Sustainable Production Forum’s Ripple Effect

Written by GTB Co-founder Jessie Nagel

So much of my time is spent online – in video meetings, writing, emailing, viewing content - so when there’s an opportunity to gather in person it can feel like a rare experience. SPF, the Sustainable Production Forum (not the sunscreen rating) was just such an opportunity. An intimate gathering of people working at the intersection of media and environment, SPF Vancouver (Canada, for those in the Pacific Northwest) is a full day of programming from panels to round tables to workshops. Circularity, on set electrification, AI, and Indigenous led storytelling were just a few of the topics covered under the overarching notion of the ripple effect. 

I was invited to present as part of a sequential series of six minute presentations united under one daunting theme: The Big Idea. If six minutes solo wasn’t daunting enough, I opted to present with storytelling – hoping to emulate a kind of TED talk vibe but without the tiny mic and red dot carpet – because, I reasoned, everything is personal. 

And so I spoke about childhood influences and how Green The Bid was built and continues to grow by channeling our individual “superpowers” in collective action. And while most people did not opt to apply comedy in their slides, as I did for better or worse, each person at SPF had a moment, an experience, that sparked and continues to lead them in the pursuit of a more just and environmentally friendly future. A few of the people I met were ocean divers, seeing up close the changes to underwater landscapes, others were filmmakers turning a lens on environmental issues, or producers who decided to change the system after years of seeing waste generated on set. 

These moments were revealed in one-on-one conversations and on the stage, although inspiration was matched with tactical applications. There was a suggestion to campaign for No Glue in the art department so that wood could be easily reclaimed and reused – which is a simple idea with potentially huge impact. Others discussed electrification and the ways solar & electrical were making sets more energy efficient and, as a welcome byproduct, quieter. Organizations like Reel Green, shared resources that, like Green The Bid’s, are available for anyone to access and use. 

At the end of the day there was a networking event. Or, as a few of us dubbed it, a dance party – although we were the only ones dancing, a touch awkwardly. We laughed and shared, more casually than during the programming, finding connection and joy in the day’s discoveries. It was palpable and tangible – we were already seeing it, the ripple effect.