Grrrreat news from Hollywood to start the new year with!
Director James Cameron’s wife, Suzy Amis Cameron, has started a challenge for designers: make the most sustainable dress for the red carpet at the 84th Academy awards! The winning design will be worn on February 26 by a surprise Hollywood actress and the winning designer gets many freebies and loads of industry support. We're so curious to know who's gonna wear that green dress on the red carpet!

Anyone who has creative thoughts on how the dress should like, you can enter the competition untill januari the 16th. There is a required entrance fee, though!

Image: Leigh Pennebaker Wire dress

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We all know that the film industry is not the only business that is polluting. A rather close relative in the entertainment industry is theatre, which is also known for being quite polluting. The BGA, short for Broadway Green Alliance, has made it it's mission to change that. The BGA is dedicated to the education, motivation and inspiration of the entire theatre community and its patrons to implement environmentally friendlier practice

'Although Broadway accounts for a small fraction of the carbon footprint in the New York City metropolitan area, its influence extends far beyond mid-town Manhattan', are the words of co-chairment Billy Deull from the BGA.

Among the first to make the change was the New York company of Wicked, which has pioneered many greener practices, like switching to re-usable batteries for their microphones and saving lot's of money annually in doing so. Read the articles on the enviromental practices of the production here in the newssection.

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- Wouter van Couwelaar / NFI Producties
- Mark Ram / Studio ACT2ACT 
- Titia Rieter / Armadillo Film
- Anielle Webster / NFI Producties
- Gabriel Bauer / Blue Dolphin Entertainment Group
- Sabine Smits / Flinck Film

CONGRATULATIONS to you all!!!! 

Yesterday the jury had a seriously tough task to decide which 6 filmmakers out of the 32 deserve a spot in the final. The full jury came together at Het Filmfonds to debate who should go through to the final round: round 3!

And now, we can proudly present our 6 finalists taking part in the first Green Film Making Competition worldwide!

We'll follow each of them closely in their working process until the final next year at the beginning of June in the EYE Film Institute.  

Of course we'll keep in touch with all the filmmakers who entered the competition. Because we need all film production houses to be involved in making the film industry greener!

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YESS! The wait is almost over! This video shares some thoughts (Sorry, in Dutch only) from our nine jury members while they were deliberating on which of the 32 contestants will make the final rounds. And let us tell you, it sure wasn't easy decision-making! To keep things a little more exciting ;-)..you will find out about our verdict this thursday!

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Peter Netjes is a location manager for well known Dutch and international film productions, not the least of which were  Zwartboek and Ocean's Eleven. When it comes to sustainable filming, he certainly has some pointers on how to make change happen.

'As a location manager, my main job is to make sure that there is access to water, electricity and sanitary facilities on set. Another thing I'm very familiar with is the amount of waste we produce. You have your regular day where there's about forty crewmen walking about, and that produces over fifteen filled trashbags a day. But sometimes you also have extra's working, not to mention the waste coming from the set, which means even more trash is thrown out. And you know where most of that trash comes from? Catering: plastic bottles, plates and cutlery. That's why I think a great way to reduce that would be to switch to reusables. Let everyone have their personalised mugs with their names on it!' Peter also tells us that when someone once suggested that the crew and actors should try to have their breakfast at home to save time and energy, people thought this was an outrageous idea. But when you think about it, it's not such a bad idea at all! He also thinks that change comes from within: the department should have a vision when it comes to sustainably and involve everyone equally to make it happen. 'The challenge is to change what's familiair, to create new and better habits.'

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Day three: how to make a solid business plan (10 tips by Taco Bos from New Venture), Next steps with change managers Chai Locher and Thieu Besselink. Contestors found this creative brainstorm to be very productive and it gave them new insights, connections and incentive to make plans!

You can check out all the pictures made in these three days on our Flickr page. And don't forget to check out our current Facebook page for the Green Filmmaking competition!

Photography by Reuben Hamburger

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Day #2
It started with a mini excursion to ID&T and presentation by Carlijn Lindemulder, who showed us the many similarities between festival events and film and the efforts in trying to creating both as sustainably as possible. Teun van der Laan (Club van 30) gave us a little wake-up call concerning the urgency of changing the way we think and the way we impact the planet. Then followed three rounds of mini workshops on Green Film Making in different hotel rooms, and our big group of filmmakers split up into small groups: Light (Daan de Boer), Energy (Bredenoord), Catering & Water (Lotte Wouters ZININ Catering), Art Department & Recycling (Eko-logisch.nl), Transport (Nissan, Tom van de Beek & New Motion), Sustainable finance (ASN Bank), How to Green Your Office (Ynzo van Zanten). Thanks to the Lloyd Hotel for welcoming us into their beautiful domain!

