Home 5 Reel Green™ 5 Green Ambassadors

Green Ambassadors

Reel Green™ Ambassadors are committed individuals who support our mission and champion new ways of working and raising the profile of environmental sustainability in the motion picture industry.

Become an Ambassador

We are seeking committed individuals! Join us to advance sustainable production for the betterment of the motion picture industry and the world.

  1. Check your eligibility for the program.
  2. Let us know if you are committed to sustainable production in motion picture.  Email us at reelgreen@creativebc.com to express interest in being an Ambassador or sign up via the online form.
  3. Tell us about yourself:
    1. What’s your role in the motion picture industry? How do you think about sustainable practices in your job?
    2. Why are you excited about Reel Green™ and championing sustainable production?

Eligibility

Eligible applicants for the Reel Green Ambassador program are those who have done at minimum 3 of the following criteria.

  • You’ve taken at minimum one Reel Green™ training course.
  • You’ve attended at minimum one Reel Green™ General Meeting.
  • You are an Advisory Committee Member.
  • You are located and working in British Columbia.

If three of the above criteria apply to you, take a look at the pledge and commitment to continue with your Ambassador Application!

The Pledge

Being a Reel Green™ Ambassador means you are a champion for the Reel Green mission! All Reel Green Ambassador’s pledge to:

  1. Further the Reel Green™ mission and share our communications to spread awareness.
  2. Commit to at least one green action related to the motion picture industry. This action could be big or small, it’s up to you! As long as it promotes and works towards sustainable production.

Ambassadorships are for two-year terms and roll over in the closest calendar year. To continue being a Reel Green™ Ambassador, simply contact us to apply again!

Reel Green Ambassadors

Aly Bérubé | Producer

I am the owner of Studio Niche Productions, a new Canadian Integrated Creative Studio. I work with up and coming filmmakers working in Canada, from all over the world. I pledge to learn as much as I can about sustainable filmmaking and to share any knowledge about this with these filmmakers, while on our sets. The next generation of filmmaking is lucky because we now have green tools at our disposal, it’s just a matter of actually doing so.

I pledge to run a company that teaches its crew of young and upcoming filmmakers to work together to run a sustainable production from pre-production to finish by being aware of waste of any kind and what impacts that it can cause, during any size of production.

Jason Cameron | UBCP/ACTRA

Business Agent: Film, Television & New Media | UBCP/ACTRA

With more and more scientific data showing just how much of an impact human actions have on our planet, implementing sustainable practices is no longer simply a good thing to do; it’s a vital thing to do.  In Reel Green, UBCP/ACTRA has an industry partner that is well positioned to educate, support and empower all of us to make better choices for our environment.

My go-to sustainability action: They say every little bit helps. So until I get a Tesla for my birthday, my go-to sustainability action is using my Keep Cup instead of disposable paper cups whenever I need a coffee-to-go. Which is often. Probably too often.

Suzanne Carter | MYO Cosmetic Cases

I am Suzanne Carter, an inventor and founder of eco-conscious beauty brand M•Y•O Cosmetic Cases. I believe that no matter what business you’re in, protecting the environment is everyone’s responsibility.

Our team has innovated a first of its kind hand held magnetic, reusable and refillable cosmetic case with the versatility to hold multiple types of makeup (pan, pencils, creams and more), the ‘ULTIMATE TOUCH-UP KIT’, to consolidate overflowing makeup artist bags while reducing cosmetic packaging waste.

With 120 billion units of cosmetic packaging produced globally (2018), the majority of which end up in landfills, we not only wanted to offer a functional solution for makeup artists, we wanted to offer a solution for our future.

In addition to being a sustainable product, our M•Y•O [Makeup Your Own] Pro Kit is increasing efficiencies for makeup artists – saving valuable touch up time on set, alleviating physical strain by pairing down makeup bags and with pre-case set ups, adding clarity to character continuity.

Working in collaboration with professional makeup artists, every aspect of our M•Y•O Pro Kit design is intentional: built for longevity, lightweight, and the ability to be customizable, refillable, reusable, sanitize-able and eventually recycled or up-cycled (see our Take Back Program). Made in Vancouver, Canada.

Already making an impact in the TV/Film industry globally, our M•Y•O Pro Kits are seen on set of: Supergirl, Vikings, Schitt’s Creek, Van Helsing, Connan O’Brien, Sneaky Pete, Fosse/Verdon, Posse, The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina and many, many more…

From the words of our makeup and hair artist customers, we have innovated a “Game Changer!” With a focus on people and planet, M•Y•O Cosmetic Cases is truly honoured to be a Reel Green Ambassador and excited to spread the word.

