CDG - The Costume Designer

It sp bil y c e a b w ld f u . E• ry• • a di• place • ir proc€ s ‚ ƒ ne … † ‡ s • d ˆ ‰ fŠ ‹ t Œ u‰ s. Our ongoing responsibility is to be stewards of the environment. In my 20s, I began to delve into the ero Waste community. This movement focuses on reducing the garbage that we produce, mostly by reusing what we already have, and buying as little as possible. Suddenly, I recognized my place in the globe-spanning web of production and distribution. This new perspective weighed heavily on me and in my fi rst few months with ero Waste aspi- rations, my attitude vacillated between zealotry and guilt-driven paralysis. In my uest, I have come to recognize these feelings as a normal part of the process. The ero Waste movement emphasizes two principles that can serve us all well. The fi rst is to focus on small changes over time rather than all or nothing thinking. Burnout often occurs if we pres- sure ourselves to change our habits too uickly. This is a journey, not a switch we can fl ip. The second principle is to do the best we can and recognize that our best is rarely perfect. Our work reuires us to be consumers. The choices we make are dependent on what is available to us within the time and budget constraints of each production. Our primary objective is to serve the story and charac- ters. We must give ourselves and others permission to be imperfect and to make decisions that are necessary, even if we would make diff erent decisions in other circumstances. Our conversations in this area should be positive and open-minded. Everyone is in a dif- ferent place in their process and none of us are served by defeatist attitudes. At the same time, we must avoid sugarcoating this topic. There is certainly a fi ne line to tread, but we can do it. Film production is on the cusp of a paradigm shift. Increasing attention is being paid to the climate crisis. any fi lmmakers and crew members recognize the necessity of transforming our work practices to lessen our impact on the environment.

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