For the workshop materials, check out this page.




Photography by Reuben Hamburger

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Our three days of workshops have been really inspiring and successful if we might say so ourselves ;-), and we not only have all our speakers to thank, we cannot go without thanking you, the competitors who showed us great enthousiasm, imagination and a drive to change the whole industry!

Video documentation, workshop material and tips & handy links will soon be made available to you in the next few days, so stay tuned! Here's a short recollection of the program:

Day #1
A kickoff with our lovely ambassador and actress Thekla Reuten,  a talk from Aart van Veller, founder of Wij zijn Koel and jury member of the competition. Followed by a presentation of Meredith Bergmann from Green Media Solutions, New York City. She gave us many concrete insights on set dressing and ways to engage crew & producers in sustainable solutions. Juhi Shareef from the company Eco Age Consultancy, founded by Colin & Livia Firth, shared what's new on the horizon, like the soon-to-become British standard for green filmmaking, BS 8909. Special thanks to the Conscious hotel for being a great host and giving us the grande tour!

For more recaps, read the next two posts for day #2 and #3! Meanwhile, be sure to share all your ideas and insights on our facebook GFMC page and tweet about the competition with hashtags #GFMC or #greenfilmmaking!

Photography by Reuben Hamburger

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Tomorrow is when our three days of inspiration starts for the Green Film Making Competition :-) From hands-on workshops to an exciting field trip, competitors will get to know every aspect of green filmmaking. Let's share some highlights with you:

Wednesday @ The Conscious Hotel: A very inspirational day with some very special guests from the London & New York filmscene.

Thursday @ LLOYD Hotel: Let's get to work with our workshops: we'll cover every theme, from lighting and waste to catering and water!

Friday @ The Hub: Strawberry Earth & special guests will dig into the businessplan and help you get ready to put your thoughts intro writing! We'll also cover how to get your team involved and motivated for your sustainable ventures.

See you there!

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The judges are still fiercely deliberating ;-)..Meanwhile, we'd like share with you some more international news on filmmaking!

More young and international filmmakers are now adopting the use of high-end and advanced DLSR (Digital Single-Lens Reflex) camera's to film complete motion pictures. Besides being more affordable and accessable to local talented filmmakers, they are also more energy efficient and easier to transport. Renowned Emirati filmmaker Nayla Al Khaja shares her views on the growing demand for these DLSR's here. A quote from the article: 'Usually when we film we need two or more trucks to carry all the lights, generators for lights, fuel for generators and trucks, heavy tripods and other necessary equipment for a small production. However, with advanced DSLRs, two people can carry all the equipment which is usually the camera, lenses, chargers, filters, laptop, tripod, and microphone. Even the quality of picture shots are truly top rate, and from a filmmaker’s point of view this opens new possibilities, especially for youngsters as they now have easy access to such high-performance cameras.'

A great idea for the budget-oriented filmmaker for shooting on location!

Picture courtesy of Papercraft replica's

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Round 1 is over, the deadline for entries to The Green Film Making Competition has passed and the results were fantastic! We received nearly 60 entries!

Now time for Round 2: The Green Film Making Competition workshops due to take place on October 12, 13 and 14.

Unfortunately, there is only place for 40 people at our workshops so the judging is already tougher than we expected... All successful entrants who take part in the workshops will be given the information they need to learn about sustainable film making. After that, up to 6 finalists will be selected and each will receive funds from the Nederlandse Film Fonds to make their short films a reality, that's Round 3!

We will be in touch with all Round 1 applicants very soon with news of who has made it through to the Green Film Making Workshops. For now, we'd like to recommend all entrants to keep those October workshop dates reserved!

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Just a quick reminder for all filmmakers wanting to be part of the Green Filmmaking Competition. You can submit your entries until september the 8th!

The end date is nearing quickly, but if you have a good idea for a short film and are keen to produce it sustainibly, we encourage you to join us! All you need to do is get your creative juices flowing and make sure that you apply here with some contact info and a short description of your film. Check out all competition rules here.

Remember, you are free to choose the subject and content of your short film, this challenge is all about making the production side of your film (And the Dutch Film Industry in general) greener and more efficient.

We will keep you up to date to reveal the finalists that will join us in some very exciting workshops!


Picture courtesy of Spaces Gallery

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We've got some great news to share with you!! We welcome a new partner to our Green Film Making Competition: Het Nederlands Filmfonds! (The Dutch Filmfund) And they have something very special for you...
 