I have arranged to be a speaker at the Make-up Artist & Hair Style Unions in Los Angeles and New York this fall to share that our product will assist to increase efficiencies on set (ultimately saving productions money), is made to last (Supergirl has 24 cases on set using them for over a year and half) and is and eco-refillable, reusable, sanitize-able (which is HUGE!) and up-cycleable product.

I pledge to share all the incredible work Reel Green is doing for the Production industry, and our world, through these scheduled education sessions and at all Makeup Artist Trade Shows. We are scheduled to attend two trade shows in the fall, the International Makeup Artist Trade Show in Toronto and the week long educational event for pro makeup artists, I’m Going To Class, in Portland Oregon.

Daniel Domachowski | Circus

Circus is a sustainable HR platform for the entertainment industry. We enable content creators to onboard their cast and crew, collecting essential details and payroll/legal/residency docs without using a single sheet of paper.

When I was a Producer/PM I was mortified by the amount of paper productions used, including ours. I also noticed that my production team was really frustrated – redundantly providing the same details & docs from content to content. It was utterly unnecessary considering the capabilities of tech today. So we decided to build an innovative platform to solve this problem. Try it out for free now: circushr.com

Links

 
Our pledge is to get as many production companies and their crew off paper-based workflows and systems across North America.

Clara George | Producer

I’ve become obsessed with the numbers. The massive volume of materials & energy each production uses, the numbers of the crew on each show and the massive potential that we collectively have to reduce our carbon footprint.

A few years ago, we decided to reduce the amount of beef served by 2/3 or 100 lbs per week of shooting.

100 lbs of beef has the same carbon footprint of driving a car 40,000 km.

Over the course of 3 shows, 42 episodes of TV,  58 weeks of shooting, 5,800 lbs of beef…

just one small crew has basically taken 72 cars off the road!

One small decision. No additional cost.

No compromise on the quality of the delicious food being served.

And as I started to discuss it with others; I realized that every crew in the city was doing something!

Whether it was stepping up recycling, looking at alternative energy, re-purposing sets, reducing plastics, donating food…

We need to talk about it. We need to let each other know.

Reel Green is our forum to learn, share and discuss everyone’s concerns, actions and solutions to improve sustainability in our industry.

All departments, all positions, all thoughts welcome.

Reel Green is more than a website – it’s a movement.

Our crews know how to react quickly to changes.

We get things done and we do them extremely well.

It’s going to take effort – as much as we put into getting every shot –

but it’s our responsibility & challenge to transform BC into the most sustainable production centre in the world.

It’s the numbers. There are over 42,000 of us working in this industry.

Our sustainable choices have a massive impact on the quality of our lives, and the world!

Can you imagine if we all stopped idling…

I pledge to focus on the numbers to reduce impacts on my productions.

David Hardy | Vice President, Industry/Gov't Affairs & Sustainability at Whites

I’m the VP, Industry/Government Affairs & Sustainability at Whites. My role involves networking and liaising with industry colleagues all across the country in the service of better informed and educated governments and bureaucracies vis a vis the job-creating potential and overall economic impact of our sector.

My interest in sustainable production, in part, is the result of having had a ring-side seat to the excess and waste created by production when I was a production coordinator some 20 years ago. In no small measure that left a lasting impact and catalyzed my commitment to do my utmost to change our practices, both as a company and an industry.

At Whites, I’m engaged in national waste management and energy efficiency initiatives aimed at reducing our carbon footprint as a company, and contributing to sustainability for our business through cost containment associated with energy efficiency.

On the industry-facing side, I am in the development of projects that will ultimately provide us with an inventory that can help our client productions minimize their carbon footprint.

I have three pledges:

Realize a 90% waste diversion rate for Whites facilities in Vancouver and Toronto by the end of 2019.

Realize a 99% diversion rate for all Whites facilities in by the end of 2020.

We will have benchmarked the carbon footprint of each Whites operation (there are 10) by Earth Day, 2020.

