Many of us in our day to day lives do little things to be green through recycling, conserving and limiting our waste. We turn off the lights when we leave a room, use energy efficient light bulbs, conserve water and even buy hybrid cars and eat leftover food. We recycle paper and plastic, upcycle products and reuse what we can. The truth is, there is a lot we can do to leave less of a carbon footprint but most of us only touch on a small fraction of the many green possibilities in our lives. One of the more unique concepts and a relatively new one is a 'green' film production / company. In this post, I want to share a few ways that Tri-Toy Productions is making a small impact in our corner of the world and how we will continue to focus on creating an eco-friendly / 'green' office environment and production set.
At Tri-Toy, we do what we can to cut down on waste both at the office and in the field. Among our team and with our clients, our communication is 100% electronic, eliminating the use of paper and ink for everything like invoices, receipts and important documents instead of hard copies. In rare instances when paper is needed, it's 100% recyclable. We are able to manage our workflow in person or remotely for content creation and editing along with reviewing, signing and sharing documents with the click of a button. We manage projects easily, stay organized and meet deadlines using online platforms like Skype or Zoom for conference calls and online meetings with screen sharing capabilities. It is instant, easy and efficient, allowing everyone to stay up-to-date without leaving a paper trail. Within our industry and most others, project details are constantly changing, so minimal paper waste is essential and communication is key.
For our media transfer services, we use recycled paper disc sleeves for our DVDs/CDs. We offer recycling of old tapes for our clients once their transfers are complete. Additionally we offer the option to transfer all video content whether tape transfers or a completed video project to an external drive/cloud service rather than DVDs to further cut down on waste. However, if a client prefers DVDs over an external drive, we create a compilation DVD when possible to minimize the number of DVDs used. Additionally, we utilize -RW discs if needed when burning discs. There is nothing worse than eating up disc after disc while you attempt to troubleshoot problems while exporting a project. It goes without saying that every video deliverable whether a rough cut or final cut, is done electronically through file sharing sites like Vimeo, iCloud or OneDrive (jus to name a few) to save on time, money and product waste. When clients are working with us in office, we provide coffee/tea using regular cups that we hand wash which also cuts down on waste.
When in the field or in studio, we follow the rule of turning on our equipment as it is needed. Its self explanatory and simple; if you are not using it, unplug it! We utilize vendors for craft services who are eco-friendly as well. A happy crew is a well fed crew but it also produces the most amount of waste. We don’t over order on food and drinks and we use reusable/washable/recyclable products like plates, napkins, cutlery and cups to drink. We offer leftover food to anyone who wishes to take it home. We brew a pot of coffee and avoid using individual pods. We work with local homeless shelters/food pantries and food services organizations to ensure the food is shared with those who need it. Plastic water bottles are discouraged during shoots and reusable water bottles and cups are encouraged. We utilize local businesses for additional needs on set in and around the areas in which we will be filming.
When on set, I (Trish) act as an 'eco manager' to ensure that everyone from staff, cast and crew are aware of our 'green' attitude and encourage them to adopt the same behavior. Additionally, we utilize gear that is eco friendly when possible. This especially helps on longer shoot days as electricity use is abundant and it helps to maintain the health of the gear. We have made conscious efforts to implement the use of LED lights to ensure that energy used on set is minimized. When generators are needed, we use biodiesel fuel when possible to ensure that carbon emissions are minimal. Our waste containers are labeled to ensure proper sorting of trash, recyclables and compo.
We encourage carpooling when possible using production vehicles and companies like Uber to cut down on the use of taxis and individual cars. If you are especially dedicated to this cause, offer up incentives to those who carpool. It not only helps the environment but it helps to ensure everyone is on time to set and it avoids wasting time and money looking for parking....especially here in NYC.
Other useful industry resources are Film Biz Recycling and PGA Green. I’ve sent many set designers, Art Directors and wardrobe stylists to these sites to find free items that are needed and about to be thrown out into landfills. These organizations are great New York resources. They receive unwanted and unused material once a production has wrapped and pass it on to other worthy projects! This is a great way to get what you need and give back!
Lastly, be sure to check out the many tax deductions and financial incentives for film sets going green. Look for resources in your area during pre-production and see if they will award a grant or reimburse for any environmental measures taken. In no way is this all you can do to be green but these are some good starting points. Everyone involved in your project; production team and clients alike, benefit from the experience and walks away with a new mindset, one that creates a ripple effect for future projects. There is so much more we can do: let your next project be a catalyst for moving in the right direction! Need a little inspiration? Check out this video from Sony Pictures!
Here is a list of resources that you MUST take a look at when preparing for your next project.
- Freecycle
- Green Production Guide
- Find Green Vendors
- LA Times ‘Greener Film Shoots’
- List of NYC Homeless Shelters/Food Pantries
- CMS Code of Best Practices for Sustainable Filmmaking
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