Podcast: Download (Duration: 4:14 — 4.8MB)

Our guest today (Rob Kinslow) is a man of many talents, but we also know him to be an extremely gifted producer and videographer. For that reason today’s Greensprouts will focus on ways to make filmmaking and productions just a little bit greener.  With a little effort almost every aspect of our lives can be more eco-friendly.

Tip #1 – Buy Locally for Craft Tables. If you can, stock the craft table with locally produced goods. You will reduce the amount of fuel used in transport and you’ll be doing a good thing by supporting the local economy. Today, you can find many items that are locally produced.  Think beyond fruits and veggies. Most cities have local brands of items such as chips, sodas and coffee. Seek and ye shall find.

Tip # 2 – Use Second Hand Items. Much of the environmental cost of a production is that each film is approached as a separate project, when in truth, most of the basic needs of many productions are very similar. Items needed to build a set for example, can be reused. Think second-hand stores for building supplies, fixtures, furniture and clothing. It’s great for the environment and your budget!

Tip # 3 – Composting and Recycling.  Recycling and composting can make a big difference. The amount of water bottles and paper thrown away on a production set is staggering. It’s the responsibility of production management to create a culture on the set that encourages eco-friendly policies.  If composting is tricky, at least provide a recycling bin and arrange for pick-ups.  If you need help coordinating all of this, you can contact GreenMediaSolutions, The Environmental Media Association or  Shoot it Green, all of which provide sustainability consulting for film and video projects.

Tip # 4 – Shoot Digitally. We may not even have to say this because so much of the industry is moving to digital. But it’s worth mentioning that as beautiful as film may be, it is toxic to the environment, and videotape is practically impossible to dispose of responsibly. While technological waste has a big impact of it’s own, shooting digitally and backing up to a hard drive is still the most eco-friendly way to go. Hard drives are reusable and can be recycled or disposed of correctly at end of life.  There are companies that offer options for recycling and disposal.  One such company is “Newtech Recycling“.  They offer the service to both businesses and residential customers so you don’t have to be in the production industry to make uses of their service.

Tip # 5 – Stop the Water Bottle Madness. If the budget allows, provide water containers and mugs for the cast and crew. If you’re working on a smaller budget, ask the crew to bring in reusable bottles and mugs from home. Or, at the very least, write names on plastic water bottles and use them more than once. If every person on a 50-person crew drinks three waters a day, that can add up to 150 plastic bottles thrown to the waste stream every day. Over the course of a large production or feature film, that becomes thousands and thousands of plastic bottles entering the landfills.  Don’t let that happen on your watch!

Today’s tips courtesy of  “Shoot it Green”