but didn't listen to us on the higher quality streaming video for our New Mexico Filmmakers.
Does the Quicktime player qualify as streaming video? I'm not sure, but I know if I had
a great film I wouldn't show it on a Quicktime player, and who's hosting the video?
can you trust the server is it secure, how big is the server, and who does the server belong to?
all these question everybody should be asking. If your not asking these question, you
must not really care. Look I don't no much about streaming video, but I Know that the
quicktime player still has a file buffer skip! skip that's not a quality way to view a film.
Look the truth is there are a lot of sites claiming to have streaming video, but there is
a lot of things their not telling you, like their streaming video is buffered.
This is where I tell you about a streaming video platform with no buffer and higher res
and what if I told you the platform was deep underground in the Uta mountains protected
by a solid wall of granite, now that sounds secure! The quicktime server could be in
some body's house, and who's their host, how secure is that,, O yea I was going to tell you
about this awesome platform that was built by companies like Disney, and only a small
hand full of companies have a piece of, like Move Network. The same quality of video
that Opra is streaming, Opra's not using a quicktime player, she's using high quality
no buffering streaming video. Where did she get it, and how much did it cost.
well I'm sure it cost a lot or she new somebody, but the truth is that kind of access
is available to the little guy, and it's been made possible by a company that I'm
not going to tell you about, because they don't want me to, they want me to
make sure that you go threw me first because you have to know somebody to gain
access to this sweet player, and the best part is you can have your channel for free
and if you want the pay/per/view function/propay and now offering paypal
so go get your free high quality no buffering streaming video for free at my website
BIG WINDOW VIDEO
For_Immediate_Release:
United States of America (Press Release) September 22, 2007 -- Santa Fe, New Mexico – “According to the EPA the United States produces 2 million tons of eWaste every year which is one reason we support and encourage filmmakers to submit their films on line, rather then sending DVDS which ends up as eWaste”, said Stephen Rubin of the Santa Fe Film Festival. “Unfortunately, the initiative was delayed so we decided to extend the submission deadline to September 26 for filmmakers who may have missed the deadline, as a way of building momentum for on line submissions for next year, green filmmaking and empowering filmmakers with the opportunity to acquire their own distribution channel”, continued Rubin.
When asked how filmmakers can submit on line and get their own high quality distribution platform, Rubin explained, “Filmmakers just need to go to http://santafefilmfestival.com/Online_Submissions and watch a short video presentation using the same technology they’ll use to submit, or distribute their films and then enter their contact information and we will call them back and step them through the process. When asked about the broadcast technology, Rubin said; “The technology is absolutely fantastic. First the quality is the best I have ever seen! Second it is a stream, so there is no risk to filmmakers’ distribution rights and third it is a no buffering
and The Filmmakers Channel Network
by Michael Palombo
Not to ditch on the Santa Fe Film Festival, but we offered them this technology, and
we told them it would make for a greener planet, it looks like they listened to us on the
eWaste part, but didn't listen to us on the higher quality streaming video for our New Mexico Filmmakers.
Does the Quicktime player qualify as streaming video? I'm not sure, but I know if I had
a great film I wouldn't show it on a Quicktime player, and who's hosting the video?
can you trust the server is it secure, how big is the server, and who does the server belong to?
all these question everybody should be asking. If your not asking these question, you
must not really care. Look I don't no much about streaming video, but I Know that the
quicktime player still has a file buffer skip! skip that's not a quality way to view a film.
Look the truth is there are a lot of sites claiming to have streaming video, but there is
a lot of things their not telling you, like their streaming video is buffered.
This is where I tell you about a streaming video platform with no buffer and higher res
and what if I told you the platform was deep underground in the Uta mountains protected
by a solid wall of granite, now that sounds secure! The quicktime server could be in
some body's house, and who's their host, how secure is that,, O yea I was going to tell you
about this awesome platform that was built by companies like Disney, and only a small
hand full of companies have a piece of, like Move Network. The same quality of video
that Opra is streaming, Opra's not using a quicktime player, she's using high quality
no buffering streaming video. Where did she get it, and how much did it cost.
well I'm sure it cost a lot or she new somebody, but the truth is that kind of access
is available to the little guy, and it's been made possible by a company that I'm
not going to tell you about, because they don't want me to, they want me to
make sure that you go threw me first because you have to know somebody to gain
access to this sweet player, and the best part is you can have your channel for free
and if you want the pay/per/view function/propay and now offering paypal
so go get your free high quality no buffering streaming video for free at my website
BIG WINDOW VIDEO
For_Immediate_Release:
United States of America (Press Release) September 22, 2007 -- Santa Fe, New Mexico – “According to the EPA the United States produces 2 million tons of eWaste every year which is one reason we support and encourage filmmakers to submit their films on line, rather then sending DVDS which ends up as eWaste”, said Stephen Rubin of the Santa Fe Film Festival. “Unfortunately, the initiative was delayed so we decided to extend the submission deadline to September 26 for filmmakers who may have missed the deadline, as a way of building momentum for on line submissions for next year, green filmmaking and empowering filmmakers with the opportunity to acquire their own distribution channel”, continued Rubin.
When asked how filmmakers can submit on line and get their own high quality distribution platform, Rubin explained, “Filmmakers just need to go to http://santafefilmfestival.com/Online_Submissions and watch a short video presentation using the same technology they’ll use to submit, or distribute their films and then enter their contact information and we will call them back and step them through the process. When asked about the broadcast technology, Rubin said; “The technology is absolutely fantastic. First the quality is the best I have ever seen! Second it is a stream, so there is no risk to filmmakers’ distribution rights and third it is a no buffering
Thursday, August 21, 2008
Going Green No Longer An Option
This year, Americans are finally starting to face up to the fact that we must take drastic and immediate measures to conserve energy and protect the environment or we will face serious economic and personal consequences. It is no longer an option, it is absolutely crucial to the future of both this country and future generations.
We have had our heads in the sand while Europe has been taking the steps we should have years ago. Since Europe has been dealing with higher energy prices for quite sometime, they have implemented policies to save energy both at home and in business.
Why did it take us so long to see that we would face a crisis? We have know for years that gas would become scarcer at some point.
Mainly, the reason is simple. We have maintained fairly low gas prices and felt exempt from Europe's situation. The tension that has existed for years in the Middle East should have concerned us. Americans have spoiled themselves with large cars and homes with little thought of the consequences that would ensue.
We must become proactive and aggressive in our approach. We cannot change the current oil crisis. We can only learn to conserve and protect what we have both for ourselves and the future generations.
My fear is that while we have started to see the importance and seriousness of what is unfolding, so many of us have not really grasped how dire the consequences will be if we don't take immediate steps!
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