IF you are one of the 6 remaining finalists of the competition you will not only get to be part of this exciting experience, you will also have a substantial starting budget at your disposal for your film productionl! And..don't forget to keep your eye on the main prize: the winner of the competition will be rewarded with 20.000 euro! 
 
Filmfonds will be teaming up with the judges to review your submissions. This is going to be a tough race ;-)
 
Luckily, you still have some time left. You can submit your entry form until september the 8th. Good luck! 
 
Oh, and be sure to write this down as well: we've got workshops for all contestants lined up on October 12, 13 and 14. These get-togethers will feature an expert panel of film & sustainability experts who will help you with a sustainable and efficient film production. 

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'There is nothing glamorous about showbiz for primates, big cats, bears, and other animals who are used in television, film, or advertising.' Says PETA. Not only are animals often exploited, it is not a very animal friendly or sustainable way of dealing with the environment (think of nearly extinct animal species or transporting exotic animals to a set!)

That's why Director Rupert Wyatt's film The Rise Of The Planet Of The Apes was rewarded for it's protection of animal rights. Rupert used no real life apes in his film, it was all CGI. This earned him a seal of approval and also a PETA 'Proggy' Award, which applauds companies, people, and products for innovative and animal-friendly achievements. It shows that using no real animals can underline a message of environmental awareness. Especially in this film, where humans are the villains and apes are the heroes ;-) Do you have good examples of animal friendly productions? Share them here!

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We love it when a film comes together sustainably. However, it’s not all about 'ACTION', a lot of it is in the mindset too :-) That’s what Green Mimics is all about. Claire Arens works as a project manager for this company that focusses on setting an example in the entertainment industry.

We don't often think about it, but film and tv can have a huge impact on us. It can even affect or change our behavior. This is especially true for kids growing up. This is where Green Mimics steps in. Claire tells us: 'We want to create a dialogue with tv & filmmakers to promote and implement sustainable behavior in their productions. This will ultimately result in a more positive influence on the viewer. We don't go about this explicitly, like doing tv commercials, we seek out actors and ask them to be positive role models.' Why not show actors driving in electric cars rather than just talking about it? Green Mimics believes this is the most effective approach of changing ways for the better.

'We are in talks with many organisations that offer sustainable solutions, from car manufacturers to local farmers. We even have a scientific basis when it comes to knowing which sustainable ideas are most influental to people, like driving electric cars and using solar panels!' You can read more on the research Green Mimics (Dutch) has done here.

(Picture: crochet brain by Helle Jorgensen)

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There is an element that we can hardly imagine any big production Hollywood movie-set without, and that is, ofcourse..drumroll.. the trailer! What would directors, producers and actors do without it? Unfortunately, next to being the only thing faintly reminiscent of home, offering that little bit of privacy people in the entertainment industry so often desperately seek..these things..ahem 'mobile homes' can be pretty damn wasteful too!

Well, good thing is they don't have to be anymore, because we give you the greener, updated version: meet the Helios, a Solar Hybrid Vehicle, the world's first Eco trailer prototype (soon to be introduced to the market after extensive testing). It is made by King Kong Production Vehicles Inc and has pretty much everything a green celebrity could wish for, from a bamboo cabinetry to a solar generator. Read all the specifications here!

(Photography by Jacques Olivar)

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Bas Andries (left) and Bart van Tunen, demonstrating a new energy efficient led lamp for use on film sets. Bas Andries works as a director of photography. On the set he leads the lighting and camera departments, but he also collaborates with the director and the production designer during the shoots. Determining the best light is one of the main issues in his work. Currently he is working on a film in post-production. Last summer he worked on an LA film called ‘Cats dancing on Jupiter'.

We asked him about his take on green film making. From the interview we’ve composed a top 5 list of his green film making solutions:

1. Use an efficient energy source. Rather than using a generator, opt for sustainable led lamps if possible. Bas Andries is currently working on bringing a special type of sustainable led lamp from the US to the Netherlands. To give you an example: this lamp uses 130W and almost produces the same amount of light a regular filmlamp uses, which in turn consumes 1000W (1kW). Keep on the lookout!

2. On remote locations, try to use efficient and green energy sources, like solar power.

3. Why not re-use vintage cameras? We’re so accustomed to using the latest gadgets, that we barely make use of older technology.

4. Don’t throw out old decor/set pieces or props. Re-use them (store them somewhere and save costs by using shared spaces) or rent them.

5. Be innovative, green solutions doesn't have to mean higher budget! Get creative, get everyone on the set involved, plan ahead and work efficiently with your team.

