Reel Green Media

RGM at LA Green Festival!

2011-10-31T05:00:00.000-07:00

This past weekend, Reel Green Media was invited to speak at Green Festival Los Angeles. Not only is Green Festival the largest sustainability event in the world, it is a collection of people interested in sustainability. From teens to academics, everyone was involved! We had the honor of having our documentary, "Greenlit", directed by Miranda Baily, screen at Sierra Club's Media Revolution and Green Cinema Room followed by a dynamic panel about "Greening Hollywood" with Producers Rachel Joy and Brittany Ballard, moderated by Jamil Walker Smith. It was an engaging panel and the audience walked away with tangible solutions to their events and upcoming film projects. A special thank you to Laurie Kaufman and everyone at Green Festival for making it happen!

Greenlit goes INTERNATIONAL!

2011-08-20T15:57:00.000-07:00

Greenlit travels to Seoul, KOREA this week for an outstanding run at the Green Film Festival in Korea! Next stop, Miami, Florida.

HELP POWER THE TEEN CHOICE AWARDS!

2011-08-02T20:27:00.000-07:00

"I Want To Be Me" Wins!

2011-07-26T16:33:00.001-07:00

RGM on ECO SALON

2011-06-13T10:46:00.000-07:00

Katherine Butler from EcoSalon came out to check out Greenlit at Sustainable Saturday in Silverlake. Check out what she has to say!

Lightning in a Bottle

2011-06-02T06:14:00.000-07:00

While families barbecued in backyards across the country and crowds enjoyed parades this Memorial Day Weekend, in Southern California, over 12,000 people gathered together for the annual Lightning in a Bottle Celebration.

Celebrating their 6th Anniversary, Lightning in a Bottle again produced a weekend full of activity, celebration and community. This year's event was held on 100 sprawling acres of hills, trees and reservoirs at beautiful Oak Canyon Ranch, located just one hour south of Los Angeles and 45 minutes north of San Diego.

On Saturday morning, as Los Angeles families headed west to the beach, I headed south to the festival. The festival itself was divided into upper and lower sections which each highlighted various activities. In the lower portion of the festival, were acrobats spinning on wheels, a Hug Deli and over 30 live artists were participating in an art auctions which benefitted the DoArt Foundation, an organization which promotes art and artists by placing them in venues all over the world through our programs and creative initiatives. Their ultimate goal is to bring creative projects that inspire audiences and cultivate appreciation of visual arts beyond traditional art institutions and that's exactly what they were doing at the festival. In fact, in the "marketplace" they had a blank canvas mobile canvas set up that everyone could paint on.

As you continued to walk through the marketplace towards the upper part of the festival, you were welcomed by the celebratory crowds at the Lucent Temple of Consciousness. This year, international lecturer, Marianne Williamson, took the stage speaking about the "divine femine" and the future of the planet. She shared how the masculine and femine in our society are coming together to "create a new life" for the future.

From the Yoga Tent to the Art Auction, multi-generational painted faces accented with feather ornaments and leather accessories smiled in the sunshine. Large sun hats protected most people while others bore the signatory bright red outline of sportbras and swimsuits across their backs.

When the sun goes down, the music turns up. Musicians and DJ's like LA's KRADDY played all night and sent waves of lightning through the tents surrounding the stages.

Although Lightning in a Bottle may be a music and art fair, it also prides itself on being one of the largest green festivals. When it comes to being green, the festival organizers didn't just stop at the compost bin, they used biodiesel fueled generators, made seats out of building materials, encouraged planting of plants and did not allow vendors to sell water bottles thereby maximizing the use of their free purified drinking water that was available all weekend. They also led some innovative and creative sustainability workshops. I particularly liked the "Do It Yourself" fashion workshops where participants were taught how to make belts and bags out of old clothing and material.

Above all, it was great seeing the range of people who were out enjoying the sun and the festival. Congratulations to the organizers for a well produced event and I am looking forward to next year.

Photos by: Lauren Selman

Smarter Life, Better Planet Live Today!

2011-04-15T02:00:00.000-07:00

Lauren Selman took her passion for film, combined it with her love of the environment, and started a business helping movie studios go green. Her challenge for you is to find the intersection of what you love and how you can improve the environment, one choice at a time.

This challenge has a simple format and an inspiring mission: starting from Earth Hour, March 26, until Earth Day, April 22, a new video is going up each day to offer you advice and easy tips on how you can improve your health and our planet.

In less than 3 minutes per day, you'll learn how to:
- Lower your energy use (and bills)
- Reduce your carbon footprint
- Purchase more sustainable products when shopping
- Save money while using less plastic
- And a whole lot more...

Along with watching a video, you can also complete a fun and quick challenge that will help you deepen your knowledge of each topic and create a simple plan just for you and your family to go green. To take this rewarding journey along with me, my fellow speakers, and all the other participants, go to http://smarterlifebetterplanet.com/. Click on Lauren's picture on the left column to watch the video and hear the challenge. Come join the Smarter Life Better Planet conversation on Facebook at http://on.fb.me/hXCiq9
Thank you for your support and your effort as together we work to create a new and sustainable lifestyle, one action at a time!

Lauren Selman featured on MSN Igniter!

2011-04-11T14:37:00.000-07:00

The Creative's Dinner

2011-03-28T18:00:00.000-07:00

In the wake of the tsunami in Japan, we are seeing organizations and governments leaping into action to help. In an almost turn-key fashion, planes are shipping over supplies, organizations and celebrities are raising funds, and people are adding their names to volunteer lists. The formula for response makes it feel like we have been here before. Although it is true that we have never seen this particular disaster before, the international response to disaster relief clicks on with the metronome of previous disasters.

It seems like only yesterday when the ocean waters burst onto the shores of New Orleans and filled up the city with mud and debris, tragedy and tears. Immediately the world turned to help, thousands of people jumped in to get their hands dirty. Students from across the country jumped on buses, into vans and into their friend's cars to help out. And while every hand that holds a shovel and every dollar that is donated contributes to disaster relief, sustainable and long term aid in a region is often overlooked. For organizations that help implement long term infrastructure assistance it takes time, courage and long term planning. When everyone else packs up, these are the people that stay to help ensure the success of implemented programs and are committed to lasting support. One such organization is Global Green USA, the American Arm of Green Cross International (GCI), which has programs around the world, but has been consistently committed to sustainable development in New Orleans to help secure a more sustainable future for the people of New Orleans.

This St. Patrick's Day, I had the honor of keeping it "green" by attending The Creatives Dinner, hosted by Peter Mensah (Spartacus, Avatar) and produced by Heather Hope-Allison and The Buzz Girls at The Capital Grille in Los Angeles. The Creatives Dinner series brings together like-minded creative, individuals to discuss various topics and the evening's topic was green initiatives. The Buzz Girls brought together a select group of guests in association with Global Green USA to create awareness about environmental activism and Global Green's green initiatives.

As I sat around table with like minded individuals and listened to CEO of Global Green, Matt Peterson, talk about the work of Global Green in New Orleans, I was struck by the impact of long term commitment and community. Unlike many organizations that came in help out for a bit, Global Green USA was in for the distance. How many of us are in for the distance? Or, like fashion, does there tend to be a cause of the week? What this week's hot non-profit project? Peterson continued to inspire the group about how we can all make a difference here at home and how can we have a lasting effect and impact wherever we go. It got me thinking, what permanent change can we have within our own communities?

That's when the topic of community came up. Rather than "one-of" projects, community literally means a group of interacting organisms sharing a populated environment. So, how do we create a community that shares an environment over a period of time, creating a truly long term sustainable culture? One answer was right in front of me. Across the table Eko Miko's Izabella Miko and actor Chris Williams started sharing photos on their phone. No, they were not showing pictures of their children or their pets, they were sharing pictures of their gardens. "I love my tomatoes," Izabella exclaimed. "I do a garden post picture a day on facebook," replied Chris. The conversation emerged into one of gardening, community and how to create and cultivate sustainability in our own backyards. I quickly realized that two people at the table lived within two blocks of my house and were willing to help me out with my garden. "Fabulous! Let me add you as a friend on facebook!" I exclaimed. In a buzz of excitement, our little conversation exemplified the merging of technology, sustainability and community and the tenor of the evening. The answer was clear, the way we create long lasting sustainability and impact is through relationships--with one another, our community, our gardens and our planet.

Climate disasters, like those in Japan and New Orleans are devastating. The images and realities of such trauma will be forever imprinted on our memories and on the history of our planet. Organizations, like Global Green, can respond to such disasters but Mother Nature's unpredictable nature makes it difficult to anticipate her actions. We may not have control over the waves and the way the earth shifts, but we do have the power to do something about the relationships we have on this planet. In a place like Los Angeles, it can often be difficult to find community, but if we are truly committed to helping create long term relief for the cultural and climate disasters we face, we have to start with the person across the table from us.

Photo Credit: 2011 Lisa Rose 818-919-9197

Greenlit at the Environmental Film Festival DC

2011-03-28T14:40:00.000-07:00

GREENLIT (USA, 2010, 50 min.)
Washington, D.C. Premiere

Exploring the damaging effects of the film business on the environment, this documentary focuses on Miranda Bailey, an indie producer, as she awakens to the realization that making movies has a tendency to be extremely wasteful. Bailey follows the cast and crew of an indie feature film, The River Why, as they bring aboard a Green Consultant, Lauren Selman, and watch her struggles to “Green” their film. The task proves to be extremely challenging, even in a town as eco-conscious as Portland, Oregon, where one would think the film crew would be receptive to environmental and energy conservation issues. Both entertaining and informative, this humorous documentary is filled with compelling and important facts about filmmaking and sustainability. Directed by Miranda Bailey. Produced by Miranda Bailey and Marc Lesser.

Introduced by Chris Palmer, Director, Center for Environmental Filmmaking, American University. Discussion with American University professor and filmmaker Larry Engel follows screenings.

Can an Indie Really be "GREEN?"

2010-11-17T12:37:00.001-08:00

Can An Indie Film Really Be "Green"? (Pt. 1 of 3)

green production, Lauren Selman, Miranda Bailey, Reel Green Media

Guest post from producer Miranda Bailey.

Even though I have been working in indie films for the last 10 years I never thought about the waste my company or my industry was creating and outputting each time we went into production on a movie; that is until my company Ambush Entertainment got involved on a film called The River Why. As with all indie films there are struggles along the way in making any movie and most of them revolve around money. There is never enough. So when I heard the producer of The River Why wanted to make the film "green" right after a discussion concerning the fact that we were actually going to try put the film in the can with out the completion funds in place, I thought everyone who was up for this idea might have gone mad.

What did that even mean? GREEN? And how much was that going to cost?

In order to find out, I met up with Lauren Selman of Reel Green Media, the environmental consultant that the production wanted to hire to go "green". I expected her to be one of those earthy granola old hippie types or perhaps a eco science professor type. Boy was I wrong. She was a cute, bubbly blonde fresh out of Berkeley who really hadn't even dipped her foot in the world of films except for a student project here or there, and her thesis working on an indie film in San Francisco helping them recycle. "Oh Great"! I thought. "This is the person who is going to GREEN our film? Please, what does she know"… apparently a lot. Quite a lot.

When we sat down together and she started telling me about specific productions and what they have done to our eco systems or landscapes and I was shocked! I thought to myself… "Well, that isn't me. I don't' do that!" but do I? And that is where my interest in "Greening" productions began.

I decided to follow Lauren and film her journey to green The River Why. I wanted to know how to do it. How filmmakers avoid all the waste we were apparently producing? When I started filming Greenlit I thought it might be a cute little behind the scenes footage type of thing for the DVD or something small like that. But it got a lot bigger.

The reasons it got bigger were because so much DRAMA occurred with "greening" of this film. I figured the crew would be totally into "greening" since the film shot in Oregon. I assumed that they would be a bunch of Birkenstock wearing, vegetarian eating, eco nerds. But they weren't that at all. They were a skilled, insightful, film crew who knew what they were doing and what they needed to do their job and unfortunately that meant that some of them ended up revolting against most of the ideas set in place by Lauren.

Maybe they were upset because they thought she was getting paid more than they were, or maybe they thought she didn't belong because she wasn't in any of their unions. Have you ever seen a line item for Green Consulant? Who knows, all I know is it ended up being Gossip Girl meets An Inconvenient Truth, and I thought it was extremely interesting and also hilarious.

I had to make this into it's own film. So I did. It is called GREENLIT. It premiered at SXSW in 2010 and is now out in VOD and DVD. (Btw- VOD is super green…no packaging!) You can see some of the drama on the trailer here: www.greenlit.org

The biggest lesson I learned about "greening" a film also applies to "greening" our lives. It takes a tremendous amount of effort to change even the nominal things. That is why it really isn't done on sets in Hollywood, at least not like everyone says it is.

When we began in pre- production I thought that Lauren would be implementing change in every department. Perhaps she would be making sure that the wardrobe department was using bio degradable soap and all the costumes would be donated or used or organic cotton? Maybe she would make sure craft services is all local and organic, serving no paper plate products, and that the transpo department would consist of all hybrids or bio diesel vehicles. I was sure everyone would carpool. The make up department would only use phalate, paraben and cruelty free makeup right? Turns out I had an overly idealistic idea of what "greening" a film was. All of these things were suggested and encouraged by Lauren but they didn't happen– not fully anyway.

The main change that occurred going to a green set was that there were absolutely no disposable water bottles on set. And man, was the crew pissed. They wanted their water bottles. It was hot and the big jugs of water with tiny cups weren't going to cut it. A few other minor changes happened as well. There was recycling on set, which shockingly had to be micromanaged by Lauren, and only on one day were they able to compost.

The reason more 'greening' didn't happen on this indie film is because it wasn't realistic. Not then anyway. And frankly, it was too expensive. Seventh Generation donated some stuff to the film, which was awesome, but we had to pay product placement services for that. Using 100 % recycled paper was definitely not in their budget so they used 30% recycled here and there, and when they could, they tried to double side scripts. Although that proved time consuming and caused more problems than it solved. Some of the crew camped out at one of the sites which production sold the idea to them that it was "greener" when no one had to drive to set every day, but I'm pretty sure that was due to the fact that they didn't have the money to put the crew up in any hotels and it was just a few miles shy of the union rules which would require housing. After a 14 hour or + work day no crew would want to drive an hour home and back. So they pitched their tents and camped.