David Halliday | Transportation Coordinator

I am 49 years old, born and raised in BC and I’ve been in the business for 25 years. Besides my amazing wife I have two other passions in my life. The first is animal rights and rescue and that has taken me all over the world to help animals that are suffering. The second is our earth and the wonders it holds and a big part of that is sustainability. I have, for a long time, looked for ways to make our business more green as I have seen the waste and consumption for far too long. We use too much plastic, paper, and fuel and I have been working towards ending the reliance on those in my business. I have instituted a no idle policy on my show, I use as many EVs and Hybrids as I can, and I have gone completely paperless at work. I care about sustainable production because I want our earth and this business to last a long time. I believe that a lot of people look to the film/tv business as innovators and I am hoping to carry that belief into the sustainability arena.

I pledge to work tirelessly to rid my business of its use of plastics, specifically personal sized water bottles. As well as transform my transport fleet into an environmentally friendly one. By using hybrids and EVs and by having a no idling policy I feel we are heading in the right direction.

Brent Hodge | Director & Filmmaker, Hodgee Films

Brent Hodge is a filmmaker best known for his documentaries A Brony Tale (Netflix), I Am Chris Farley (Spike TV), Pistol Shrimps (NBC) and most recently Freaks and Geeks (A&E). Hodge is also the showrunner and director for Season 1 and 2 of the series A User’s Guide To Cheating Death (BBC Earth). He has been nominated for six Leo Awards for his documentary movies Winning America, Dan Mangan What Happens Next? and A Brony Tale, winning one for A Brony Tale in 2015. He won a Canadian Screen Award in 2014 for directing The Beetle Roadtrip Sessions with Volkswagen. He most recently won a Founders Award for Pistol Shrimps at Michael Moore’s Traverse City Film Festival. Hodge has made documentary content with Karlie Kloss, Samsung, NBC, Time Magazine, CBC Music, Disney’s Maker Studios, Uber Technologies, and more.

Check out this great interview with Brent Hodge and Zena Harris of Green Spark Group about how Brent’s last production went sustainable! Link

Website: www.hodgeefilms.com/

Social: @hodgeefilms and @hodgeepodgee

I pledge to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by using battery power stations like Portable-Electric on my films.

Corbin Jensen | Set Decorator, IATSE 891

I’m passionate about approaching sustainability holistically, addressing economic, social, and environment impacts and bring that to my work in set dec or lighting departments.
 
I’ve been privileged to work with so many highly skilled and talented people in film and television. I believe that together we can solve the climate emergency.  I am currently chairing my union’s youth committee, where we support greener production practices. We hosted a shoreline cleanup to raise awareness about single use plastics in the ocean.
 
I’m also active in the community promoting diversity and inclusion by volunteering with the city of Vancouver LGBT advisory committee.
 
I pledge to incorporate sustainable production practices into my work in the Set Decorating department. And as co-chair of the IATSE Local 891 Young Workers committee, encourage as many of my fellow young workers to take the Carbon Literacy course.

Alyssa Kostello | Indie Writer, Producer, Director, Actor, 1 or 2AD

I’m newer the indie film industry. I have been 1AD and 2AD, writer and am now exploring directing and producing, as well getting back into acting. In theatre, I was a playwright, director, producer and ran a theatre company whose mandate was sustainability. I’ve always been passionate about making every part of my life more environmentally sustainable and I was very excited to see all the work already starting to happen in tv/film. Of course, there’s always more to do too! Sustainable production is important to me because the whole world needs to shift habits and behaviours to save this planet, and the film industry is such a big part of everyone’s lives, whether it’s your job or your an audience member. This industry can make a huge impact and be a huge influencer!

I pledge to take the free Carbon Literacy course Reel Green offers, and encourage all my cast and crew to take it as well as we gear up for production of my first film! Our goal is to make the entire film zero waste and record our journey to share with everyone!

#pledgepaperless
#nobottledwater
#compostcrafty

Laura Mary Clarke | RN, First Aid /Craft Services, HomeMade Care

Our company, HomeMade Care, provides First Aid / Craft Services to the Film Industry. We live purposed to reduce our Carbon footprint and through education, we help support others to be accountable & responsible for Caring for Mother Earth.

Sustainable production sisters with who I am already in my personal life. With a career as RN in Holistic well-being & living a circular lifestyle,  I believe we all need to do our part to make shift happen to ensure our Mother Earth is well taken care of. After all, it is the only Home we have.

Links

www.HomeMadeEnterprises.com

Our pledge as a Reel Green Ambassador is to connect with Sustainable Lockup for the donation of foods and sandwiches and help others while diverting from landfill and support local vendors.