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Scouting through the web for more information on ways to save paper during filmproduction, we found this very usefull list from Moviemakers.com: the best apps in 2011 for moviemakers!! From callsheet to artboards and storyboard composers, it's all there!

(Still from stop-motion film by Bang-yao Liu)

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In looking for new ways to make film productions more sustainable, there's a very revolutionary approach not everyone will consider..and it's because it doesn't actually involve filming at all! (producers keep your ears covered) By using 100% stock footage and public domain video's, you can come a very long way. Think about it: no shooting scenes, no energy wasting...just editing and using what's already there. If not for a complete movie you can certainly use recycled footage in between new scenes and still keep your artistic integrity. Seriously, all the big producers are doing it ;-)

Get inspired by Nike's Better World Campaign, which consists entirely out of older, recycled ads. Do you have any inspirational examples of recycled footage? Share them on our #GFMC community!

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This has got to be one of the most handy apps available to filmmakers; it's called MovieSlate and it's a Clapperboard & Shot Log tool.

What does it do? It gets quick references to shots you need, without wading through hours of footage. Each shot, all production, GPS location, and timecode data is stored to a Shot Log History, where you can view, edit, or ★-rate shots. From the app, you can search/sort History by: production, roll, scene, or take; and sort by date/time, or star-rating. History and Notes can be emailed in HTML, CSV, tab-delimited, and FinalCut XML formats.

(Picture by Gary Knight)

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Second Line Stages is the first green, Independently owned film studio in the United States! It is located in the Lower Garden District of New Orleans and it has three sound stages, an office space, a flex space, and a digital theater. Second Line Stages has been built to comply with the LEED Silver Certification from the US Green Building Council. Read their very inspirational story here.

The film 'the Green Lantern', now just out in theatres, was one of the first movies to be sustainably filmed there.
What's so green about them, you ask? Well, you can read more about all their achievements so far here, which are quite alot!

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Props for this amazing idea of a pop-up cinema event called 'Folly for a Flyover.' The cinema is built from the ground up with local, reclaimed and donated materials. It's hidden beneath a traffic intersection. Just last year, non-profit collective Assemble transformed a petrol station into a hand-built cinema.
With Folly, their next braindchild, they have screenings lined up ranging from classic films to experimental features, some of them accompanied by live scores, light shows and performances. Watch the building process here.

Like a giant construction-kit, the folly will be built over the period of a month by a team of volunteers. Having served one purpose it will be disassembled at the end of the summer, and the compents will find new uses across the local area.

It's a great inspiration for filmmakers, showing that it's possible to create a sustainable venue, or rather, something out of nothing!

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Wow, Lauren Selman is very career smart! She says that she did not find her job, she created her job by starting her own business 'Reel Media' and being one of first environmental consultants for the film industry in the US. She wants to turn around the industry from being 'wasteful to resourceful.' And she's doing just that. Because there are not many consultants in this area, it seems she's making a pretty good living too! One of the film industry's difficulties is that's it's such a fast moving industry, where something is rarely ever permanent. Lauren also says - grinningly -, that when you tell somebody how to do their job differently, 'that often causes some feedback.' It's a tough job, but someone has to do it :)! Watch her story here.

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One of the most important things when working on set for actors, crewmen and ofcourse the producers, is to get enough hydration. But instead of using very wastefull PET bottles and creating a landfill, you can use the dopper! A special customised dopper was presented and handed to Thekla Reuten at our Green Film Making Competition Seminar. Such a great idea to get every person working on your production their own dopper! When you're filming on location, you can also check where the nearest free water taps are by using this app. How cool is that?

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The Seminar on Green Film Making took place in The Hub on 30 June 2011. Here's a short video impression of the day        :-) Thank you to cameraman Gabe Bauer and editor Wiendelt Hooijer. 

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Now that the seminar is just behind us and we are ready for competition applications, it's time to get you even more inspired by the latest international green filmmaking news!

Nic Balthazar, Belgium Filmmaker, recently started producing his film, 'Tot Altijd,' which will be showing in theatres early 2012. Read more on the story here. What's so remarkable, is that his goal is to make this film completely carbon neutral. And he's not working alone! All the energy that's needed will be provided by the solar panels of IZEN to the film's production company Eyeworks. An inspirational example of sustainibility! We're wondering what else they are doing to get that footprint completely neutral and will be keeping tabs on this film!

Have some news of your own? Don't forget to share all your ideas in the process on our Green Filmmaking Facebook Community!