It was tough being "green"! Even the "green" producers who stayed in the same housing together drove separate cars to set, which confused the crew with their agenda. Were they really into being green or was this a publicity thing for the film so they could say they were? That is a question I ask now whenever I read about a studio or film "going green". Not that it is bad, we have to start somewhere and doing the right thing for other reasons can't be so bad if it is really for good, right? Hell, I made a movie about it-that I want people to buy and download so I can recoup my budget… how "green" could I be?

Tomorrow Part 2: The Hard Road To Indie Green.

Miranda Bailey is a Producer, Actress and now Documentary Film Director. She is a Partner at the production company Ambush Entertainment in Hollywood. Upcoming films from Miranda include Every Day, & Super- out in 2010. Her past films include: Squid and the Whale, Wonderful World Oh in Ohio, Against the Current. Her website: www.ambushentertainment.com

It's a Hard Road

2010-11-17T12:35:00.000-08:00

Green Indie? It's A Hard Road (Pt. 2 of 3)

green production, Lauren Selman, Miranda Bailey

This is the second guest post from producer Miranda Bailey. Part One ran here yesterday.

A lot of people want to be green on set, but the cost associated with it rises. I had heard that being green saves you money and that makes sense theoretically, but even something as simple as recycling has its costs.

First off you need more trash bins. Secondly, you really need to have someone there to make sure people put the right stuff in the right bin. You would think that a simple sign would work. Recycling goes here, other stuff goes in there right? But sadly, it doesn't work like that.

I have now tried to "Green" three films. On the last film I produced (with Ted Hope), SUPER, we hadrecycling bins all over the place but no matter how many times I checked there was always some douche bag that put food where the bottles should be or bottles where the trash should be. I got so annoyed with it I told a PA I would give him a quarter for every can or bottle he kept from getting put in the wrong garbage. Guess what that meant…yup, our budget went up.

When I tried being "green" on our film Every Day (which comes out to theaters in January btw J) we specifically told the caterers that we did not want any plastic or Styrofoam offered during lunch. We wanted to have a "green" film so we were going to use ceramic and silverware. They whole-heartedly agreed to this when we interviewed them and seemed to have no problems with it. However, when the first lunch came I noticed there was not one single silverware item or ceramic plate on the tables. It was paper plates and plastic forks and guess what? It all ended up in the trash with everything else including cans, bottles and food. This was embarrassing.

I spoke to our Green Consultant Lauren about this since I had hired her after The River Why for this film as well. Thanks to her and The River Why producer I had learned a lot about the waste that films accumulate and I wanted to do my part, and not be one of those people who makes a movie about Greening but doesn't change their own lives. Lauren went and spoke to the caterers. She then came to me and said they told her that it was just the first day and they were still getting themselves up and running. I understood that, no biggie. I mean who hasn't' used paper plates at their own BBQ to avoid a big clean up right? But the next day…SAME THING! Not a single non-disposable item in site. What the hell? Were they still getting up and running? I thought let me wait it out for one more day. Day 3…you guessed it, same thing. My EP and I were pretty peeved so went to talk to them ourselves. Hiding behind our Green Consultant obviously wasn't working. We asked what the problem was, we were very specific about how we were trying to be a "green "film and this paper plate and plastic ware mumbo jumbo wasn't' jiving with that, not to mention we made this clear before they hired them. They then said, "Listen guys, if you want to give us more money to hire a dishwasher go for it, but I'm not getting paid enough to wash dishes". WOW!

Here I was on an indie film that was already over budget, everyone is under paid from the actor to the craft services and now my caterers are asking me for more money to not have to toss away plates and forks. What should I have done? Well, monetarily I should have just agreed to the toss away ware and kept the costs down. We couldn't afford it, and let's face it, indie dramas were hard to sell at any cost, I'd be lucky to get my postproduction costs covered for this film on the sale. Or I could walk the talk that I had learned from Lauren when making the film Greenlit— which is that the importance of

Greening a film HAS to come from the top down. I can't expect my crews to go out of pocket because I want them to be green…I HAVE TO BE GREEN and I have to put my money where my mouth is. So I did. We said OK; we will hire a dishwasher for you just promise there will be no more plastic or paper. They did. And the rest of the shoot the caters were "green". Or as green as that means anyway. I wondered did all that water used to clean the dishes also contribute to waste? Oy! You just can't win can you? I want to be green. I want to be so green that James Cameron uses me for a new green humanoid in Avatar 2. But it seems that no matter how hard I try it is an uphill battle…especially alone.

I wonder if there is a way to focus on the film you are making and know that someone else is making sure you are being as responsible to the environment as you can be on set. That is the business that Lauren is trying to create with Reel Green Media and I think if more films and shows incorporate someone like this into their crew than we can all be at least a little greener.

This is Part Two of a three part article. Tomorrow: Miranda & Lauren's Top Ten Tips For A Green Set. Yesterday's "Can An Indie Film Really Be Green?" started us off.

Miranda Bailey is a Producer, Actress and now Documentary Film Director. She is a Partner at the production company Ambush Entertainment in Hollywood. Upcoming films from Miranda include Every Day, & Super- out in 2010. Her past films include: Squid and the Whale, Wonderful World, Oh in Ohio, Against the Current. Her website:www.ambushentertainment.com

Can Indies Go Green (Part III)

2010-11-17T12:34:00.001-08:00

Top Ten Tips For A GREEN Indie Production (Pt. 3 of 3)

green production, Lauren Selman, Miranda Bailey

The last two days film producer/director Miranda Bailey has guest posted sharing her trials and tribulations at trying to make indie film green. Today she shares her tips.

Miranda's Ten Tips for Greening Your Film.

1.) Take a deep breath and realize you will not be able to be completely green. Acknowledge what you can green – Trash, Catering, Water Bottles – and go from there.

2.) Make sure there is a recycling bin next to EVERY GARBAGE CAN. EVERY SINGLE ONE.

3.) Give everyone a reusable water bottle and show them where they can fill it up instead of using plastic disposable ones. As soon as they lose them, which should be with in the first 48hours of giving them out, give them another one and use the money you saved by not buying water bottles on buying a gazillion Sigg bottles.

4.) Tell Craft Services it is very important to you to use non-disposable plates and utensils at meals.

5.) Look in the trash. See that soda can or bottle in there that should be in the recycling bin that is right next to it!… pick it out and put it in the proper bin. Then tell a PA you don't want to have to do that again and that you will give them quarter for every person they tell to recycle from here on in.

6.) Go raise your budget to include $100 a day for the PA you had to hire that has to guard the trashcans.

7.) When you are on set a week later, and you notice that there are trash cans located everywhere, but no recycling bins anymore. Find that PA and tell him/her to put the recycling bin that got moved and forgotten about back next to the trash can. Tell them to make sure there is ALWAYS a recycling bin next to the trash can. And when they say they are too busy because we are actually making a movie not a recycling competition…hire another one whose sole purpose is to make sure we recycle.

8.) When you are at lunch and you realize you are eating with a plastic fork, complain to catering and ask why it isn't silverware. Demand Silverware.

9.) Go raise your budget AGAIN to hire your catering another dishwasher because they refuse to use non-disposable plates and utensils on the budget you originally negotiated with them.

10.) Never drive where you can walk. And always use recycled paper if you can afford it.

I do understand that these are the more REALISTIC greening tips than ones that Lauren Selman our Green Consultant and all around awesome chic would say, so I'll mention her tips as well. Because, hers are the ones we all strive for…or should anyway.

Laurens Greening Tips: (as printed in The Independent -http://bit.ly/a5WaYl)

- Have a green point person.

- Train the production assistants and crew early.

- Get reusable water bottles.

- Get recycling bins for sets and trailers.

- Pass sets forward, to other productions, or donate.

- Get reusable canvas bags for PA runs.

- Get reusable garment bags for wardrobe.

- Encourage departments to carpool.

- Get a printer that prints double sided, and use recycled paper.

- Get reusable coffee mugs.

- Don't throw away food.

- Don't use Styrofoam.

Recently there are ton of resources that have sprouted up on best practices for greening films. Here are some of them:

Film Biz Recycling – http://www.filmbizrecycling.org/

EMA Make Your Production Green – http://www.ema-online.org/for_productions.php

California Film Commission Green Resource Guide-http://www.film.ca.gov/GreenFilmmaking.htm

Good Luck!

Miranda Bailey

www.greenlit.org

Changing the Man in the Mirror

2010-09-13T15:41:00.001-07:00

"I'm Gonna Make A Change, For Once In My Life," these are the opening lyrics to one of Michael Jackson's most critically acclaimed songs, "Man in the Mirror" released in 1988, but they are also the words that filled Royce Hall at UCLA last week during the closing performance at "A Global Call to Conscious Evolution: Our Moment of Choice." The audience of over 1,500 people stood up and clapped as Siedah Garrett, co-writer of "Man In the Mirror," sang her heart out.

This keynote song was the perfect conclusion to the rare gathering of some of the greatest global thought leaders of our time.

The evening opened with an evocation by Agape Spiritual Center's Reverend Michael Beckwith, accompanied by his wife Rickie Byars Beckwith and the Agape Choir. Together, with music, prayer and song, they set the stage for an evening that was sure to be inspirational.

Deepak Chopra then stepped forward to welcome the audience and initiate the "Call to Conscious Evolution." I looked down at the program and it said that he was going to share about the importance of being an evolutionary leader. Immediately I thought to myself, "What does that even mean?" From what I gathered, evolutionary leadership is all about working with others to facilitate the next big evolutionary leap of consciousness. Intellectually this made some sense, but it was Jean Houston who hit the definition out of the park with an audience participation exercise. In less than 5 minutes, she told the story of evolution and instructed the audience to literally "jump" at every point in her story that signified a change in our evolution. She exclaimed how we "jumped" from sea to land creatures, we "jumped" from hunters to gathers, and now we are at a "JUMP" point in human history and the evolution of the future.

After Houston's fun and effective exercise, Gregg Braden, Barbara Marx Hubbard and Marianne Williamson, shared why this action is needed and why now. Their stories and speeches lead to asking the audience, "What is the single most important contribution you feel you are currently making or can make toward the evolution of consciousness?"

At this point in the program, the audience broke up into pairs and shared what they felt to be their contribution to the world and what tools they needed to step into their greatness. My answer was definitely, patience. Patience with myself, my work and with others. Whether it's the tools included learning technology or mastering a language, you could see how excited people were getting at the tangibility of the action they were going to take into their lives.

Groups of teachers and speakers then came on stage to share inspirational quotes about consciousness and the future. Each leader was introduced by one of the most recognized female voices of America, Randy Thomas (Oscars, Tony Awards, CBS "Entertainment Tonight"). Wendy Craig Purcell, Barbara Marx Hubbard, Howard Martin, Debbie Ford, Jean Houston, Rod McGrew, Nina Meyerhof, Gregg Braden, Bruce Lipton, Gerard Senehi, Scott Carlin, Arielle Ford, Judy Martin, Carter Phipps, Emily Squires, Katherine Woodward Thomas, Brian Hilliard, Steve McIntosh, Jack Canfield, Kathy Gardarian, Tom Gegax, Van Jones, Lynne Twist, Fred Matser, Lynne McTaggart, Michael Backwith, Joan Borysenko, Dale Colton, Mak Gerzon, Deborah Moldow and Yuka Saionji all stood side by side on the stage sharing the same message of urgency and collective consciousness.

What made this event different from others is not only the gathering of these great names and teachers, but that, in fact, they were all coming with the same message and that you could physically see it. It wasn't as if you were reading various opinion pieces, or books and thinking to yourself, "Yeah, that sounds familiar." It was clear, leaders and teachers from all over the world were together on stage with the same message, we need a paradigm shift in our behavior and most of all in our consciousness.

Lynne Twist shared how we have been at this here before. She compared the similarities between where we are in history and the Renaissance and how we, if we choose, could have a similar impact on human history. She explained how many historians and thought leaders are looking to the Renaissance as a pivotal and reference point in our conscious evolution. The Renaissance was a time of art, creativity, invention and exploration. During this time, people abandoned the restraints of the Middle Ages and developed modern interests, enthusiasm and ideals. There was an awakening of mind and a thirst for knowledge which resulted in numerous studies of natural events, the exploration of new styles of art and literature and ultimately, in a broadening outlook to a degree never before known. And, they did in conjunction with the invention of the printing press -- now we have social networks! Twist shared that we are in a similar time we have the choice to change and truly make a difference.

The Call to Conscious Evolution says that "the changes required of us are really broad and far-reaching but if we act quickly we can birth a new story...a really new age." Fellow Evolutionary Leader Deborah Moldow states that "The times we live in are calling us all to a new level of love and service. What a joy to answer this call together!"

So, "how" do we answer the call and how do we change the ways of the Man in the Mirror? It's up to you. I found the answer in Siedah Garrett's newly written and world debuting song, "The Answer is Love."

If you are interested in the work of The Evolutionary Leaders, they announced that they are making global impact with hundred of thousands of people from around the world on 11-1-11. Check outwww.ecolutionaryleaders.net/onevoice for more information.

Climate Ride!

2010-09-13T15:40:00.000-07:00

More than one hundred cyclists from all over the U.S. will soon set out on a 320-mile, 5-day ride in Northern California to raise awareness of the climate crisis and clean energy.

Brita Climate Ride California is nearly ready to roll this September 21-25, 2010 from Fortuna, CA (near Eureka) to San Francisco. Registration is still open and 30 spots are left for cyclists to sign up. This year's event, sponsored by Brita, will see more than 100 cyclists pedaling 320 miles along a portion of the classic Pacific Coast Bike Route. This "climate conference on wheels" and fundraiser is designed to raise awareness of the climate crisis and renewable energy.

Participants can currently register online at www.climateride.org. The flagship Brita Climate Ride East Coast Classic event will take place again in Summer 2011.

Caeli Quinn, co-founder and director of Climate Ride, said the ride is a positive way for people to express their frustration over the recent domestic oil spills. "Climate Ride galvanizes some of the greatest 'green' leaders in the country and profoundly inspires people to take action. We have a unique event planned for this year in California with some notable participants like ocean rower Roz Savage, green business icon Hunter Lovins, photographer Chris Jordan and environmental author David Helvarg. We also have several new corporate teams this year including the Brita Bikers, Team Sun Light & Power, Team Clif Bar, Team RTC, Team Green America,Team San Francisco Bicycle Coalition, and more."

