The State of Hollywood Sustainability: More Climate Storylines, Sustainability on Set and More

2 months ago

The Hollywood Reporter and the Sustainable Entertainment Alliance hosted The Sustainability in Entertainment Honors at the Hotel Bel-Air and timed to THR's annual Sustainability Issue.

The event featured a conversation on the state of Hollywood sustainability, moderated by Sustainable Entertainment Alliance executive director Sam Read with director Kat Coiro, Netflix sustainability officer Emma Stewart, Adam Umhoefer (executive, community & impact at CAA) and Gabriele Almon (senior director, advocacy at the Television Academy).

The chat touched on the need for more climate storylines, the push to normalize talking about sustainability on set and asking questions, the importance of talking to sustainability officers at Hollywood companies to help put plans in motion and the desire to change the way things have been done in the industry for decades, despite pushback.

Transcript

00:00Thank you all for being here with us today. You all sit at sort of unique vantage points into this

00:04work. So I want to start with sort of why this work and why now. Adam, I'm going to come

00:10to you to start. You work at CAA and lead a lot of this work working with creatives and talent

00:17across the industry. What are you hearing from folks about their interest in this work and engagement with sustainability, both

00:23on set and on screen?

00:24Yeah, of course. And thank you to the Hollywood Reporter and Stainable Entertainment Alliance for having us here today. I'm

00:30Adam Umayfer from CAA. The great thing is everybody cares about this issue. Everybody cares. I have yet to encounter

00:40any client who's like, no, I'm good on climate.

00:45So our challenge is how to engage. And you see this across society, across our communities. People care about this

00:54issue. We know this for a fact across partisan lines. It's something that is on people's minds. But the problem

01:01is they just don't know what to do.

01:03They feel hopeless. They feel overwhelmed. They feel paralyzed by the scale of the problem. What can I as an

01:09individual do? And the amazing thing about our community in this ecosystem that has grown over the last few years

01:18in Hollywood is that we have answers for just about everyone in Hollywood.

01:23For every potential job or role. There is something you can do in the course of your everyday work that

01:33can help this issue. Kat will talk about what she's been able to do as a director. The room is

01:40full of the representatives from the Sustainable Entertainment Alliance who are doing incredible things in sustainable production.

01:47And when it comes to the on-screen talent, we're providing opportunities for them to engage in ways ranging from

01:56working with the sustainability people at the studios to ensure that productions that they work on are being done to

02:05a standard of excellence.

02:08And then more importantly, as we just saw with the award that was given, the on-screen world. There's so

02:16much opportunity in the stories that are being told in film and television. We all know this. This has been

02:22true for a hundred years. What people see on screen affects how they think and how they behave.

02:29And so the cultural opportunity is incredible. Every actor we present with this idea that they can have a role

02:42in changing that and bringing these stories to the screen is thrilled and excited. And so across the board, people

02:49want to engage.

02:50Love to hear it. Kat, coming to you next. Obviously, you are a director and have been a long-time

02:57advocate for sort of the possibilities of what we can impact with what we show on screen and your work

03:02with Lights, Camera, Plastic.

03:04Can you talk a little bit about why this work is so important to you and sort of how it

03:08affects your approach from directing?

03:11I remember starting out and feeling so proud of myself for having one of my first big jobs. And I

03:18walked out by a dumpster that was filled to the top with plastic bottles that had been used maybe in

03:25one day of creating a story.

03:27And it completely deflated me because I said, I love my job, but I don't want to be part of

03:33this huge problem. And we are big, you know, movies and television shows.

03:38There's so many people working. There's so many resources that need to come together to make a story. So how

03:44can we be responsible? That was the impetus for me. How can we tell great stories that are entertaining and

03:52also not be completely irresponsible, really?

03:57And as I was working my way through my career, I started with what I could control as a director,

04:06which was not everything, but what was on screen and really using the philosophy that we have power.

04:14You know, media is very powerful and what we show influences people.

04:17So if we normalize sustainability, if we normalize responsible practices, maybe not even just normalize, but make it cool, you

04:26know, then we will have a message, you know, beyond just the stories that we tell, but also helping people

04:35who are watching to make more sustainable choices.

04:39Um, and that's kind of how lights, um, and that's kind of how lights, camera, plastic came about, um, through

04:44a not-for-profit called habits of waste. And then my work on the ground. And what I have found

04:50that is so exciting is, you know, big deal. You're taking plastic off the screen. That's not saving the world.

04:57It opens the door to conversation. And like you said, uh, I was in an event last night for Good

05:05Energy in the TV Academy. And they were saying that people think that 40% of people care about the

05:12environment, but actually it's much more than that.

