Cleaning up their act: film and television production industry thinks green

Ontario's film and television production industry is trying to become more environmentally friendly. But more than simply jumping on the green bandwagon, the Toronto Green Screen Initiative plans within two years to launch the world's first green production certification program. "We're trying to set up a certification program in the industry that will establish standards by which productions can measure themselves," says Candida Paltiel, director of Toronto-based environmental film and video festival Planet in Focus (PiF). "We want to create incentives by which best practices are going to be used on all levels of production within the film and television industry, from the office to the shop floor."PiF is the primary partner in the province-wide initiative, but it won't be driving it alone. It's joined by a large coalition of industry partners including Toronto Film Studios/FILMPORT, International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees Local 873, City of Toronto, FilmOntario, Directors Guild of Canada: Ontario, Deluxe, Panavision, ACTRA Toronto, Canadian Film and Television Production Association, Production Services Ltd., and the ComWeb Group.Impetus for Green Screen comes from the acknowledgement of the wasteful nature of film and television production. In November the University of California, Los Angeles released results of a two-year study showing the Los Angeles region's film and television industry created more pollution than individually produced by aerospace manufacturing, apparel, hotels and semiconductor production. In fact, the sector finished second only to petroleum manufacturing in terms of emissions. With the recognition of their past environmental harm, some productions are already starting to advertise how green they are. For instance, Paltiel says the new Tom Hanks movie Charlie Wilson's War declares in its credits to be carbon neutral. However, she believes this only means the film offset its carbon footprint by buying carbon credits or through some other method. "We want to go beyond offsetting to actually see a change in the production process," she says. "Whether we're reducing greenhouse gasses, reducing energy, seeing more hybrid cars on sets, not idling, recycling props, or finding less waste in the industry."Paltiel says it's early to say what the certification program will look like and how it will be managed, but she points to the architecture industry's Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Green Building Rating System as an example of a similar project. But Green Screen won't be limited to the certification program. With the help of funding from the Ontario Media Development Corp.'s Entertainment and Creative Cluster Partnerships Fund, the initiative plans to conduct baseline research on present practices within the industry and create a best practices green production guide as well as a green products and services resource guide this year. In year two it will establish a governing body and the certification program and open a Green Screen program office. Not only does Paltiel see the certification program being a model for film and television production in other regions of Canada and the world, but she also says it could serve as a standard for other industries. Certainly, the project's description contains a line that every sector should be looking at. It states: "The moment for implementing sustainable best practices in the industry has come and is recognized by all of us who contribute to it and believe in a thriving future for this industry."

Cleaning up their act: film and television production industry thinks green

Broadcast | January 14, 2008

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