This year's event - Brita Climate Ride California 2010 - will raise funds for three hardworking non-profits:Rails-to-Trails Conservancy, Green America, and 1Sky. Climate Ride is the first multi-day, multi-city bicycle ride to address climate change and renewable energy issues. Climate Ride also endeavors to show that the bicycle is the ultimate carbon-free machine and a viable form of transportation.

Brita Climate Ride California begins under towering redwoods along the Avenue of the Giants in Humboldt (more) Redwoods State Park, before turning west toward the coast for two full days of some of the most scenic cycling in America. After a quick spin through the Russian River Wine Country, Climate Riders will pedal through Marin before heading across the Golden Gate Bridge to finish at New Belgium Brewery's Tour de Fat party in San Francisco's Golden Gate Park. Along the way, Climate Ride's nightly speaker series will inform and entertain Climate Riders through educational talks about solutions to the climate crisis, bike advocacy and living green.

Like the Climate Riders, Brita, which has sponsored Climate Ride since its first event in September 2008, is dedicated to making the Earth a greener place. Thanks to Brita, there won't be any empty bottled water containers along the route; the riders are supplied with Brita filtered water in special FilterForGood bike bottles. To learn more about Brita's FilterForGood movement to reduce bottled water waste and inspire other simple changes that are better for the Earth, visit www.filterforgood.com.

Registration includes a personal fundraising web page, training/logistical support, and access to a nationwide network of Climate Riders. The ride includes a cycling jersey, campsites, luggage transfer, road support, meals, bike mechanics, bike guides, and the nightly expert speaker series. Each Climate Ride pays a registration fee of $75 and then fundraises at least $2,400 to participate in Brita Climate Ride California 2010.

Many participants are finding the fundraising requirement to be easier than expected, says co-founder and director Geraldine Carter. "We've found that new participants are skeptical that they can raise the required minimum amount in the current economy, however after they begin using our fundraising software and new interface with Facebook, they discover that their family and friends are happy to support their efforts. We have many riders who have exceeded the minimum already and show no signs of stopping, which is great because a large percentage of these donations go directly to the tangible efforts of our beneficiaries."

About Climate Ride

Climate Ride was founded to raise money for innovative organizations that are working to educate Americans about the impacts of the climate crisis, engage citizens in the possibility of a renewable energy-based economy, and to mobilize government and businesses to enact meaningful climate and energy policies. In 2009, Climate Riders represented more than 30 states and a variety of cycling abilities from novices to competitive cyclists. For more information, please visit www.climateride.org. Videos, photos and blogs can be viewed at www.climateride.org/rides/experience-the-ride/. For more information or to support a participant, please visit www.climateride.org or call 406.871.5477.

Activist On and Off Screen

2010-09-13T15:39:00.003-07:00

Sometimes the screen really is a reflection of real life. This time, the reflection was of Q'orianka Kilcher who plays the Hawaiian Princess Kaiulani in Marc Forby's new film "Princess Kaiulani." It is the story of a young woman who takes a stand to protect the rights of the Hawaiian indigenous people in the late 19th century. In addition to being an incredible actress, Q'orianka is a passionate activist who is an active spokesperson for Peruvian land rights, so the role of the Princess was a perfect fit!

On Monday night, her non-profit organization, Q-On-Q, hosted an evening of cultural celebration, activism and urgency at the Historic Crest Theater in Los Angeles. The nonprofit organization mission's is to give a voice to the voiceless, especially indigenous peoples, youth advocates and the environment. Nearly six years ago, at the age of 14, Q'orianka Kilcher emerged into the front ranks of young actors with her portrayal of Pocahontas opposite Colin Farrell in Terrence Malick's The New World, who also made a special appearance at last night's event. The On-Q Initiative works to support a community of grassroots projects dedicated to social and environmental justice. Current projects include real-time disaster relief in Peru, Youth For Truth video cameras for young leaders, and protection of indigenous peoples in Alaska and the Amazon from exploitation and climate change.

Q'orianka gives a stunning performance in "Princess Kaiulani," and we are happy to see the powerful activist take on such powerful roles that are in line with her values. Thank you for your incredible work both on and off the screen! "Princess Kaiulani" is due out in theaters on May 14th. Don't miss it!

"It's Not Easy Being Green Behind the Scenes"

2010-09-13T15:39:00.001-07:00

Since the release of Al Gore's An Inconvenient Truth, ecological messages have been pushed left and right on the silver screen. From eco-documentaries to end of the world disaster movies starring blue avatars, it appears that Mother Nature is taking the spotlight. But it also looks like a new generation of filmmakers are increasingly aware of a certain environmental issue -- the impact of making movies.

Filmmakers are the first to acknowledge that it takes a whole slew of resources to make a production. This includes time, labor, money, fuel, food, energy and materials, so depending on the project, it can have a significant impact on the environment. In its most recent member bulletin, the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE) focused on the efforts of union members on the ground, wardrobe heads who have stopped using disposable dry cleaning bags, sound designers who recharge all of their microphone batteries and film crews who have embraced car-pooling, mass transit, and composting. Whether you are making an animated short or a blockbuster film, each project has its own individual environmental concerns. When shooting on location, productions will run generators for 12-14 hours straight, use an average of 300-500 water bottles for a crew of 80, and depending on the story can use countless amounts of resources for set construction, costumes and props. The resources used are not limited to movies, but can be applied to television shows, commercials, concerts, theatrical shows and Vegas debuts.

The major motion picture studios, too, have stepped up and created departments specifically focused on environmental impacts. While some have retrofitted their studios with solar panels, other studios are generating active educational campaigns. In fact, Walt Disney Motion Pictures Production has created a new position -- environmental steward -- that is specifically assigned to coordinate and implement environmental practice on every live-action film. So whether it's a new solar base camp or composting stations, Warner Bros.'s Environmental website says it right, "It takes creativity to entertain the world while conserving resources on our planet."

One woman who got creative was Film Biz Recycling's Eva Radke. She began her career as a film art department coordinator in New York and after watching the waste generated during production she decided to start her own recycling business for the movie industry. Film Biz Recycling is a non-profit organization that helps productions donate their leftover materials in exchange for a tax write-off. The donated set dressings and props then become part of the inventory for others to rent. Her hybrid model of a recycling business and a prop house lets producers save money while saving the planet. And better yet, it is open to the public for rentals and purchases, so it's a win-win for everyone.

However, while everyone is excited about going green, sometimes the reality of a face-paced set can be short of the green dream. "There are a lot of materials in the costume department that are recyclable, but don't get recycled," says costume designer Kresta Lins. "People hear that you are trying to waste less and they are all for it, but it is another step to actually do something about it." But Lins is doing something about it. She created a visual campaign titled "The Sustainable Sirens" which consists of six characters made from the waste produced in various areas of the film industry, in order to teach costume designers and other crew members about the environmental impact that each of their departments has. From e-waste to composting, her work will help inform people of the actions they can take towards sustainability.

One filmmaker in particular, Miranda Bailey, has made greening the film industry the focus of her new documentary, Greenlit, which is premiering at SXSW this year - http://www.greenlit.org/. Greenlitfollows the environmental impact of an independent film production and what it takes for it to be "green" and that perhaps it's not always as easy as we think. The difficulty with greening anything is that it is about change and people seldom want to change. Specifically, in independent film production, there is limited long-term planning. The project is not worked on until the money is approved, and then once approved, it is done as quickly as possible in order to save money. Sustainability is all about making choices, planning ahead, and developing practices that can be repeatedly applied and learned upon. "Being a filmmaker I was extremely curious about what impact the business has on the environment. Being green is something I didn't really understand, but now know all about after making Greenlit. Making a film environmentally friendly is complicated, but hopefully Greenlit will help raise awareness of the wastefulness that occurs and it will motivate people to be a little more 'green' when making their next movie" said director Miranda Bailey.

Reel Green Media at Dutch Environmental Film Fest

2010-06-10T14:49:00.000-07:00

Strawberry Earth and Greenchoice presented The Dutch Environmental Film Festival from June 3rd- 6th in Amsterdam and Rotterdam with premieres of movies such as So Right, So Smart, The Kablikinov Effect, and Sweet Crude.

The festival also hosted a few seminars and presentations including one on Green Filmmaking. Amsterdam Reel Green Media Correspondent Lauren Becker was invited to give a presentation to the Dutch film community about what environmental sustainability actions she has put into place and what challenges she has encountered in the United States. It quickly became evident that the Dutch film community has not taken any measures thus far to green the set and that this seminar was a crucial first step for making any progress in Holland. In Lauren's presentation she tried to focus on simple things that everyone can do today on the film set that won't break the bank and might actually save the production money. Also discussed was how to get crew members involved, and how to get the surrounding infrastructure, vendors, and suppliers involved in this movement toward becoming more environmentally sustainable.

To view an interview with Lauren Becker on her presentation please view at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O4ozgfBd4-g

2010-05-24T02:13:00.001-07:00

Greenlit travels to Seoul, KOREA this week for an outstanding run at the Green Film Festival in Korea! Next stop, Miami, Florida.

Greenlit accepted to SXSW!

2010-02-25T22:24:00.000-08:00

With Ambush Entertainment, we are happy to announce that Greenlit will be playing at the festivals below. If you or anyone you know would like to go see it, feel free to call or email us for details.

-South by Southwest Film Festival 3/12 - 3/20- Austin, TX -screens on 3/13 @ 4:45PM, 3/19 @ 6PM

-New Filmmakers LA Film Festival - Los Angeles, CA -screens on 3/18 (no screening times yet)

-Ashland Independent Film Festival (4/8 - 4/12)- Ashland, OR -screens on 4/10 @ 12PM-

-Dallas International Film Festival (4/8 - 4/18)- Dallas, TX -no screening dates/times yet-

-Palm Beach International Film Festival (4/22 - 4/26)- no screening dates/times yet-

Please let me know if you have any questions. Visit: www.greenlit.org

RGM at Vancouver Olympics

2010-02-25T22:08:00.000-08:00

From February 10-March 1, Founder Lauren Selman, will be traveling and working at the winter Olympics in Vancouver, BC, Canada. Below is the text from the blog: www.travelgames.wordpress.com

Stay tuned and up to date about what goes on behind the scenes. On March 2nd, Reel Green Media will post thoughts and comments about the sustainability efforts of the games.

Sustaining the Energy

So it’s Day 12 of the Olympic Games and Day 15 of our visit. We initally started working at the USA Team House 6-1 a.m. On these “night shift” days, we’d go to events, explore Vancouver by foot, bus or boat (never by car) before going to work. So, in fact, we packed two days’ activities into one. So really we are more like Day 20. Thank heavens for this blog business – it’s all starting to blur together in a sort of de javu “what hockey game is this anyway?” sort of way. Is there an hour where someone, somewhere, isn’t curling??

Now that we are on the civilized “day shift” we’ve discovered ANOTHER whole night world: Grouse Mountain is open 24 hours a day (they start filming the TODAY show at 3:00 a.m.),Whistler is lit so that they can do snowboarding at 9:30 p.m., hockey games start at 11:00p.m. and because the bodsled run catches sun during the day, training session are after dark and late at night – sometimes as late as midnight. So when you’re watching these events in the comfort of your warm living room during prime time, check out the sky and see if you can get a sense of what time of day it is. Or just imagine being in the epicenter of an unrelenting 4-Dimensional 3-ring circus.

Our Nordic Combined Team was redeemed yesterday. Having finished fourth in the team event on their home soil (or should we say home SNOW?) in Salt Lake City in 2002, they finished with a silver medal on Monday – our first ever in the event. This medal is now the 26th won by TEAM USA in Vancouver, which breaks the record for most medals won by a US Team in an Olympic Winter Games not held in the United States. Way to go US, eh?

Posted by: travelgames | February 24, 2010
A Few Olympic Costumes….you might have missed!
All of the ice dancers and figure skaters have looked quite lovely in the recent events, but check out a few of the Olympic costumes that you might have missed, here.

Day 14- Tuesday’s Musings
In the Ancient Olympic Games, an athlete was not onlly expected to possess great agility and strength, but also understand and nurture the arts. By training the body in sport and the mind in art, literature, poetry and music, the Ancient Olympic Games aspired to produce more responsible and enriched citizens.

Our observation is that Vancouver has fully embraced this concept, creating non-stop (mostly free) venues for art and music. The Vancouver Art Museum has a Leonard Da Vinci exhibit, Granville Island has the equivalent of Open Studios during their Winteruption, street performers are everywhere, theater is presented in gypsy wagons and taco trucks. It’s really a three ring circus.

But, wait, there is no line at Irish House. Perhaps it’s a poetry reading….

Day 13-
Having a definite “behind the scenes” perspective is such a treat! You may have noticed the “Thank you, Mom” Proctor and Gamble commercials interspersed throught the sports broadcasts. I have to admit that I get pretty sentimental when I see that a corporation recognizes the THOUSANDS of hours of practice, $$$ in coaches, dictionaries of encouragement and the sacrifices made to create a champion. At the PG Family house where the families can relax there is a HUGE poster that the athletes can write on to publicly thank their mothers. People brush away tears when they stop and read it.

We recently found out today that one Canadian skater’s mother came with her and was rushed to the Vancouver Hospital upon arrival. She had a massive heart attack and the daughter just found out this morning that she died. Joanie Rochette is determined to skate in the face of this crushing news. The eyes of the world will be watching with sympathy and admiration.

On a brighter side, the weather was glorious so we walked completely around Vancouver today from Granville Island, around the Seawall, through Stanley Park (stopping at the Vancouver Boat House which has been transformed into Saxony House filled with beer, bratwurst and ohm-pah bands), continuing on to the Caldron (formerly know as the Olympic Flame) then back up through the crowds and zip-line enthusiasts on Robson Square. We came across a “The Globe and Mail” sign, turns out that everyday they post an image of part of a location. For example, a piece of grass, or a parking cone. Then it is revealed and it is a city wide race to see who can figure out where the location is and get their first with a copy of the paper. Great idea, eh?