We also pledge to:

  • educate, encourage, empower crew to say no to plastic;
  • bring your own reusable/refillable drinking bottles (ensuring several water stations are available);
  • provide a selection of “ugly mugs” for crew use and use stainless steel cutlery on our craft table (we do the washing) along with compostable utensils and paper goods;
  • personally, use all reusable dinnerware & containers while on set;
  • incorporate Meatless Monday’s;
  • work with Production to use/provide appropriate recycle bins and stay purposed to make continued progress in sustainable action on productions.

Yvonne Melville | Production Manager

VIFF’s Sustainable Production Forum in 2016 got me excited about stepping up Green & Sustainable Practices in production.  It’s quite simply our responsibility to be better stewards of the planet – both personally & within our industry – and to promote and encourage best-practices that we can take an active part in developing.

As EMELLIE O’BRIEN at Earth Angel, NYC said so well.. “we do not have cinematic immunity…to being responsible to the environment”

Although Vancouver Productions were lauded for being leaders in N.America for sustainable practices already in play, there is plenty of room for improvement & forward-thinking advancements.

Staying on top of implementing new technologies & sustainable initiatives as well as actively mining the rich resources of our collective innovations & ideas, as an industry, is critical towards achieving those goals. 

BC productions combined purchasing power represents a significant influence that we have in affecting the changes we want to see by supporting more sustainable practices, products & services.  Those choices & practices inform, influence & bring awareness to our crew, their families/friends, our employers, vendors & the public we interact with.

We can make a big difference!

I pledge to actively pursue emerging sustainable initiatives to incorporate into production practices and encourage others to act & share their ideas.

Pete Mitchell | President & COO, Vancouver Film Studios

The footprint being left by humans in all walks of life is weighing heavy on our planet. Whether on a personal, business or societal level, every behaviour change – big or small – is important and necessary. At Vancouver Film Studios we have been able to introduce a number of environmental initiatives like being carbon neutral since 2008, being early adopters of smart waste streaming, creating a community garden on the Lot, and shifting to LED lighting where we can. Our commitment to best practices for sustainability and social responsibility underpins our corporate culture.

Links:

vancouverfilmstudios.com
pacificbacklot.com
signal.ca

My pledge is to install solar panels on our new stage and office building at Vancouver Film Studios due to come online in 2020. I think this would be a first for film studios in BC.

Joanne Morneau | Costumer, IATSE 891

My involvement with Reel Green started in May 2018 on a remote beach in Hawaii. I literally walked upon an ugly, beat up, white plastic toothbrush that had washed ashore on a pristine black sand beach. This was my wake-up call to take action to help the world break free from plastic. 

After attending the Carbon Literacy course in July 2018, I came up with the idea for Re-use Ware – cutlery kits and beverage slings made from textile scraps and up-cycled clothing.  I also switched to a bamboo toothbrush.

Productions providing an endless supply of single use, disposable cutlery, coffee cups, water bottles and food containers, and using plastics (in all sorts of shapes, sizes and forms) needs to change. I will do my best to help the Costume Departments and the BC film industry become more sustainable.  

Re-use Ware Facebook

#storyofaspoon

I pledge to bring my own reusable cutlery, napkin and food containers to work to help reduce BC Film’s garbage output.

Paul Mulder | IATSE 891 Props Department

Props Department member for 30 years.

The concept and practice of sustainability are in the early stages of development in the Props Department and a relatively new concept.

Through interdepartmental training, we hope to create more awareness for our department to become a key player in support of sustainable productions.

As a member of the Props Training Committee and instructor of our Props Department training program I pledge:

  • To introduce sustainable practices to new and established members.
  • To share sustainable production contacts and information.
  • To lead by example on every production I work.

Julia Neville | International Representative, IATSE

I am an IATSE International Representative, based in Vancouver.  Former technician, production manager and lifelong environmentalist.

iatse.net
@iatsecanada Twitter
@iatsecanada Facebook

I pledge to promote sustainability measures with IATSE locals and with industry stakeholders nationally.

Brandon Saunders | Facilities Maintenance Technician, SIM International

I am the Facilities Maintenance Technician for Sim Lighting & Grip Vancouver and I am very passionate about our green initiative. I have been able to implement a warehouse wide recycle plan that is progressively lowering our waste levels. I feel that we as human beings have a responsibility to keep our environment clean and help educate all generations to come. The biggest way to to do this is to show them that we care through our actions.

