Reel Green™ Vendor Spotlight: Vancouver Film Studios

Reel Green™ Advisory Partner and Green Vendor, Vancouver Film Studios (VFS), is leading the way as a sustainable studio facility! As the first soundstage facility to gain B-Corporation certification in the world, and Canada’s first carbon-neutral film studio, Vancouver Film Studios (VFS) continues to break barriers and put Vancouver on the map for sustainable leadership.

Located in East Vancouver, VFS has hosted over 100 feature films and television series. The facility has 13 full-service sound stages that feature an arrangement of services provided by their two subsidiaries, Pacific Backlot Services and Signal Systems. It also includes additional buildings dedicated to warehouses, mills, office space, private gym, and other film-related needs. 

VFS gives us an insight into their focus on sustainability and how they’re taking new steps to adopt additional green practices.  

Can you tell us about Vancouver Film Studios’ journey towards becoming the first soundstage facility in the world to achieve B-corp certification? What inspired this commitment to sustainability and social responsibility in the film industry?

Exploring the possibility of becoming a B Corp was something our previous ownership, The McLean Family, was curious about for many years before we actually became certified. There was a movement of businesses taking action and asking what level of impact they are having, both positively and negatively, and The McLeans wanted to make sure Vancouver Film Studios and Pacific Backlot were no exception. Our biggest hurdle was time and the capacity to be able to take on such a project. One thing the COVID-19 shut down allowed us to do was to dedicate manpower and resources to be able to make this happen! I think one of the things I found remarkable when we were going through the process of becoming a B Corp was just how much we were already acting like one, but we just didn’t have the certification yet! Part of the B Corp certification is making sure that you’re operating with purpose and not just for profit and what became clear very quickly is that the purpose element was already so engrained in our culture. Our industry has the power to be making real impact on the world and productions that come to Vancouver Film Studios are able to start off on the right foot, by picking a facility that is thinking of its employees, its community and the environment , and not just profit. We hope to see more studios join us in the years to come!

Solar power is a key element of VFS’s sustainability initiatives. Can you share some details about the solar-powered stages and their impact on reducing the studio’s carbon footprint?

When we were looking to develop Building E and F into new offices and a 21,000 sq ft sound stage, we knew we were striving for LEED Gold Certification and we knew we wanted solar panels on the roof of the stage. This solar array is expected to produce approximately 143 thousand kilowatt hours per year. Any production in that stage will use the solar energy generated first and any remaining will be fed right back to BC Hydro. These solar panels came online in February 2022 and since have saved 108,034.52kg of CO2 emissions and is the equivalent of planting 3,224.5 trees!

The presence of beehives on the VFS lot is a unique and eco-friendly touch. Could you describe how these beehives contribute to sustainability, and how the honey production and sales tie into your green initiatives?

When we became a B Corp, we thought it would be a fun idea to present our customers with honey, sort of a play on making the “B” in B Corp a honey bee. This started an amazing relationship with Steven at East Van Bees and quickly we found an opportunity to become a home for 2 queens named Thema and Lou-bees and their colonies of over 15,000 bees! Bees are such an important part of our ecosystem and in a dense city like Vancouver it can be incredibly difficult for them to thrive. Bees pollinate 70 of around 100 crop species that feed 90% of the world. We decided in 2022 to help them further by planting a bee pollinator garden. This will ensure year round they are able to access flowers for pollination!

VFS’ commitment to sustainability extends beyond its own operations. Can you discuss any partnerships or collaborations with other green vendors or organizations that align with your eco-friendly goals?

We’re actively looking for partnerships and ways in which we can support environmental initiatives in our industry and within our operations. Once we became a B Corp, we shifted to select vendors that were also a B Corp like Mills, Persephone Brewing and Earth Water. We asked some of our other vendors about ways in which we can reduce packaging when we receive equipment, and Matthews Lighting immediately made the adjustment to reduce the plastic wrapping they were sending us. We actively promote Climate Smart certification to our vendors and are happy to recommend vendors like Cool Air and Continental Roofing because they sought their Climate Smart certification. We’re also happy to be supporters of Reel Green and make sure when productions come to the lot that there is a wealth of information and resources for their productions. Looking ahead we really want to encourage our customers to use Reusables for their catering needs to reduce waste. The collaboration possibilities are endless and we’re excited every time we find a new one.

It’s intriguing that VFS donates the proceeds from honey sales. Could you elaborate on the organizations or causes that benefit from this initiative, and why it’s important to give back to the community as part of your sustainability efforts?

Once we knew we were going to be a home to some incredible bees, we knew once a year the hives would be harvested for honey. We immediately knew we wanted to offer it to employees and customers by donation. Each year we’ve harvested over 50lbs of honey which is jarred in small containers for a $5 donation and large ones for $10. At the end of the year, we actually ask our employees what organizations they would like us to support and vote from there. Our last donation of $435 was to the DOXA film festival. We wanted to find initiatives our employees were passionate about and not just on an environmental level, but a social and industry level as well. Vancouver Film Studios is a part of many different communities: we’re a part of the film community, we’re a part of the East Vancouver community, we’re a part of a community dedicated to climate change and a community dedicated to social change. A community only works if you’re giving back to each other and we’re happy our bees help us to do this in one more way!

As a leader in sustainable film production, how do you see Vancouver Film Studios influencing or inspiring other studios in the industry to adopt greener practices? Are there any future sustainability projects or goals you’d like to share with our readers?

Our hope is that by showing all the ways in which we’re able to act sustainability, we will show other studios that it is possible! We’re not interested in being the first or only of something, what we want is to encourage others to join us and act as a resource to help people get there! It starts with small changes and then the bigger ones are a natural next step. I also think that moving forward, our customers are going to expect this from us so why not be a part of the conversation and have the solutions already available to them? We’re currently recertifying with B Corp, a process we undertake every 3 years, and are also looking at ways in which we can reduce our GHG emissions and also make sure we are constantly improving and validating the way in which we track them. We’re also seeking a few industry environmental certifications so keep an eye out for those in 2024! 

For more information, visit the Vancouver Film Studios website. 

There are over 30 Reel Green™ Vendors that offer a wide range of sustainable services or eco-products to help green our world. Let us know any Reel Green™ Vendors you would like to see in the spotlight next! If you are a Reel Green™ Vendor, and would like to be featured, send us an email at reelgreen@creativebc.com to set up an interview.     

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