The Globe and Mail's Vancouver Race for Tickets!
Everywhere we saw the famous MITTENS; kids, dads, moms, draped on statues, attached to the mascot-the Inuckchuk. They have sold over 3.2 million for $10 (with a percentage going to the Canadian Olympic Team) and now they are on the street for $30 each (with every penny going to the vendor and her suitcase enterprise). Commercial competition is as fierce as any sports event – and just as transitory.

We’re up early tomorrow to work 9-6 then hop on a ferry to Victoria to visit Lauren’s alma mater, Brentwood College School. Her former rowing coach has invited us to stay overnight with them. She’ll be a guest speaker at the school Assembly the next morning. I think she’ll be speaking about her company Reel Green Media and the work they’re doing in “greening” the film industry, but I’m sure a mention of the Olympics will slip right in. Canada is so proud to be hosting this event as especially proud to be doing it in the greenest way possible.
So now, immobilize me – I have a sore throat (too much yelling), hearing loss (again too much yelling), headache (too much electronic stimulation), tired feet (from not wearing the Ralph Lauren lace up boots) and aching back (the lanyards we have for our credentials inspire LOTS of pin trading – I think mine weighs in a 5 pounds). This is not whussy behavior, this is the wisdom of the ages signing off.
Just finishing up watching final skating events on TV. All of the pairs did an amazing job!

Day 12 – Sunday and Symbols

Fan Sighting on Seymour Street - CODE RED
Not even CLOSE to a quiet, day-of-rest Sunday as we anticipate the USA/Canada Hockey game. Are we talking religious fervor or an international excuse to drink the entire population silly? The line for Irish House across the street (where you can get a can of beer for $8 – in a non-breakable red dixie cup for $15) is already thumping with disco music, the line is half-way around the block and liquor stores have threatened to close at 7:00.

Irish House across the street - 9:00 a.m.
I don’t know how the Ancient Greeks celebrated, but pitchers of Retsina do NOT come to mind. Never have I seen such zany socks, capes, temporary tatoos or toques. If you’ve been following along with text with the occasional picture, but sure to check out the photo gallery for the upclose and personal portraits of fans gone awry.

Vancouver’s ENTIRE police force is on duty for crowd control. The influx of the inibriated on public transit is causing 2-3 hour waits to get on the metro and one takes one’s life in one’s hands to ride the skytrain (or at least could write a book about the experience).

They say that this is the land of hockey, but we are also deep in the land of LOGOS. Everything (and nearly every athete) is branded, marketed and displayed with a specific intention. This particular infrastructure is carefully knit together with licensing agreements, almost scientific precision and well defined regulations. We joked that we couldn’t bring in a Starbuck’s coffee cup since McDonalds is providing the coffee, but it is no joke. Unlike many other countries, the USA Olympic Committee does not rely on government support, so the generousity of sponsors is integral to their success. We all are more than grateful for the support of donors, partners and suppliers. Imagine if this were a non-profit that required annual pledge drives or bake sales?

Then and again, there is the sweet story of the one athlete - the sole representative of his country -who showed up at the opening ceremonies without a uniform. The citizens of Vancouver gathered funds together to purchase a beautiful jacket, pants and hat for him for the closing ceremonies. I’ll be looking for him. And making a quiet salute to all his fans.

One of the most inspiring things here is the sustained camaraderie of ALL the athletes.We have been here eleven days and the demonstration of humanity has not waivered once. I am continuously stunned by the respect, courtesy and admiration that transcends national boundaries, religious differences and historic animosities. This code of sportsmanship and honor encompasses more than just the sport.

As for those that are not the elite athletes in the spotlight, politeness and patience is the norm. The city is filled with ordinary people just aching to be helpful. If Olympus was the mythic home of the gods, somehow every individual we meet has been blessed with a little of their splendor.

I am also in awe of the OLYMPIC TRUCE which I knew little about prior to our visit. It is a simple declaration: All competing countries cease fighting during the duration of games. It is an extraordinary thing when you think that there IS the possibility of peace just around the corner.

This is intense and focused and an utterly remarkable place to be.

Day 11-Cultural and Artist Olympiad

Today our plan was to head up to Whistler, but unfortunately here at the Games going to Whistler isn’t a “last minute” decision because it requires having a ticket to a Whistler event or having made reservation long beforehand. We had neither. So, rather than heading up to the mountain, we chose to explore Emily Carr University of Art and Design and the artistic side of Vancouver: artisans, jewelers and sculptors.

The art finders…and now the art….

We explored paper shops, book shops, art galleries and watched a handful of street performers. We especially liked the CODE 2 exhibition at the Emily Carr University. The first one we came across was exploring the relationship between our physical environment and garment. Artists and designers created interactive dresses that responded to the wearer. For example, one dress got tighter the more you tried to get comfortable. Another one barked when danger approached. There was a fabulous blue one that expanded as the air pressure dropped in Montreal. Crazy, right? Well, you should have seen the one light up when you blew air into the sleeve.

The next exhibit we passed was originally installed at the Venice Film Festival in 2001. It was a mini movie theater and when you entered the space it felt like you were in the balcony of a vintage movie house. It was a sound and cinematic experience that both haunted and inspired us. The description of the installation reads as follows:

In a small replica of a full-sized movie theatre balcony with 16 red velvet-covered seats, viewers put on headphones to watch and listen to a ﬁlm projected in a miniature movie theatre in front of them. Surprisingly they hear other more intimate sounds and stories. A real and a ﬁctional layer of sound are intertwined, creating a strange sensation of reality for the viewer.

Movies are, of course, The Paradise Institute referred to in the title. Looking over the full-sized balcony into a hallucinatory space of a miniature movie theatre below, a visitor’s senses are further misled by putting on headphones that create surrounding sounds which are equally deceptive between the ﬁlm being shown and noises being heard. The projected movie is about a man who is a prisoner in a hospital with its own soundtrack faithful to the images. Simultaneously, another soundtrack, more intimate, is conﬁdentially whispered or heard nearby with a surprising ﬁdelity in the viewer’s ears. This other soundtrack seems to directly emerge from other members of the audience present with coughs, secrets, cellphones and other sounds of ordinary life interrupting the ﬂow of the movie’s audio effects. The impression is disturbing as the realities created by the sounds close by are more real than the ﬁction of the movie, although both are illusions, with their narratives culminating in an eerie conclusion. How the brain tricks itself into believing through image and sound is one of the inescapable implications of the experience of The Paradise Institute.

Lastly, we stopped by an exhibit of the best of Canadian Industrial Design. Everything from snowshoes, to bike co-op programs, backpacks, collapsible kayaks and fishing rods, we learned about the influence of Canadian ingenuity.

The innovative bike sharing program in Montreal where members of the collective can check out bikes throughout the city.

Today was also the first day of Winteruption, a winter festival of events and art on Granville Island, so the island was packed full of activities! Our favorite street artist was Circus West, Vancouver’s own circus troop. They performed an under the bridge circus show that included fire dancing, trapeze arts, tissue and unicycling. Very cool!

We also had the best fish and chips in Vancouver at “Go Fish,” located just steps from our front door. We had fish tacos and battered fish that was fresh off the boat. All of the proceeds go towards encouraging sustainable and local fishing practices by Vancouver’s fishermen.

I had the pleasure of inviting my mom to my favorite Yoga studio in all of Vancouver, Semperviva Yoga. The studio looks out onto the water and at night the instructor lights small tealights that line the windows. The candles against the night skyline of Vancouver created the most serene and peaceful yoga experience.

We are turning in just a touch early so we can be up for our first day shift. It is a big day tomorrow!! There are 3 Hockey Games slated and one of them is USA versus CANADA! Repeat after me…U-S-A! Your turn! Louder, we can’t hear you!

Day 10- Low Key
Today we were feeling particularly exhausted so we kept it low key. I went on a walk and then when I came home, Darlene taught me how to make a real Canadian Breakfast. I made pouched egges and Canadian bacon crusted in corn meal. Now that’s a Canadian Breakfast for Champions!

Breakfast for CANADIAN Champions
We hung out around the house and then headed over to Granville Island. Darlene showed us her favorite stores and secrets of Granville. My favorite was the Gelato Store!

Our time to work at USA House came soon enough and before we knew it, we were back on our shift. Tonight’s highlight was learning about Carl Lewis’s new iPhone application called, “Fit Forever,” from Carl Lewis himself! For those of you who don’t know Carl Lewis, I’ll say this, he won 10 Olympic medals including 9 gold, and 10 World Championship medals in Track and Field and he is not only a funny and full of charisma, but he is a world class athletic legend.

He was so proud of his new application, if you have an iPhone, download “Fit Forever.” And, while you are at it, download the guide to the 2010 Olympics. Both are free and totally worth it!

Day 9- SKATE EXPECTATIONS!

What a day! It was all about great expectations and the surprisingly unexpected.

We started the morning by rolling out of bed at a bright 7:00 with the sun. We pieced together our uniforms and necessities for the day and headed down to the Science Center, now known as Sochi House (located at the end of False Creek) for a morning taping of the Colbert Report. He was scheduled to shoot at 9:30, but we had learned from volunteers who saw his show the day before the importance of getting to the stage early. We eagerly stood in line and then all of a sudden, the line was no longer a line but a mad rush to the stage. Over six thousand people ran as fast as the could to the edge of the stage. Luckily, we were fast enough and were close to the action. Canadian, Americans and “ICE-HOLES” from all over the world stood side by side anxiously awaiting Colbert’s arrival. When he ran on stage, the audience went wild. We cheered and hollered! The energy was electric. Flying by the seat of his pants, Colbert welcomed us to the Report and we were well on our way to a hilarious show. He interviewed aerial skiers, snowboards, politicians and ended by jumping on a moose.

Stephen Colbert comes out on stage and all of the cameras are in full force!

Colbert rides a moose for his finale!
After the show, we had a decision to make….what event we wanted to see. We had tickets to both an event at Cypress Mountain and one out at the Richmond O. Luckily, scattered throughout Vancouver are the helpful “blue jackets”–friendly volunteers who are equipped with the answers you need. A friendly “blue jacket” helped us with our transportation logisitcs and moments later we were on the SkyTrain heading out to the Richmond O for the Ladies 1000m Medal Event.

When we arrived in Richmond, we got off on at the Aberdeen stop. We found out later that it was the wrong stop. It was a 2km walk to the stadium, but it was nothing to complain about. A we walked along the river that was accented by several bridges, it felt like we were across the world experiencing a scene from a French or Italian landscape.

We passed the UBC Boathouse and every cell in my body wanted to get back in a boat and back out on the water, but I resisted and kept walking towards to the stadium.

We arrived just in time. The first skaters were setting up at the starting line. Bodies crunched down, held in tight in colorful spandex, anxiously awaiting the sound of the starting gun. “Ready,” a deep voice announces and then “Bang!” The skaters take off. Short steps off the start launch the skaters forward, as they take their first turn the strides become longer and they surge forward. You never know what the ending will be because every trip around the track is a new chance for victory. One second it could be Germany in the lead, the next Japan, then at the end there may even be a surprise finish.

This was certainly the case for the Gold medal win by the Canadian speedskater. The Netherlands skater was in the lead and then the combination of crowd support and the desire to win, the Canadian skater pushed through for the final 50 meters and took the gold. What is particularly exciting about speedskating is one one-hundreth of a second can change your fate. For instance, there was only two seconds between 1st and 7th place. Wow!

After an exciting day at the races, we headed back to downtown Vancouver. On our way, we met volunteers from the Salvation Army who were handing out hot chocolate to travelers on the train. It was surprisingly quite delicious. We boarded the train in just 20 minutes we were back on the crazy street of downtown. We stopped by the USA House and got the results in from the day. It turned out that the USA was doing well. We had scored an additional handful of gold medals and there was a rumored possible gold for Evan in figure skating so everyone was buzzing with excitement.

We ran into a fellow volunteer who had extra tickets to a victory ceremony at BC Place. So we exchanged her tickets for grateful hugs and hurried down to BC Place. It was the perfect night for a Victory Ceremony. Shaun White and Shani Davis were among the athletes getting medals for their performances. We scurried up to the third floor and into our seats, just as the Canadian Police were bringing in the official Olympic Flag. As they raised the flag the audience went wild, while my mom and I turned to each other and cried. “We’re here, at the Olympics!” my mother whispered to me under utter excitement, “I can’t believe it.”

It was clear that the experience and the emotion of the Olympics were finally hitting home and the heart. She was right, we were at the Olympics and together experiencing something quite extraordinary and magical. Our dream was coming true. As we stood there, an emotional duo, we witnessed the best of the best in the world being escorted to their podiums. Athletes who had spent their careers training for this moment, spent practice after practice working towards this day and devoted their lives to their dreams coming true. Not to sound too cheesy but, it was pretty awesome being witness to dreams coming true.

As we were leaving the ceremonies, we saw that the men’s free skate was still going on. We scurried back to USA House to catch the tail end of the men’s performances and saw Lyscek take home the gold for the US.

We continued into the night celebrating with our US Olympic Family. Go USA!

Day 8- Olympic Village

Vancouver is a beautiful city, full of activities, friendly faces and unforgettable scenery. What we love about Vancouver, especially, is that you don’t need a car. It is designed in such a way that everything is accessible, walkable and convenient. To top it off, if you have a pass to an Olympic event then all public transportation is free of charge. How cool is that?

Today we put our boots to the pavement to fully embrace the walkability of this city. We walked down the seawall for lunch at Monks, where we were so Canadian and watched a hockey game and Colbert being interview. Then we continued up onto Cambie bridge which overlooks Olympic Village. Canadian, French, American flags all hang outside the appropriate apartments and colorful uniformed athletes lightly jog along the pathway below.

We then continued to walk throughout Yaletown and much of downtown soaking in Vancouver.

We ended at our “famous” USA House where we worked in the store. I set a little goal for myself of selling at lease two pieces of merchandise that I was wearing and sure enough I sold 4 hats and 5 pairs of boots. Not bad, right? The evening concluded with a walk home and straight to bed with an anticipated early morning walk up to see the Colbert show……

Day 7 – Men’s Short Program

Whoa! Did we seriously just sleep in until eleven?! These late days are tough and result in late morning, but good thing we got up in enough time to see our first Olympic event, the Mens Short Program. I read in the paper that American Evan Lysacek ”It’s been said that this is the thoughest field ever with four world champions,” so the performances were bound to be spectacular!