Photography: Solar Sunflowers in Austin, Texas by David Newsom

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Our seminar for the Strawberry Earth Green Film making Competition was a huge succes! A special thanks goes out to The Hub, our partner who welcomed us into their innovative place for collaboration.

The day was filled with inspiring speakers, a crowd hungry for
knowledge of green filmmaking, and engaging coversations during our lunchdate, provided with the best nutritious food by Foodlem! If you weren’t there, here’s is what you’ve missed out on :) Starting with our wonderful host Allard Faas interviewing our guests, Ynzo van Zanten then kicked off by questioning the very nature of the way we do things in business. ‘We need to rethink, redesign, re-act!’ He said.

Thekla Reuten, our ambassador of the competition, shared her excitement for the sustainable possibilities in the industry, but also her concern on filmmakers having difficulties to find the time worrying about green issues next to their busy production schedule. A reacurring theme for this seminar seemed to be ‘time and money are key.'

What we've also learned here is that for a film to be really
sustainable, it’s not only important to gain insights (by yourself or hired sustainability advisors), but also to get your crew on board. Even more so, the sustainable options need to be just as effective as their more power-consuming alternatives.

Tabitha Jenkins (Ealing studios) shared some news on the English green filmmaking scene and how people are keen to 'make it happen', however ‘there’s so many people and processes involved in the film industry, it will be a gradual change.’

Finally, Chai Locher introduced his 7-step program to implement ideas into concrete actions, which will hopefully inspire filmmakers and kickstart their production. We also got some great tips on how to build sustainable filmsets, how to get crew members from A to B, and lots more.

We'll be sharing video's, more tips and info here soon!
Stay up to date here for anything green filmmaking related and join the competition!

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We love how the people behind the popular vampire hit show 'True Blood' are using it's immense popularity for the better by launching an eco friendly make-up line called Tarte. As freaky as the creatures that appear in the series may be, the make up they've created is all natural. It uses only mineral pigments and fruit extracts, so its cosmetics contain no parabens, synthetic fragrances, phthalates, or triclosan.

Many actors in the show also seem to be actively involved with being responsible on set as well. Let's bite into some more ideas like these!

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You definitely don't want to miss out on our Seminar this Thursday, 30 June 2011 so sign up while you can! We've got two days left until you can get-your-green-on @ the Hub in Amsterdam. Here are some highlights of what we've got in store for filmmakers: A presentation by Ynzo van Zanten, sustainable founder of Green Inc, a Q&A with our ambassador Thekla Reuten: find out why she's joined us in our mission to make the film industry more sustainable! Furthermore, there is our special guest Tabitha Jenkins from Ealing Studios in London and a speed lunch date (with food provided by Foodlem) where you can meet many more sustainable (film) experts to ask away and start making connections...the countdown begins!

Movie Reel Sculpture by Douglas Heine

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Many filmmakers struggle to find a way to measure what impact their production has on the environment. There are so many things to take into account, like heating, electricity, fuel and maybe even hotel use. Let's not get your head buzzing..there is a solution! You can download this Carbon-Calculator, which has been specially developed for the film industry! Don't forget to check out the Green production guide, it's funded by companies like Disney, Fox and Warner Bros.

T-shirt design by Camiseteria.com

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You have this wonderful idea for a film. You transform it into a script/screenplay. Traditionally, the next thing you would do is distribute it on paper for anyone who would be willing to read your story. Why not use modern means? For example: Lions Gate, the studio responsible for the hit series 'Mad Men' used Kindle ereaders to have personnel read their scripts. But there's tons of other options to consider to make your first stage of the production greener. Check out this free digital scriptwriting service RawScripts. Do you have any tips on green filmmaking? Please share them on our online community.

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The programme for the Seminar on Green Film Making is shaping up very well. Aside from an inspirational address from competition ambassador Thekla Reuten there will be lots of exciting speakers from the worlds of film and sustainability. For the latest updates on the competition be sure to join our facebook page and follow us on twitter.

(Photo by Nina van Ewijk)

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The GFMC jury members were revealed during the competition launch event on Friday, 3 June 2011. Experts from the worlds of film, sustainability and business will assess entries by film makers eager to win the prize of €20.000 and the honorary title: Green Film Maker of the Year.

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On 3 June 2011 in Studio/K, Amsterdam Europe's first Green Film Making Competition was launched. The event was a resounding success and welcomed by the Dutch film community as an opportunity to discover the production ways of the future. Competition ambassador Thekla Reuten was featured in the premiere of the GFMC promotional video - a video shot on location in Belfast, Ireland by Nikos Stamboulopoulos (www.spiralmove.com) with the sound design and original music score by Nikos Kandarakis.

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