The Location Managers Guild International (LMGI) is the largest organization of Location Managers and Location Scouts in the motion picture, television, commercial and print production industries. Their membership plays a vital role in the creativ
Issue link: http://digital.copcomm.com/i/996734
LMGI COMPASS | Summer 2018 • 57 the crew to actually buy in. To do this, it has to be made as simple as possible so they don't have to think too much about it." Palmer and crew simplified the system to three bins: trash, compost and mixed recycling. "Our success rate is better," he said, "but there is still some confusion among crew as to what goes where. The real solution is getting productions to mandate that catering and craft service only use compostable plates, napkins and cutlery so that it is dead simple. Then use smaller garbage cans and bigger compost bins and take lots of time educating the crew." The X-Files location team has had success with waste manage- ment and other initiatives. It continues to try new things to be even more sustainable. But Palmer believes that the industry needs to approach the problem collectively. "On-set sustain- able production programs are an important part of this," he says, "but they shouldn't be the only part." The X-Files is not the only production in BC that has made sustainability a priority. And BC isn't the only place where sustainable production is happening. Green production initia- tives exist worldwide, and as the industry continues to collab- orate, it's getting easier to make green production the norm. The idea of "greening" a production can be daunting. But a wealth of international resources can help studios and crew make their productions more environmentally-friendly. For instance, the Green Production Guide includes a searchable green vendor database, a carbon calculator that can help pro- ducers determine their production's carbon footprint, and the Production Environmental Accounting Checklist (PEACH), which breaks down sustainable production practices by de- partment. The guide was developed by the Producers Guild of America Foundation, with the support of Disney, Amblin Part- ners, 20th Century Fox, NBC Universal, Paramount Pictures, Sony Pictures Entertainment and Warner Bros. The tools are available for free online, and are used by many organizations. For example, in New York City, the mayor's of- fice now has a program called NYC Film Green, which uses materials from the Green Production Guide to evaluate and award sustainable productions in the city. Similarly, the UK has albert, a collaborative program backed by the British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA), indie film- makers and broadcasters. The project's centerpiece is a car- bon calculator that also acts as a sustainable best practices guide. The tool is free, online and rewards productions that participate with an albert certification logo. Many other countries have followed the example set by PGA and albert, and some regional film commissions use the same tools to provide training and workshops, and create carbon calculators of their own. Each of these programs fo- cuses on a similar goal: to promote sustainable production, provide resources to make it accessible and make it easier for each department to reduce its impact. For all departments, sustainability begins in pre-production. When planning is done in advance, the team has time to seek out green vendors, use reusable or recyclable materials, and make arrangements for sustainable solutions. Planning in advance helps, but there are also small changes that crews can make today, mid-production, that could still make a big difference. Crew members can print less, implement a no- idling policy, turn off power when it isn't needed and change incandescent lights to LEDs when they burn out. Though some of these seem like small steps, ultimately, it takes the actions of the whole crew to make it work. When an industry strives for excellence, every choice makes a difference. The actions that individuals and companies take reflect their value; for location managers, as the face of the industry, it is crucial that locations—large or small—are looked after. "The phrase I keep in mind is 'cared for,'" says Upton. "When our locations feel genuinely 'cared for,' even the inevitable challenges that arise in connection to filming (damage, shifting schedules, etc.) can be worked through in a way that leaves our relationships intact and our locations film-friendly. In some cases, these relationships may even be made stronger by our demonstrating that we can be trusted to truly take care of people and their properties." And in caring for individual locations, the industry can demonstrate its care for the environment as well. As our physical landscape changes and locations are altered by climate change, it is clear that we cannot wait to take fur-