The world's flags as a halo above the rink
Yesterday, we had had the opportunity to see the athletes practice and today we got to see them perform! The Mens Short Program is the first in a serious of two events–a Short Program and a Free Skate Program. Thirty athletes perform pieces that are no more than 2 minutes and 50 seconds in length, then 24 athletes will have the opportunity to compete in the free skate, a performance that is 4 minutes and thirty seconds in length. The points that the athletes are awarded in both events are then added up to determine their final placement.

We sat next to our fellow US Volunteers. We LOVE the sign!
At 4:15pm, sharp, the first wave of men entered the rink for their 6 minute warm up. Triple axels, twisles, and hypnotizing aerials left and right wetted our appetite for the real deal. A woman’s voice boomed as she announced the first skater. Now, each skater has exactly one minute to get to their starting position after their name is announced. Once they are in position the music begins, you are in for a treat.

Evan from Team USA
As we watched each skater glide through their choreography, we thought the experience couldn’t get any better. But sure enough, it did, the woman in front of us turned around and began explaining the rules and technicalities of figuring skating. Turned out that she was a US figure skating judge and had a trained eye of what to look for in the performance. Additionally, her friend introduced us to a little radio that you could get and put into your ear for a live commentary of the event. I didn’t realize before but I kind of take the commentator for granted on television because without them there is definitely something missing.

The Crowd
However, in the live performance, half the fun is seeing the crowd react to the skater. When the Canadian skater, Vaughn Chipeur came out, he received a warm welcome from his home crowd. Everyone knew that he was opening with a triple axel and anxiously waited for his performance and when he didn’t hit his first spin, the crowd brought out in a big “Aw.” But that didn’t matter because he was Canadian and the audience loved him. The other skater was had us in total shock was Swedish skated, Stephane Lambiel who was the fastest spinner I’d ever seen. In his Shakespeare inspired outfit he turned 15 times!

The surprising audience support was for the Japanese team. Each time a skater from Japan took the ice, the audience went wild. The red dots covered the audience space and their was a huge uproar of support. With a majority of Canadian, Japanese and US supporters in the audience, you would think that there was no other colors but red, white and blue.

There were two specific performers that took the headlines and took our breath away were Russia’s world champion Evgeni Plushenko of Russia and Evan Lysacek of the USA. Plushenko was the tenth skater on the ice and opened with a flawfless Quad. Each move he skated with precision and perfect technique. The commentator in our ear explained that each one of his moves was deemed a “Level 4″ in difficulty and that he is favored for a medal. After his performance, he was awarded a 90.85 which secured him a top ranking place above the previous top ranked skater from France, Florent Amodio at 75.08. Plushenko held the lead for awhile until the Japanese skater Daisuke Takahashi caught up with him with a 90.25. Then towards the end of the program, our man Evan Lysacek gave a memorable elegant performance that resulted in him tailing Plushenko at 90.3. During Evan’s performance the audience was with him through every turn and spin. We clapped in support as he turned 1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8 times. Every move was full of passion and emotion.

We left the rink full of pride to be wearing the USA colors. People came up to us saying, “Great job tonight!” and while we didn’t do anything, our country did. Great job Evan and thank you to all who supported him getting there.

We anxiously await the results tonight.

Day 6 – “Figure” it Out
So just two weeks after the Superbowl (which we think of as a demostration of all the values of Ancient Rome) we are in the thick of the values of Ancient Greece: individual triumphs, sportsmanship, elevation of the human spirit. Being part of this is MUCH more than a mere spectator or even a loyal fan - we find ourselves cheering for competitors even if they are not USA TEAM.

As one of many “thank yous”, we get 2 complimentary tickets to one event, but it is completely subject to availability, transportation (Whistler is two hours away) and it must work into our schedules. So we decided to have no expectations. Well…so far it’s a good strategy: we were presented tickets to observe the practice for Figure Skating Men’s Short Program and Pairs. It was a much more relaxed, intimate event. No fancy cameras, encouraging coaches, approachable competitors - little children leaned over the edge of the rink to touch their heroes or ask for autographs, young skaters in sweet little uniforms skated out with small white puckets of shaved ice to gently fill the scrapes and nicks on the ice. These children will remember this all their lives.

The Men’s Short Program practice was like a circus performance with something going on in every area of the rink – spins, jumps, fancy footwork. Each performer worked through his program one final time with their chosen music, while others practiced all around him. There was always something to watch – and no one ever got in someone else’s way – and most skaters took full advantage of the opportunity.. Some had their final glitzy costumes, some were in practice wear but in all cases the focus was on the the upcoming ultimate performance: 13 compulsory moves in less than 2.5 minutes. We are going to keep an eye on Evan Lysacek: tall, spiderlike, elegant and an effortless skater. A Czech, skating to Zorba the Greek, landed a QUAD axel (the judges said it was the best they had even seen) – the audience went WILD! Many of the judges were present so that they could see what the skaters were capable of doing when not under pressure. We are learning about the scoring system which, while complicated and technical, is much more balanced.

The French Pair! We thought they were AMAZING!

While watching Pairs Practice, we created the discinction between A PAIR and A COUPLE. It was clearly obvious who was a romantic couple and who had a more professional relationship. There were only six sets: China and Canada had practiced earlier. We were mezmerized by the French couple: both black, lythe, expressive hands with the most elogated fingers I’ve ever seen and emitting energy from some hidden core. Watch for Vanessa James and if you ever spot her, watch with rapt attention. I’ve never seen a coupl float to easily.

During lunch at Earl’s we watched a video backstory of a beloved, beautiful Canadian Pair who had a horrific accident in 2007 when, while doing a double camel spin, his blade slashed across her face. Blood was everywhere. Eighty-one stiches, extensive plastic surgery and hours of rebuilding trust, they will be in the competition this evening. Just the fact that they are back on the ice makes them champions.

Fact: Once on Olympian, always an Olympian. So if you ever hear someone start talking about “Former Olympian….” or “Former Gold Medalist…” dress them down. Once a person has been to the top of the mountain, it lasts for life.

Day 5 – PG House and Pampers…

Street Stiltwalkers entertaining us as we wait in line. Their wigs were made out of recycled materials! Cool, eh?
Since it was a glorious Sunday, we meandered down to a the dockside of Granville Island and hopped on the ferry across False Creek – trading Olympic stories and pins all the way.

Trading on the ferry
Everyone is exceedingly friendly and because Lauren is wearing a TEAM USA jacket and pretty much matches the age, shape and perkiness of the atheletes, many people strike up a conversation that begins with “What event are you going to be in?” I’m pretty invisible – except when it comes to the security check points which abound all over the city. The four words describing the some 4,500 athletes from around the world are “They are sooooo YOUNG!” The four words that describe me are: Out. Of. Shape.

The Academy of Art (note proper logo placement on scarf) is represented. Perhaps this could be their new acquisition...
Vancouver is town of people who seem to love walking, bicycling, and heading fearlessly into the rain. we’ve not been in a car for four days. We’d decided it would be the day to check out LiveCity, the Green Vancouver Pavilion and find out more about the USA TEAM Family House (where the families of the athletes can rest, relax, be entertained and fed so that the competitors can concentrate on their events). They really go to great lengths to take extraordinary care of visiting Moms, dads, family friends and siblings – right down to providing Pampers with the Olympic rings emblazened on them.

Back at the USA Team store we readied ourselves for two major receptions and another busy night. While on “hall monitor duty” I stopped a man who didn’t have the plastic creditials we all must carry – he flashed his White House Sercret Service badge, pointed to his lapel pin and then motioned that Joe Biden was about ten steps to my left. Evidently he’d wanted to buy a few hats, but spent the majority of his visit engaging us in polite and appreciative conversations as if he had all the time in the world.

The medal winners were treated to a heartfelt celebrations at the house and as you step off the elevator there is a LARGER THAN LIFE photo mural of all our athletes entering the stadium on opening day. It sucks the air out of your lungs – all those bright, shining, anticipatory faces. As USOC says “Amazing awaits.”

We were tired as well as amazed as we walked home across the bridge at 2:30 a.m. The excitement kept us up until 3:30. It would be only 3 more hours before we would wake up to go watch the Figure Skating Training at 7:00.

We’d been given tickets to the intimate session and wouldn’t miss it for the world!

Thank you Chuck for the wonderful Valentine!

“Thoughts” Running Along the Water
Thoughts about running like an Olympian in Vancouver…On Saturday, I decided to put on a my runners and get in a good training run. As truth would have it, I left my sneakers at home. So I wiggled into a pair of my dad’s and headed off in the Vancouver rain. With my iPod blaring in my ear and the water on the horizon I ran and ran some more. The air was clear and the temperature perfect. I found a point that I used to visit everytime I came to Canada. It is a little nook nestled at the base of a boat club. Knotted logs litter the grey sand and the Pacific breeze soothes the face and the soul. I stood there for what felt like a century and a second all in one moment, took a deep breath in and headed home. With the wind at my back, I followed the sea wall back. When footsteps were behind me, I ran faster, when people were in front of me, I picked up the pace to catch up. I felt alive! I wonder what it’s like to be an Olympian?

Day 4-Saturday- Olympics Have Officially Begun

Ah! To sleep in. We slept in until 11am and it felt so nice. We rolled out of bed and pulled down the projector screen and watched our first Olympic event, Men’s Speedskating. Cold medal blades slicing across the ice at such speeds that water water splashed off their skates. As a deep newcaster voice narrated their progress around the rink, we moved onto breakfast, the best way to start a blog and a day. It was oatmeal with fresh nuts and bananas.

Powered with a hearty breakfast and feeling inspired by all of the athletes we were meeting, I headed out for a run along the water. After, I rolled into the house and my mother and Darlene (one of our hosts) smiled and informed me that they wanted to go to the gym.
At USA House, we were assigned to the store again. The big thing is that we learned how to fold t-shirts (depending on the brand and style).

Did you know that there is a different way to fold a polo shirt versus a t-shirt? We had no idea! And, do you know the difference between Polo and Ralph Lauren?…we do….comment your answer…

On our shift we met some incredible people, including silver medalist Nancy Kerrigan!

But the big news was that the USA brought home its first medals of the GAMES!!

Go U.S. EH!

Day 3 – Opening Day

It’s here, OPENING DAY! And considering this post is going up at 3:00AM, you can bet it was a long day.

Today, the fans all came out in full force!
We started the day with a fresh bowl of power food, consisting of steal cut oats and delicious nuts. We invited Jim and Darlene, who have allowed us to stay in their beautiful home, to join us for a visit to the USA House. Each of us suited up in our warm toasty threads and headed out into Vancouver’s chilly grey air. Like yesterday, we were greeted by our friends at the loading docks of the Aquabus who ferried us over to downtown.

After a short little tour of the house and the gift shop and an extraordinary lunch, we hustled over to try and catch the torch that was being relayed over the water in dragon boats. As we caught the wave of people heading towards the water, we knew we were just making it in time. On the water, several boats with athletes in red and white, paddled the boats down False Creek. One boat, in particular stood out to us. It was the Chemo Saavy boat, powered by breast cancer survivors who had had mastectomies. We even had the opportunity to talk to two women who had traveled from Winnepeg to support the boat. It was quite moving.

After the hand off was successful, the flame was then escorted towards the public library and then to the Aboriginal Pavillion where it rested until the Opening Ceremonies. At the Pavillion, we had the pleasure of watching several performances by First Nation tribes. From traditional folklore and song to modern hip hop adaptations of legendary tales, each performance was unique and memorable.

After the performances, we went to the post office to get our postcards hand canceled for the Opening Day of the Olympics. Outside, we meet with General Mills who was handling out postcards. Now, these weren’t just any postcards. Cheerios teamed up with the Canadian Post and took the word “Cheer” and on the inside of the box of Cheerios behind the word “Cheer” they put the outline of a postcard. Participants were invited to cut out “Cheer,” write a letter to the athletes and send them in the mail. How clever and green is that! Cheers for Cheerios!

Beside the Cheerios stand, there was a huge trampoline where guest athletes jumped with skis attached to their feet and did crazy tricks. It reminded me a lot of my cousin who does crazy stuff like that for ski practice

On our way toward to Public Library, we were stopped by a Japanese television show. They had what appeared to be, to large “Woks” set up. They were inviting people in sit in the woks and then try to push the other over. It was hilarious! I was selected to take part and it was absolutely hilarious and in case you were making bets, I won!

After our Japanese debut, we finally made it to the most beautiful Public Library I have ever seen! Now, you have to picture a combination of the ancient Coliseum in Rome and an open Italian Pizzaza. It was a marvel. An installation artist put in a piece where people wrote their commitment to peace on paper and launch in up through an air tube to have it land in a net among other peace declarations. The purpose of the installation was that it paid tribute and respect to the Olympic Truce. The sacred greek tradition of “Ekecheiria” (truce) which was established in the 8th century as a cornerstone of the Olympic Games. The Olympic Truce has been observed for 12 centuries, making it the longest lasting peace accord in history and for several years countries that are at war will put down their weapons during the games, which is inline with the Truce’s commitment for a peaceful future for humankind through the educational value of sport.

The installation was in juxtaposition to a protest outside where people were yelling to stop the Games. To be frank, this was a bit frustrating because part of me thought that many people were protesting for the sake of protesting. I won’t get into this now, I’ll save another post for my thoughts on the protest… but I’ll leave it with our favorite sign was “Support the Arts, We need better protest signs.”

We made it back to the USA House for the evening. The much anticipated ceremonies started at six o’clock with great celebration and festivities performed by the First Nations of Canada. During the parade of the athletes, everyone paid tribute to Kumaritashvili, a luge athlete from Georgia who died during a practice run up at Whistler. His teammates wore black armbands and marched behind a black-trimmed flag. Later in the ceremony, both at the venue and in our house, a moment of silence was given in honor of his life.

There were several other moments from the ceremony that, too, are forever imprinted on our memories. Firstly, I must acknowledge the creative vision behind the producers and directors of the ceremony. From their choice of stories, music, scenic, lighting and costume, it was all so beautiful. The moment that is particularly sprinkled like gems on my memory was the moment of the orca walls and the skiers and snowboarders that were floated down alongside the white fabric. When Wayne Gretsky carried the torch through town, you could hear the cheers just a couple blocks over.

