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Emerging Producer's Guide
Call to Action
Our Western way of life has been deeply out of touch with Earth’s natural systems and we have put the planet into crisis, threatening its ability to sustain the essential life systems that we, and all life, depend on.
The Time is Now
Climate change is no longer a theoretical future. We must all act with urgency to ensure a livable planet for ourselves and future generations. With every hour of television and minute of production and streaming, our industry is adding tons of carbon pollution to the air we breathe.
The challenges of filmmaking are immense, and adding sustainability measures might seem daunting. However, we believe climate action is essential for the future of our planet and our industry. If you're passionate about storytelling and care about the future, this call to action is for you.
The challenges of filmmaking are immense, and adding sustainability measures might seem daunting. However, we believe climate action is essential for the future of our planet and our industry. If you're passionate about storytelling and care about the future, this call to action is for you.
Call to Action for a Greener, Cleaner Industry
To meet the needs of the moment, our call to action for all emerging content creators, and those who support them, is to act together with urgency. These priorities are just some of the ways we can all work together to prepare our creators and industry for future challenges and opportunities.
What might you add to this list? How will you contribute to a greener industry?
What might you add to this list? How will you contribute to a greener industry?
Future forward skills development:
Let's invest in the storytellers of today and tomorrow by supporting training and mentorship programs (both standalone and in our film schools) that provide the green job skills necessary to build sustainable, future-forward careers in the creative industries. Let's break the barriers that keep emerging creators and experienced professionals in silos and encourage collaboration and communication to accelerate positive change.
Canada’s content creators also need training on the sustainable use of emerging technologies like virtual production and generative artificial intelligence - two technologies poised to radically shift how content is made.
Canada’s content creators also need training on the sustainable use of emerging technologies like virtual production and generative artificial intelligence - two technologies poised to radically shift how content is made.
Celebrate Indie-style filmmaking
Indie-style filming is often more sustainable by nature so let's make it the celebrated standard, rather than a budget-driven stepping stone before adopting unsustainable practices.
The sustainability of independent films is an advantage that contributes to the resiliency and efficiency of independent and community-based media. To promote this, the sustainability community can actively share case studies of successful productions to inspire and guide others and debunk myths about sustainability being hard or expensive.
Resource sharing platforms and hubs for independent filmmakers can support the reduction of carbon pollution and waste. Film festivals can add sustainability categories, awards, or further celebrate the efforts of content creators to tell eco-responsible stories in a planet-friendly way.
The sustainability of independent films is an advantage that contributes to the resiliency and efficiency of independent and community-based media. To promote this, the sustainability community can actively share case studies of successful productions to inspire and guide others and debunk myths about sustainability being hard or expensive.
Resource sharing platforms and hubs for independent filmmakers can support the reduction of carbon pollution and waste. Film festivals can add sustainability categories, awards, or further celebrate the efforts of content creators to tell eco-responsible stories in a planet-friendly way.
Advocate for Sustainable Practices and Standards
We can all play a role in advocating for policies that support industry-wide changes that remove barriers to innovation and support sustainable filmmaking. Let's engage with leaders, industry bodies and policymakers to promote and implement green initiatives and actively participate in the development of industry-wide green standards, inspired by the independent film community.
Here are some simple tips for how to get involved in climate action in the motion picture industry:
Getting Started...
- Join a network of green filmmakers such as Producing for the Planet, or become an Ontario Green Screen Ambassador. Learn from others and share your own sustainability wins.
- Sign up for newsletters and mailing lists to stay up to date on local events in your province like those at Reel Green in B.C. and the Ontario Green Screen Community Events.
- Attend a free online training, such as those offered by Reel Green, and Ontario Green Screen.
- Get inspired by what others are doing. Check out the CMPA’s Sustainable Production Case Studies, DGC Green Case Studies and those found in the Producing for the Planet Knowledge Hub, for ideas on how things can be done differently.
- Check out the tools and resources in your area, including the CMPA's Sustainability Resources for Producers, Ontario Green Screen’s Sustainability Toolkit, B.C.'s Reel Green’s Resources and Tools.
- Ask your suppliers if they have any green options you can pilot for them. Both B.C.'s Reel Green and Ontario Green Screen have lists of sustainable suppliers that you can check out!
- Tell your team that you want to do things differently. Put the planet on the agenda and invite innovative ideas and solutions.
- Subscribe to film podcasts such as “The Sustainable Act” and “The Tie In” to get ideas and stay up to date with industry innovations.
- Look outside of the film industry for innovative ideas. Here is a list of 100 Ways to Save the Planet, to learn more about 100 sustainability challenges and 3-tiers (easy, medium, hard) of sustainable actions to address them.
Further reading
Together, we can build a resilient motion picture industry and move the world towards a more sustainable future.
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Producing for the Planet is headquartered in British Columbia, Canada and we acknowledge that we operate on the unceded, traditional and ancestral territories of the xʷməθkwəy̓əm (Musqueam), Skwxwú7mesh (Squamish), Səl̓ílwətaʔ/Selilwitulh(Tsleil-Waututh), q̓ʷɑ:n̓ƛ̓ən̓ (Kwantlen), q̓ic̓əy̓ (Katzie), Máthxwi (Matsqui), and se'mya'me (Semiahmoo) Nations.
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