We here in Vancouver are working daily to improve our recycling processes. One thing that we have implemented is a bin for used Gels and diffusions. I have been informing our customers of this program and had great feedback and success. We are also in the process of making all of our divisions Idle free zones.

Links:

www.Siminternational.com

I pledge to help educate our clients and our employees. People will be more inclined to do more if they understand why!

Barbara Ann Schoemaker | Production Manager & Directors Guild of Canada

The moment where our impact on the planet was the most profound and devastating for me was during my experience as first mate aboard the 42ft sailing vessel “Ar Seiz Avel” during the spring through to the late summer of 2013.

Prior to embarking on our 6000 nautical mile journey across the North Atlantic Ocean from Panama to NW Spain we first sailed extensively around the San Blas island chain which stretches for about 100 square miles between Colon Panama and the Colombian border to the south.  This area is a unique and incredible archipelago comprised of about 378 islands only accessible by boat with the most common form of exploration being via sailboat.

The reefs are magnificent with huge pristine brain coral mounds, Fan corals, Elkhorn corals and an astounding variety of tropical fish, dolphins, sharks, rays, and turtles. The snorkeling in this area is truly some of the most incredible in the world.

On the leeward side of the islands, you will find the untouched tropical paradise of your dreams.  On the windward side of the islands which are exposed to the open ocean and weather from the west coast of Africa, the beaches are strewn with the debris of plastic and waste far beyond the tideline.  The discovery of this after swimming freely in such astoundingly beautiful waters brought tears to our eyes and a commitment to find a way to make a difference to this fragile and beautiful land

My Husband and I are in the process of investigating various plastic recovery options that ideally would provide a source of income to the local “Kuna Yala” peoples.  This investigation includes a process invented by a Dutchman named Dave Hakkens.

Here is a collection of photos from our experiences in San Blas and the coastline we encountered.

Links;

http://www.sailtodiscover.com/ (our Website for our Sail and Learn Journeys)

https://davehakkens.nl ( Plastic recovery and re-purposing process international)

Check out this interview with Barbara Ann and Reel Green about the Directors Guild of Canada including sustainability in the first ever Production Manager Workshop!

I pledge to incorporate sustainability into my work and reduce impacts as much as I can!

Tim Sebert | SIM International

My involvement in REEL Green is exciting because I know I can use my position to make company-wide impacts that will reduce waste and bring green friendly thinking into all of our projects and hopefully also inspire our clients to follow suit.

In our first weeks alone we’ve already pledged to improve the efficiency of our recycling systems, move towards using only environmentally conscious waste management companies, to use biodegradable shipping materials, and have also eliminated the use of disposable coffee cups, plastic straws and stir sticks.

Links:

www.siminternational.com

I pledge to further sustainable production by being sensitive to waste of all kinds and making changes to reduce waste from the smallest projects to major operational functions.

Zee Salehian | Strategic Manager, Film Division, United Rentals

As an equipment provider to the Film Industry, we want to be a part of solving environmental issues associated with the industry.

Apart from managing our Film Division, one of my passions is also to lower our carbon footprint / reduce costs / reduce waste and to establish a cleaner, greener and safer environment that is sustainable going forward.

The industry has minimal regulation and so we wanted to go above & beyond the current mandates to be environmentally correct and be as sustainable as possible.

Links:

www.unitedrentals.com

As a Reel Green Ambassador, I pledge to implement and utilize:

  • recycling – we have high efficiency locations (electrical / heating / water saving) bio-oil / using bio-hydraulic where possible.
  • motion sensor light switches (energy saving), radiant heating in our shops, propane & battery powered lifts as much as possible.
  • motion censored wash bays, water fill up stations to minimize plastic bottles, and LED lighting.
  • reduction in costs in energy, gas & lighting bills.
  • continual education and change throughout our organization.
  • lowering of our carbon footprint = Less waste / Better use of our resources.

Andrew Williamson | Producer

I’m producing a feature documentary with director Jennifer Abbott (and NFB, TELUS Health Fund, Telefilm) about the psychological and emotional response to climate change from those on the front lines, scientists, activists and indigenous people. I also volunteer for Climate Reality Canada and talk to people about climate change.

www.cedarislandfilms.com
@offislandmedia
@burnabyclimate

I commit to keep implementing a green filming policy on all our productions. I will also keep sharing stories of positive climate action as Chair of the Burnaby Climate Hub via @burnabyclimate on Twitter.