As the ceremonies came to a close, athletes and their families trickled into their house to celebrate. Their eyes sparkled like snowflakes hitting the ground for the first time in the winter, kissed with the sun. We had Olympians, athletes and celebrities visit the store and the night continued to be filled with joy and pride.

After our shift, we walked over the bridge to get home rather than taking the ferry. We got a bit lost, but who can complain when the walk home looks like this…

Hopefully you got an opportunity to watch the magical ceremonies that broadcast live this evening. It was truly extraordinary.

DAY 2- First Day at Olympic House

Today we woke up to smell of walnut toast down in the kitchen. We hurried down the stairs, picked up some toast and sliced apples and headed out the door towards the ferry dock on Granville Island. For just 3 Canadian dollars, a rainbow colored mini ferry carried us across the water towards downtown. We jumped out and scurried up towards our destination, USA House where we met with our volunteer coordinator. She was gracious and kind and toured us around the house and went over all of our responsibilities. We are working in the store, so today, we revealed in the non-so-glamourous task of breaking down boxes. But believe it or not, when you are at the Olympics, breaking down boxes can even be enjoyable. We helped inventory, organize and restock around the store for the big opening tomorrow evening which is going to be a blast.

During our shift, we also snuck a sneak peak a Peekaboo Street who was autographing a beautiful mural at the entrance to the house. After our shift, we chose to take part in the most popular Olympic event, Speed Shopping. We explored the shopping scene of Vancouver’s best Olympic merchandise. I scored my favorite item of the Games, a Team USA vest that you will be seeing lots of! I have had several people ask me what sport I do. I giggle and want to say Speed Skating but I just tell them I’m a volunteer and they smile and are so grateful for our help.

Our search ended at Hudson Bay which is the official outfitter of the Olympic Games. It was clearly the place to be with a line that nearly wrapped around the block!

By the time, we made it out of the crowds, it was time to eat. We stopped by a little store front Falafel joint near Robson Street where we ate authentic take n’ walk food that was delicious. While we were eating, we heard cheers in the distance. It was the torch coming across the Burrard bridge! We hurried down the street and then to Yaletown where we saw fireworks and hundreds of people eagerly anticipating the Games.

On our way home, in the crisp Vancouver air, we just so happened to pass the backstage entrance of Live City and caught a picture with the Torch Bearer and the Torch. The torch will be handed off to our California Govenor Arnold Schwarzenager tomorrow morning for the Olympic Ceremonies.

Did you know that the torch bearers get to keep their torches?

We stopped to pose at Swiss House!
Be sure to tune into NBC to see the Opening Ceremonies…

DAY 1- Wed. Arrival in Vancouver
On the flight from Los Angeles to Vancouver, the little tiny plane was filled with Opening Ceremony enthusiasts, CBS sports, press corps and athletes all going to the games. Team USA rider Gretchen Bleiler had just finished practicing at Mammoth (there is still only limited snow at Whistler) and Snowboard Superstar, Shaun White, (Two Olympic Golds in 2006 and fresh from winning his third straight Winter X Games in Aspen, Colorado) sat right in front of us. He could not have been more congenial, generous and good natured. Vancouver airport is already beautiful. Now it is decorated to honor ALL competitors and buzzes with excitement as athletes from all over the world begin to arrive.

Even picking up baggage was a memorable event. Lauren with Shaun White.
Opening Ceremony Rehearsal tonight and prayers that the rain will turn to snow.

Reel Green Media Heads to the Olympics

2010-02-08T13:53:00.001-08:00

This Thursday, we are so excited to be heading up to the Olympics in Vancouver. Stay tuned as we report the latest about sustainability efforts in the great White Vancouver!!

Travel with us at: www.travelgames.wordpress.com

Lauren
Founder, Reel Green Media

Green Blogger Convention

2009-11-16T11:49:00.000-08:00

After months of not updating the blog we are back! We have been crazy busy out on set, but after the Green Blogger Convention we are back online and are looking forward to updating you on the latest and greatest from REEL GREEN MEDIA!

We are going to be playing a bit of catch up to update you on everything that has been going on so get ready for some great blogs and updates!

To start off, take a look at video from the GREEN BLOGGER CONVENTION, courtesy of EcoDivasTV!

Exclusive: ‘Greenlit’ Documentary Reveals Challenges Of Creating A Sustainable Hollywood

2009-10-14T18:20:00.000-07:00

Even though the term “going green” has seemingly pervaded almost every industry in our society, getting beyond those words and manifesting real change in the never-ending, relentless machine of our modern economy has been a tough challenge to chew on. Here at the Razz, we often report on press releases dropped by Hollywood studios extolling the green efforts of their latest movies — but beyond the numbers of diverted waste or bottled water saved from the landfills — we’re never quite sure how the productions get from Point A to B. Who are the people behind the scenes? How do the producers, directors, cast, and countless others involved get on board the balance beam of creating a sustainable Hollywood production? Isn’t there enough to worry about beyond what bin the remains of my 15-minute lunch should be divided into?

Those questions are answered in the new documentary Greenlit — which follows the cast and crew of the movie The River Why as they bring on the firm Reel Green Media to help with their sustainable shift. Lauren Selman, who regularly contributes here on the site, founded the company several years ago to help studios understand what “going green” actually means. This documentary, in many ways, shows just how hard that language can be to communicate.

The film, which lasts just over 50 minutes, is directed by Miranda Bailey — herself an actress/producer in Hollywood. Its told from her point-of-view as she struggles to figure out what green filmmaking is all about, why global warming is important, etc. To be sure, there’s no agenda here — in fact, Bailey makes it clear in the beginning that she’s skeptical of why spending more money on sustainable filmmaking is actually a good thing. As a producer, she understands that every penny needs to be spent as wisely as possible. It’s from this angle of exploration that Greenlit succeeds in roping you along for the ride. Since Miranda, like those at home, has little idea of what “going green” might mean on the set, there’s not much that flies over your head. Everything from why Hollywood is considered a major polluter to how it can change is presented in a straight-forward, entertaining setup. When we finally do get to the set of The River Why, you’re insanely curious as to how this is all going to turn out.

While I won’t spoil the drama that unfolds, I will say that Lauren Selman and her Reel Green Media team are pioneers in the battle to turn Hollywood green. As such, the walls they hit in both participation and enthusiasm from cast and crew reflects just how difficult changing ways in this industry can be. Deadlines, union restrictions, and unfamiliar environmental practices all add up very fast to make supervising a sustainable film set a very tough order of business. While we see the end result of a press release with positive spin and celebratory green numbers, Selman and her crew work their butts off making those very difficult goals a reality.

The other area Greenlit succeeds in is the interviews it captures of cast and crew reacting to a “green” film set. A whole range of emotion is presented — from encouragement of the process to skepticism to blunt criticism of “what is actually achieved beyond replacing water bottles”. If there was ever a yardstick to show just how far Hollywood has to go where everyone is on the same page regarding the environment, this film would be it. You’ll find both hope and indifference — but more than that, you’ll share in the frustrations of the process.

In a sea of environmental documentaries, Greenlit offers an honest touch of reality to the movement. We can tout how easy it is to go green and chastise those who have yet to embrace the idea, but until we see how all elements of a particular industry must be reformed, our expectations should be tempered. The best we can do is support those out there, like Reel Green Media, on the front lines of the industry educating through action and ever-slowly chipping away at old, wasteful practices. After all, as the film relates, if we can make greening film sets the rule instead of the flashy, press-release-worthy exception, we may arrive at that happy ending and finally turn the page on Hollywood as a major polluter.

Want to see it? Expect Greenlit to hit the festival scene first and then trickle onto the green television networks. Sundance or Planet Green most likely will embrace the doc — especially with its under 60-minute running time. We’d also love to see it turned into a series with Selman and her crew greening various movies throughout the year. Make it so, TV land!

KITSON KEEPS IT GREEN

2009-04-23T19:28:00.001-07:00

KITSON KEEPS IT GREEN

The spotlight was on Mother Earth this week in Hollywood. Celebrities, activists and people like you and me, came out to celebrate Earth Day. From beach cleanups to conversations over organic cocktails, Mother Earth was on the VIP lists of all of big parties. She was spotted at Kitson on Tuesday night at the launch of LIV GRN, an eco-chic, organic apparel company founded by fashion veteran Sydney Holland and music mogul Larry Frazin, who found a voice in our emerging green culture through organic clothing. LIV GRN is geared toward the modern-day, eco-savvy consumer – merging style and comfort with earth sustaining materials. Affordable apparel designed for everyone, its goal is to inspire, motivate, teach and inform.

• All garments use the finest 100% organic cotton yarns

• All woven labels are 100% organic cotton

• All hangtags are made of 100% recycled paper

• All garments are manufactured in the USA, leaving behind a very small carbon footprint. Seriously!! in Los Angeles.

“Kitson is the edge of what’s in and what’s hip,” shared actress and environmental activist Kelly Hu. “And if Kitson is starting a green line, hopefully the rest of America will follow.”

Also in Mother Earth’s posse for the evening was Maria Menounos, the host of Hollywood Green on Planet Green. She sported a one-of-a-kind LIV GRN shirt. “Living Green is a message we all need to embrace. Just LIV GRN, it’s so simple.” One of her favorite parts of the brand is the cute ladybug logo, signifying how delicate our environment is. She also exclaimed that, “Of course, I have all of this at home!”

“The most exciting thing about designing for this line, is doing something for the earth and making a difference,” said Meghan Miller, one of the designers from LIV GRN. “The clothing doesn’t look like your typical organic line. I want people to walk away knowing that if you want to do something for the earth, you can have your own style and be cute while making difference.”

And every time you buy LIV GRN, 10% of every sale is donated to Global Green, USA, one of the world’s largest and most recognized green charities. Global Green has reached hundreds of millions of people around the world through its innovative celebrity campaigns - spearheaded by the likes of Leonardo DiCaprio, Cameron Diaz, and Brad Pitt – and LIV GRN is set to follow in those footsteps.

Just wearing LIV GRN strengthens the environmental cause by spreading the message, so go to a Kitson near you and start to LIV GRN.

Designing our Future.

2009-02-23T21:26:00.001-08:00

I love designers. I seriously love designers. But which designer is in style today?

If you are like most, designers are the people that decorate the runways of Milan, New York and Los Angeles, with glamour, innovation and beauty. Yes, these are designers but this weekend, the planet was the runway and the models were inspirational and creative thinkers in the field of design. Graphic artists, web artists and other visual artists came together to design our future at the internationally recognized Compostmodern Event in San Francisco, California.

The conference was held in downtown San Francisco and hosted by the American Institute of Graphic Artists. Now while you may think that the day would have been spent talking about type faces, today was different. Today they came together to talk about the influence of design and sustainability. Now, what does this have to do with a blog about fashion, art, events and entertainment? The people present at Saturday's event were the individuals responsibility for designing our "stuff" but also have the capacity to design what our future looks like.

The future of fashion might look like one of Allan Chochinov's, a professor at the School of Visual Design, students' invention who revisited the aesthetics of a prosthetic arm and designed arms that range from elegant feather art pieces for a night out the opera, to foam interactive arms for children.

The future of building may look like one of the extraordinary homes built by John Bielenberg and Pam Dorr's project in Alabama.

The future generation might follow the lead of Emily Pilloton, 27 year old entrepeneur and founder of Project H that supplies an infrastructure for designers to creatively engage in projects that make a difference.

Overall, however, in the words of Saul Griffith, it was clear that sustainability needs a new soundtrack. It need a new aesthetic and needs to work…for a Long time!

See how these designers are designing our way out of the problem, feel free to watch the webcast for the next 30 days at: www.compostmodern.org!

Van Jones in Los Angeles

2009-02-18T22:58:00.001-08:00

On Monday, I had the honor of seeing Van Jones speak at the Progressive Christian United annual Gala. Mother Nature Network filmed his talk, so I wanted to share it with you:

Quote from one of our Advisors!! :)

2009-01-27T19:52:00.000-08:00

One thing you can't recycle is wasted time.

Production: THE NEXT DAY on Virgin America

2009-01-27T19:45:00.001-08:00

Lauren Selman, Green Producer, is proud to announce that her team (Eriq Whities & Martin Yernazian) at Pyrotecnia and Behind the Scenes, is now airing on Virgin America!

When you fly Virgin, check out our movie!!

Watch the video HERE!

Sundance Season

2009-01-27T19:08:00.000-08:00

Sundance Season is a favorite for many! It is that time in January when accomplished filmmakers, aspiring actors, and seasoned celebrities come together to celebrate independent films. In the spirit of Redford's commitment to the environment, Sundance, again put the spotlight on Mother Earth. With several environmental centric films and the Green Giving Suite, this year's star was FilterForGood, the Brita and Nalgene campaign, that supplied this year's festival with enough green Naglene bottles and Brita Hydration Systems to prevent over 50,000 bottles from being used at the festival. Everyone had them! On panels, on the street, on stage, attendees proudly showcased their new swag. There effort deserves a mounting round of applause, but even with pretty bottles, I felt that there was "water, water, everywhere, but not a drop to drink." The water stations were few and far between and sometimes empty! With the high altitude and frigid temperatures, it is important to remember and health and safety when going green. Great job! But could we have more stations next year?

Make-up Artist, Nancy of La Mission, shows us that it's all about choice!

Which do you choose?

As Kermit reminds us, "It's Not Easy Being Green." Sundance is stuck in a rock and a hard place. Although they put on an incredible event, they have little control over the ancillary stores and services that inadvertently become part of the event. The best example are the Hummer Taxis driving down Main Street or the SUV Limousines idling outside of hotels. And despite Sundance's extraordinary efforts, there was still vast room for improvement. Sundance festival provided multiple recycling stations, however the message still didn't reach the attendees. Bottles were still found in trash cans, other were running over and the real question is, did the attendees even care? And do they care that they don't care? With clear bins and big signs, our habits prevail. So what will it take for the attendees to kick their old trash habits?

Filmmaker, Justin Oliphant, pantomimes the unaware attendee. Thanks Justin!

Speaking of old habits and traditions, one that definitely went out of style at Sundance was FUR! Husbands protected their wives from angry protesters who shunned fur! Stickers, signs and screams, made it clear that these protesters were center stage. Did anyone document it? Perhaps it will be in the running for best documentary at next year's festival?

La Mission MAKES IT TO SUNDANCE

2008-12-17T16:18:00.000-08:00

Back in January 2007, Reel Green Media worked with Benjamin and Peter Bratt's production company, 5 Stick Films. Together they launched the first "green" set in San Francisco. Now, the Bratt's brother's incredible film is GOING TO SUNDANCE!! Congratulations to the entire crew of "LA MISSION!"

SOLAR RICHMOND

2008-12-17T13:18:00.000-08:00

As the end of the year draws near, Reel Green Media reflects on what of the most inspiring projects. Selman had the opportunity to go to Richmond for the National Green Jobs Now Day and spent time with the Green Screen. Solar Richmond provides training and skills for people to join in creating the new green economy.

HOLLYWOOD GOES GREEN CONFERENCE

2008-12-17T13:08:00.000-08:00

Reel Green Media's founder, Lauren Selman, moderated a dynamic panel workshop with John Frey (HP), Mike Posey (Fox) and Sasha Mervin (Independent Producer) on the realities of going green. Together they facilitated the space for attendees to come away from practical and possible solutions to their green initiatives.

California Hazardous Waste Managers Meeting

2008-12-17T11:22:00.000-08:00

CHECK OUT THE ARTICLE WRITTEN BY THE GREEN SCREEN HERE!!!

Lauren Selman, founder of Reel Green Media, had the opportunity to be the guest speaker at the monthly Northern California Hazardous Waste Managers Meeting. President, Robin Spencer, hosted an incredible evening held in the East Bay. The meeting was full of Hazardous Waste professionals! The evening began with an exemplary winetasting of local wines by sommelier, Marty White.

Selman than spoke on "Greening the Entertainment Industry" and the role of the California Hazardous Waste Managers. Her youthful energy and passion for the subject made for an incredible evening of information and solutions.

In addition to the wine and presentation, the GREEN SCREEN was on the scene and documented the evening. Green Screen Reporter, Niki Cogar, will be reporting on this event. CHECK THEM OUT AT: thegreennews.net

RGM goes to the BIG APPLE

2008-12-01T16:05:00.000-08:00

REEL GREEN MEDIA worked with AMBUSH ENTERTAINMENT in NEW YORK CITY, greening there upcoming film, EVERY DAY, starring Liev Schreiber, Helen Hunt, Eddie Izzard and Carla Gugino.

RGM helps Local Theater Goes Green!

2008-11-21T10:03:00.000-08:00

Theater is also part of the Entertainment Industry and Reel Green Media knows that. Recently, RGM founder, Lauren Selman, assisted Sonoma County's Region Theater, Cinnabar Theater go green and save money. Her initiatives included a water filtration system, department guidelines and solar installation quotes. The Board has awarded her volunteer of the month and continues to implement her initiatives daily. From reusing programs, to local food sourcing, Cinnabar is well equipped to ride the green wave with integrity! Way to go Cinnabar!!

Cinnabar Arts Corporation was established in 1974 by Marvin and Jan Klebe to operate the theater and to provide an umbrella organization under which all the various projects and companies could operate.

Today Cinnabar Arts Corporation, in addition to producing Drama, Opera, Choruses and the Young Repertory program, also produces the annual Petaluma Summer Music Festival, the Opera in the Schools program, and the work of Fred Curchack. Check out their work at: http://www.cinnabartheater.org

Speaking Articles

2008-10-27T15:43:00.000-07:00

Quotes from Hollywood Goes Green Panel, founder Lauren Selman spoke on:

“We’re learning right now through trial and error and we need to ask questions and challenge the people around us, and remember that there are all shades of green,” affirmed Consultant Lauren Selman of RealGreen Media during one panel.
Perhaps we could also benefit from changing our perception of things. When it comes to the environment we often see the problems we have to solve and as Selman added it would behoove us to view the environment as a series of choices we have to make.

NEW BOOK on GREEN JOBS!!

2008-10-06T12:51:00.000-07:00

Green For All founder, Van Jones has written a new book that proposes elegant solutions for our economic and environmental crises. Respected leaders like Al Gore, Nancy Pelosi, Tom Daschle and Tom Friedman have praised it. Please help us use it to create a much-needed national discussion about the best solution to our two biggest problems.

The Green Collar Economy:
How One Solution Can Fix Our Two Biggest Problems

What do people think?

2008-09-26T01:04:00.000-07:00

"I was very excited by Reel Green Media's methods and effective solutions to many of my production needs! I am now armed with information and what's even better - lots of examples of successful, affordable and worthwhile green solutions on set and in the studio! RGM and the production worked together to set a tone of community that not only helped us to be more green, but also helped us be a better produciton company!"
-Garrett Lowe, Artistic Director

"Thanks again Lauren. What you did on our film was fantastic. I remember our first meeting and being so excited about the greening of the movie. Was excited about is while we did it, and still remain very excited about continuing to keep the movies green!"
-Debbie Brubaker, Line Producer

"I'm proud to have been part of a pilot program for Green productions. I still have the water bottle and it goes with me on all subsequent shoots."
-Gino Caputi, Assistant Director

“You did a very good job and nothing was inconveniencing for us.”
-Mike Best, Lighting Designer

It's Always "GREEN" in Philadelphia

2008-08-24T10:44:00.001-07:00

Reel Green Media been working with "It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia" for the past two weeks to improve recycling methods, decrease water bottle use and pass sets forward. It has been a terrific transition into Los Angeles and a wonderful opportunity to meet some great crews.

Approximately 500 water bottles are used daily. They decreased sizes to waste less water and plastic but we want to go a step further...

We are transitioning to the old school method of water containers which replaces 80 bottles automatically. 8 water station x 80 = 640 water bottles saved, daily! Remember, REDUCE before RECYCLE.

ALSO SEE GREEN PRODUCTS HIGHLIGHTED ON THE SHOW!!

Reviewed by Jason, Expert Fly Fisherman

2008-08-04T11:16:00.000-07:00

The River Why & Reel Green Media

07.25.08 | 2 Comments

http://jasonborger.com/ffwblog/?p=440

The producers of the The River Why film project have been actively engaged in trying to reduce the environmental impact of the production where possible. One place that they are focusing is in the amount of garbage that the day-to-day operations are generating. To that end, the TRW sets/crew areas are set-up with a combination of garbage/recycling/composting “waste-flows” along with washable or compost-able tableware (where possible). The amount of true “garbage” being generated is surprisingly small for a film crew, and people are actively aware of the goals for waste reduction. All of that is being shepherded by a small crew from Reel Green Media, including the company’s founder, Lauren Selman.

As it turns out, Lauren’s family has a history in fly fishing, so the production is a great fit for what she is doing overall. I first met Lauren as she was literally digging through a garbage can, making sure that wet paper and so forth was being transferred to the compost container. Seeing the company’s founder literally up to her shoulders in the garbage made me appreciate the fact that Reel Green is the “reel deal.” It also made me appreciate the fact the producers of TRW were willing to hire Reel Green, even with the production’s tight budget and short shoot time.

I’m looking forward to the next few days I am on-set, and to talking with Lauren and the producers a bit more about Reel Green, and the other choices being made to reduce the production’s impact.

2 Comments

On 07.27.08 Lana Husser wrote:
Congrats to The River Why for their environmental efforts - and particularly for joining forces with Lauren Selman of Reel Green Media. She is definitely “the reel deal” and I celebrate her as a mentor for all young people who have accepted the challenge of impacting our world in very real ways, without whitewashing their “greenness”. I’ve seen Lauren in action on film sets, teaching the crew and as a mentor to the EarthTeam youth in the SF Bay Area.
She’s dynamic to be commended for all her work. As the multimedia director for EarthTeam, I recommend Lauren and her services to all film productions!
On 07.27.08 Fay Feeney wrote:
Congratulation to the team working on raising awareness and making this happen. The producers made a wonderful decision when they hired Lauren. Way to go!

The River Why

2008-08-01T23:28:00.000-07:00

THE RIVER WHY

Filming in rural conditions in Oregon

At the Zoo, with only two bags of trash that were produced with over 200 people on set!

The River Why, a film based off the acclaimed novel by American novelist David James Duncan, just finished shooting in Portland. Reel Green Media was on the scene! With very little pre-production time, a tight budget and rural locations, we were able to come out with some pretty successful environmental programs.

One of the highlighted days was at the Zoo. The facility already had a food waste management system set up so we had the opportunity to COMPOST! By composting and recycling and eliminating the use of water bottles, we were able to divert nearly 70% of our waste! Now, on other days, it wasn't that easy. Due to budget restrictions and waste hauling laws, we were unable to have composting on other days. However, the crew did CAMP on location and participated in a series of other successful eco-choices.

The River Why

2008-06-05T23:25:00.000-07:00

Reel Green Media goes into the wilderness with The River Why.

STAY TUNED FOR THE LATEST ON THIS BEAUTIFUL LOVE STORY!!

Story by: David James Duncan (Novel)Screenplay by: Adaptation by Thomas Cohen, John Jay Osborn Jr.
Produced by: Kristi Denton Cohen, Jun Tan
Plot Synopsis: Set on the banks of a wild river, The River Why is the story of 20 year old Gus Orviston, the Mozart of fly fishing, who leaves his big city home in rebellion from his family. In the process he comes in contact with an assortment of eccentric characters who help him in his journey to adulthood. Most of all, The River Why is a love story. The love of a man for the wilderness, and for a beautiful woman who comes to share it with him. Based on the best selling novel.

Green Giants in the Entertainment Industry

2008-06-05T23:14:00.000-07:00

Lauren Selman, Founder of Reel Green Media

Ed Begley Jr, Actor and Activist

Shelley Billik, VP Environmental Initiatives at Warner Bros.

On May 23rd, I had the absolute pleasure of sharing the stage with acclaimed green giants; Ed Begley Jr, Shelley Billik from Warner Brothers and John Moore from Fox. Together, we represented the "Giants of the Entertainment Industry" at UCLA Extension's Business of Green: What's The Payoff.

"With a global reach that gives unprecedented opportunity to reduce the environmental footprint through media and entertainment outlets, these large corporations are setting a new course for the industry and still making a profit. Our panel of executives from leading entertainment corporations will share with you how their companies are raising awareness about green issues, stimulating change in the industry, and making green an integral part of their business models."

Moderator: Ed Begley, Jr.
Panelists:
Shelley Billik, VP of Environmental Initiatives, Warner Brothers
Lauren Selman, Principal, Reel Green Media
John Moore, CSP, VP Environmental Health and Safety, Fox News Group

Greening in San Francisco

2008-06-05T23:02:00.000-07:00

For 3 months, I had the honor of consulting with 5 Stick Films, Peter Bratt and Benjamin Bratt's, production company for their upcoming feature film. 5 Stick Films is a film production company designed to entertain, provoke and inspire and it was truly inspiring to work with such an incredible crew!! With over 25 locations, 65 crew members and a low-budget were accomplished a number of outstanding "green" results. From make-up, to wardrobe, crafts services and more, we were able to educate and inform cast and crew members to make clear choices about their environmental commitment.

Photos, Videos and More...to come!

Reel Green Media in the HOLLYWOOD REPORTER!!

2008-04-22T23:29:00.000-07:00

On April 22nd, 2008, in celebration of Earth Day, "Green Hollywood" appeared in the Hollywood Reporter!! Check it out!

Green Hollywood
The industry has come a long way -- but is it enough?
By Stephen Galloway
April 22, 2008,

In the early 1990s, some 100 environmental activists stormed an Indonesian freighter bringing rain forest wood to the major studios.

"We pulled up in a small Zodiac," recalls Atossa Soltani, now executive director of Amazon Watch. "People used climbing equipment to rappel up the side of the ship and unfurled a huge banner that said, 'Rainforest Wood Out of Hollywood.'"That scene now seems like ancient history.

Studios that once ignored green demands now have flotillas of staff catering to them. Actors, agents and executives who formerly made indulgence their mantra are among the leading environmental activists. And the watchdog groups that once hounded the industry are increasingly singling it out as a relative do-gooder.But is Hollywood doing enough good? Is the industry -- and above all, are the studios that are central to it -- truly doing everything it can? Richard Turco, a professor at UCLA who co-authored a controversial study two years ago lambasting Hollywood's environmental activities, points to the sheer waste that takes place on most film sets, along with the excessive use of polluting fuels."Obviously, there is a move by the industry toward greener practices," Turco says. "But they have not thrown out their old diesel generators. It is an industry; it still uses huge amounts of material."Even some who praise the studios say they could be doing more.

"More people could be using biodiesel generators on their honey wagons and their sets," says Lauren Selman, who runs Reel Green Media, a company that helps productions go green. "More sets could be recycled, more (productions) could be offering healthier foods."Selman points to four major areas where further action could be taken: accommodation, travel, waste generation and shipping -- the four environmental "bads," as she calls them. But, she notes, "the difficulty of greening the entertainment industry is that it is so woven into various subcontractors and other industries. In order to green the movie industry, you are essentially greening every contractor related to that industry." Selman's view is still far more positive than that of the UCLA report, "Sustainability in the Motion Picture Industry."

"With a few notable and inspiring exceptions, environmental considerations are not high on the agenda in the film and television industry, and more could be done within the industry to foster environmentally friendly approaches," was the verdict of UCLA professors Turco and Charles Corbett, who teach atmospheric and oceanic sciences, and environmental management and operations, respectively. That report drew the studios' ire back then, and it still does today."It relied on data that was more than 10 years old, and the economic modeling it used was based on 1997 baseline numbers." says Melissa Patack, vp state government affairs for the MPAA, which now puts out its own environmental guidelines for productions.

Most environmentalists tend to agree with the studios."The UCLA study was misconstrued; it is not really true," says Gary Petersen, the environmental appointee to the California Integrated Waste Management Board, the state's recycling commission and the very organization that commissioned the report. "Generally, (the studios) are doing a fabulous job, and in fact, some of them are models for other industries."If they are indeed models, there are solid reasons for that.The studios have had to comply with state legislation limiting their emissions and mandating a greater level of recycling. But they have also taken a leading role via a number of prominent environmentalists who have become influential industry figures. A-list actors like Leonardo DiCaprio, Cameron Diaz and Edward Norton have stumped for environmental causes, and agencies have followed. WMA's new Beverly Hills office building will be constructed entirely of sustainable materials, and is set to earn a rare Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification upon completion.

In the executive suites, Warner Bros. president Alan Horn is one of the founders of the Environmental Media Assn., which for nearly 20 years has mobilized the entertainment community on green issues. Sony Pictures Entertainment chairmen Michael Lynton and Amy Pascal are also strong environmentalists -- one reason why Sony has invested in solar panels and is making a major new building operation environmentally sound."Michael and Amy, it's a big thing for them," says Jon Corcoran, vp corporate safety and environmental affairs for Sony. "That is a key factor why the big building is going to be (LEED) certified."

The result of this activism is that almost every studio has enacted a specific pro-green initiative and now employs a cadre of executives in charge of reducing its carbon footprint. Disney has 30 full-time staffers devoted to its "Strive for Five" environmental initiative, which aims to cut energy use by 5% annually across its four theme parks, 18 hotels, several golf courses, water parks and its huge downtown Disney entertainment complex. Disney is also completing a yearlong, top-to-bottom study of how it can improve environmentally.Other studios are equally invested. "The programs we have are a manifestation of creating a culture within a company," says Shelley Billik, vp environmental initiatives for Warner Bros., who notes that the studio has seven full-time laborers charged with picking up recycled material alone. "Whether you are a producer or a procurement person or an accountant, we are trying to make you a more environmentally conscious citizen."

Over at NBC Universal, the company has committed to reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 3% by 2012 and greenhouse gas intensity by 30%, following guidelines laid down by parent General Electric. In November alone, Universal collected 143,000 pounds of hazardous waste at a specially organized event, including 63,000 cans of paint, 41,000 pounds of electronic waste and 11,000 pounds of automotive waste.Its 2007 comedy "Evan Almighty" was the first completely carbon-neutral film production, and its upcoming "The Incredible Hulk" followed EMA's guidelines on going green even though that meant spending "20%-30% extra on wood" alone, according to producer Gale Anne Hurd. Hurd and star Norton also bought carbon offsets to make up for environmental damage caused by their airplane flights.Fox has done its part, offering employees up to $4,000 in incentives toward purchasing a hybrid. It also commissioned a top-to-bottom study of carbon use in one key product: DVDs. The report analyzed the 20 different companies that take part in the making of a DVD, says Kyle Tanger, founding principal of Clear Carbon Consulting. Tanger concluded that the total carbon emission per DVD was .75 pounds of carbon dioxide. "That is like having your computer on at the office all day," he says.

What was particularly notable about the Fox DVD study was the studio's willingness to share it with rivals. "It is not like that in most industries," Tanger says. "(The studios) don't see energy efficiencies as giving them a competitive advantage against one another, (unlike) a mining or metals company." Still, despite its eye on the environment, entertainment remains among California's worst-polluting industries."That is true," says actor and activist Ed Begley Jr. "But the reason it is the second-biggest (polluter) is, it is the biggest financial engine in California. When you look at it nationwide, it drops to a much lower level."But activists agree much remains to be done: Polluting fuels can be found on almost every film set; thousands of plastic water bottles and Styrofoam cups litter studio garbage bins; and nonhybrid cars are still the order of the day on every studio lot." It is a business that was built upon excess, built upon the notion of the lavish lifestyle, and it is hard to change that overnight," Begley reflects. Still, "I am very proud of what many of them have done."

The Green Index
100 Weeks in a row that Sony has donated a tractor and building materials to Habitat for Humanity
1000 CDs and DVDs recycled each week by WMA's Beverly Hills office
50 Film and television projects guided to more sustainable productions over the past three years by the Environmental Media Assn.
6,596 Trees saved by NBC Universal by preventing
404 tons of paper and other recyclables from going into a landfill in December and January50% Growth in 2007 of online buzz relating to environmental sustainability, according to Nielsen Online
15 Productions currently serviced by CineGreen, a new LA-based outfit that provides free recycling services to film and TV sets
1000 Trees given away to Fox employees at an Earth Day event Thursday on the Fox lot
500,000 Water bottles saved by using recycled plastic for the DVD trays on Lionsgate's initial production run of "Weeds" Season
350 million DVDs recycled by the Walt Disney Studios' home entertainment division in 2007
7 Full-time Warner Bros. employees charged with picking up and donating recyclable materials

Featured in Huffington Post

2007-12-22T20:14:00.000-08:00

Paige Donner, writer, featured a segment from our panel at the Hollywood Goes Green conference. Check out the article in Huffington Post

Hollywood Goes Green

2007-12-19T14:45:00.000-08:00

Last week, I had the opportunity to share the stage with four extraordinary gentlemen from the entertainment industry and discuss the topic of eco-strategies. The panel opened with Ujwal Nirgudkar who spoke about environmentally friendly methods of film processing. The discussion then proceeded to Josh Marsh from Fox who discussed the greening of film premiere, Howard Gordon who spoke about the environmental measure of Fox's hit show 24 and Larry Vertal from AMD. Each member had the opportunity to discussion measure to integrate environmental measure. Monderated by Ariel Hauter, from Hollywood Hill, this panel became a wonderful discussion about practical application of greenness on and off set. Below are some photographs from the conference, provided by Mr. Nirgudkar.

Eco-Strategies

2007-12-10T14:45:00.000-08:00

How Green Was My Production??: Eco-Friendly Strategies for Film Production, Film Festivals and Premieres

DECEMBER 13th 11:15-12:15

Hollywood is not just going green on screen, but also behind the scenes. “Evan Almighty” was filmed in an eco-friendly fashion and the "rising seas" theme refers to global warming. The film’s producer gave bicycles to 400 cast and crew members during the shoot to reduce car usage. Most notably, the film “zeroed out” its carbon emissions by planting trees in wildlife refuges in California and Virginia through a partnership with the Conservation Fund. Other directors, such as "The Nativity’s" Catherine Hardwicke, the "Dukes of Hazzard's" Billy Gerber and the "Ocean's" series' Steven Soderbergh, chose construction materials, lighting and air-conditioning for their films to minimize greenhouse gasses.

We also consider film festivals and movie premiere parties. How can you incorporate green principles in event planning? What are practical tips to take eco friendly travel-choosing hotels that are powered by renewable energy sources? How do you address travel? Learn strategies for conceptualizing, planning an executing green events and gatherings. Also many film festivals want to learn how to go green and our experts give you tips.

Featured Presentation: Akzo Nobel,
Ujwal Nirgud Kar, Fellow, SMPTE (Society of Motion Picture & Television Engineers)

Panelists: Lauren Selman, Principal, ReelGreen Media
Larry Vertal, Senior Strategist, AMD
Howard Gordon, Executive Producer, 24 on Fox
Josh Mark, Executive Director, Special Event Production, Creative Services at FOX Broadcasting Company

Inter-Generational Solutions

2007-10-25T16:19:00.000-07:00

"Turn down your radio! You're driving to fast!" Our language creates clear generational differences, but I think that when it comes to the environment, it is the one topic that we can all sit down as a global people and talk about. The environment does not discriminate when it comes to age. When we discuss the topic of sustainability, we often think about the future. In fact, the definition often times sounds something like this, "creating systems that are useful for generations to come." But, what about this generation? Explore thoughts of inter-generational solutions at SERENE AMBITION!

Florida Goes GREEN!

2007-10-23T10:25:00.000-07:00

Florida has joined the ranks and is Making Sets "Green!"

Check out their green blog, their Green Production Plan and other innovative solutions!

Way to go Flordia!

Change the World, Change Your Leaders

2007-10-21T22:54:00.000-07:00

Check out Thomas Friedman's new article!

Save the Planet: Vote Green

"People often ask: I want to get greener, what should I do? New light bulbs? A hybrid? A solar roof? Well, all of those things are helpful. But actually, the greenest thing you can do is this: Choose the right leaders. It is so much more important to change your leaders than change your light bulbs."

Lauren Selman in TRACTION Magazine!

2007-10-17T17:00:00.000-07:00

I met Editor-in-Chief of Traction Magazine, Judith James, at the New Mexico Cineposium. She gave me the wonderful opportunity to have an article publish in her online magazine for and by women in "the industry." Thank you Judith! Check out the article.

REEL GREEN BC!!

2007-10-17T16:53:00.000-07:00

NEW LINK!

Vancouver holds a very special place in my heart! Not only is it extraordinary, full of great people and gorgeous, it also holds the environment as utmost importance. Specifically, Reel Green BC, "serves as a gateway to information and resources that promote positive environmental practices in BC's film and television production industry."

On October 24, 2007, the BC Film Commission is hosted a conference dedicated to films being green. They had key innovators as speakers and panelists! Specifically, their keynote speaker was the well-known Shelley Billik, VP of Environmental Initiatives from Warner Bros. "Over the last 15 years she has established a wide variety of environmental policies and programs. They include waste reduction and recycling, through which Warner Bros. diverts 63% of its waste stream from landfills; a materials donation program named “Encore – A Community Reuse Partnership” through which stage sets, computers, office supplies, and construction materials are donated to schools and non-profit organizations; an Environmental Procurement policy and purchasing specifications for Warner Bros., as well as Time Warner national contracts."

Bottled Water...It's on (nearly) Every SET!

2007-10-17T16:30:00.000-07:00

Watch this video about Bottled Water by Penn and Teller!

Petaluma Green Expo

2007-10-14T15:30:00.000-07:00

On Saturday, October 13, the Petaluma Community Center filled with vendors, producers and green businesses from Sonoma County to present their pursuit of a green future. From green event producers, to water conservation programs, it was a wonderful display of the wonderful efforts taking place in Sonoma County. Check out what's happening in Petaluma at: Petaluma Build It Green!

San Francisco West Coast Green

2007-10-12T17:44:00.000-07:00

West Coast Green hosted a very impressive conference in San Francisco in September. The conference was attended by key innovators in the field of Green Building. Several companies expressed an interested in providing studios and companies with eco-materials.

The Green Screen News

2007-10-11T15:14:00.000-07:00

Last month, Reel Green Media met up with a wonderful group of students that easily take your breath away-- THE GREEN SCREEN! They are a unique and dynamic group of 20 students from the Bay Area who write, direct, produce and edit a monthly internet television dedicated to the environment. Lauren Selman had the honor of being interviewed for THE GREEN NEWS

Association of Film Commissioners International

2007-09-01T15:09:00.000-07:00

On August 28, Lauren Selman had the opportunity to attend the Association of Film Commissioners International Conference to speak on a wonderful panel with Debbie Levin and Ginger Sledge about the environmental impact of filmmaking. The well versed panel presented concepts and ideas to a highly diverse audience of film commissioners from all over the world. Representatives from as far as South Africa, Thailand and London shared concern about this highly controversal topic. Many countries, counties, states and regions are beginning to design green programs! This conference prompted a wonderful response and hopefully more to come. Thank you AFCI, Suzy, Jennifer and Brenna for making this possible!

Pre-panel discussions with Debbie Levin and Ginger Sledge.

Way to Go California!

2007-03-12T11:40:00.000-07:00

CONGRATULATIONS to CALIFORNIA FILM COMMISSION! "Governor Schwarzenegger today joined Sony Pictures Entertainment executives in breaking ground on a new construction project that will benefit California's economy and environment. The Governor also announced the Green Resource Guide issued by the California Film Commission that provides production companies with information and tools to reduce their environmental footprint." Check out the CFC's Green Resource Guide

Film Commissioners take a stand!

2007-03-10T10:51:00.000-08:00

Historically, some of the most successful environmental movements have had to involve the government in one way or another. When it comes to our movies, film commissioners from around the world are taking a stand for their homes and the environment. I would like to personally acknowledge the efforts of Washington State, New Mexico and New Zealand for leading the way! Please visit their website and most of all, film there! I can promise that the locations will be outstanding because they are taking care of their environment! Thank you!

Read an article about New Mexico's Green Initiative Program at TreeHugger

2007-01-01T12:48:00.000-08:00

"One man's trash, is another man's treasure," or so the saying goes. In 2006, Reel Green Media formally known as C.R.E.A (Creative, Responsible, Environmental Art) rounded up a group of extremely talented creative artists to put together a traveling theater show depicting environmental themes. Peter Pan traveled to various homes collecting the "stories" or trash of Darling families around the globe. When he would bring the dumpsters full of trash to the lost boys, they would play till their hearts content. But as the waste began to accumulate on the island, it transformed into a live trash monster. The Darlings, Peter Pan and the Lost Boys had to quickly learn to recycle to save Neverland. Our version of Peter Pan, toured in several schools around the Bay Area and had a very rainy conclusion in my former backyard. All props were recycled and as Segura liked to joke, the actors were recycled, too!

About Lauren Selman

2006-08-17T23:10:00.000-07:00

Lauren Selman, an honors graduate with honors from UC Berkeley with a BS in Conservation Resource Studies and a BA in Theater Performance Studies, loves entertainment. But, she also has a passion for the environment. Lauren has been involved in theater, film and television since she was a child, but it was living in the Ecuador Amazon rainforest learning about the effects of oil development and then riding her bicycle across the United States, from Connecticut to San Francisco, that sparked and solidified her interest in the environment.

For her senior thesis, Selman conducted a two year study on what she loved most, movies and the planet. Her 'A+' senior thesis, titled "Lights, Camera, Eco-Action!" know makes her a knowledgeable asset to a discussion about greening the films. Although her paper has been turned in, she continues to gathers more about the latest information on what she calls, "reel greening!"

She has received numerous awards for both her involvement in the arts and the environment, including Departmental Citation for her Outstanding Artistic Achievements and Distinguished Bay Area Youth Activist at the World Sustainable Symposium. Selman recently spoke at the Association of Film Commissioners International conference in Santa Fe and has done several independent presentations for schools and companies. As a former intern at Circle of Life, Selman is now working with Julia Butterfly Hill's team on the greening of the film LUNA. She also has the great opportunity of working with the outstanding student team at THE GREEN SCREEN, writing her first book and consulting on independent projects. As an actor, producer, filmmaker, activist and academic, her philosophy is that with creativity and innovation, we can green the movies together!

She is always open for a conversation about what we can do to increase environmental practices on and off set, contact her at, REELGREENMEDIA@gmail.com

Have Reel Green Media come to your production!
REELGREENMEDIA@GMAIL.COM

Headshot Photo Credit: Lisa Keating