05:14And so when we start having these conversations, we build community. And what I have found in the six years

05:21since I've been eradicating single-use plastic and waste from the screen is that it then comes to behind the

05:27scenes. And then the actors want to make good choices. And then the productions say, well, what can we do

05:34to reduce our carbon footprint? What can we do to have more sustainable generators?

05:38And so, you know, on my last production, we broke some records at Universal in partnership with Greener Light because

05:47the conversations were being had from, from the get-go, from the jump. And I think what you said is

05:54also very poignant. People feel powerless. They look at the problems and they think it's so big. I can't do

06:01anything. And so I say, just start with one thing and don't worry if you do it perfectly. Just do

06:06one thing and talk about it.

06:08And it does, it does spread. It is contagious.

06:13Absolutely.

06:15I love that.

06:17Gabby, I'm going to come to you now. Obviously, the Television Academy has a massive membership, I think over 27

06:23,000 members across pretty much every discipline of this industry.

06:27So I'm curious where sustainability fits into the Academy's agenda and sort of are members raising it with you guys?

06:34Absolutely. Plus one to all the thank yous. It's wonderful to be here today.

06:39Yes. So of our 27,000 members, we do believe that many of them care about this issue and we

06:49want to help them engage this topic as much as they'd like.

06:55So it's one of the core issues that we're dedicating resources to, to help our members find the stories that

07:01they want to tell around this topic.

07:03This Earth Month, we've put together a series of about eight different workshops for all of our members to engage

07:10with, to find resources.

07:12We had a special event last night to build some community that really over the next year, we're going to

07:18be taking our members to places that are experiencing climate change so that they can find the stories that they

07:24want to tell.

07:24I think something that's interesting being, excuse me, the director of advocacy at the TV Academy is that it's my

07:32job to really think about how our members can engage the issues that they care about.

07:37And for us, a directive that I have is, this is going to happen again and again, is that we

07:47will never tell our members what stories that they should be telling.

07:51That's for storytellers to decide.

07:54It's my job to figure out how can I stoke your curiosity about a topic?

07:58How can I wrap resources around you, connect you with interesting research experts you otherwise wouldn't have access to and

08:08provide that foundation for you to find what you're most passionate about and create from there.

08:13And that's what we're trying to do over the next two years and we'll see where it goes.

08:17All right.

08:18Sounds like it's off to a strong start.

08:21All right.

08:22I want to dig a little bit into the production side of sustainability.

08:26So Emma, I'm going to come to you.

08:27Netflix has obviously done a lot of great things to decarbonize production, whether that's geothermal energy at your Albuquerque facility

08:34or clean mobile power.

08:36Why is it such a priority for Netflix and where are you guys seeing the most progress?

08:41When you pause and think about the energy it takes to create and birth a story, we often think about

08:48the creative energy.

08:49But it also takes a lot of physical energy, whether in liquid form or electrical form.

08:56And thus far, we've been kind of dinosaurs using old technologies like diesel generators that are loud.

09:06They break down.

09:07They're quite expensive and they're very smelly.

09:11Why would we choose that when there are mobile batteries, when there's green hydrogen power units, when we can tie

09:18into a grid that itself is producing cleaner and cleaner energy by the day?

09:23And so we think about this as a business justification for doing what is good for our productions.

09:32We understand that it is lending itself to more creative agility and that allows us to put more value on

09:38the screen.

09:40Oh, and by the way, it helps us meet our 2030 climate targets to decarbonize our footprint.

09:46Now, we cannot do this alone.

09:49This is an industry that thrives on a shared ecosystem.

09:54Just like natural ecosystems, turns out we're all interdependent.

09:58We share crew.

09:59We share creators.

10:00We share process.

10:01We share vendors.

10:02So that means that we have to do this all arm in arm and the technologies and the skills and

10:09the trainings and the incentive systems and the certifications all need to apply and be equally available across the industry.

10:19And what I'm happy to report is just over the past two years, we've actually managed to have cleaner technologies

10:27on every single production by Netflix.

10:35Now, thank you, but hold your applause.

10:38We have a long way to go.

10:40I do, however, want to just take a moment to celebrate an example that will be honored later today, which

10:46is the Burroughs.

10:51They may or may not be sitting in the front row.

10:54Now, this is filmed in Albuquerque, New Mexico, where we have a Netflix studio that has gone very deep on

11:01sustainability.

11:01And I mean that quite literally.

11:03We have bored 300 holes for geothermal so that it is passive heating and cooling.

11:09We have a five megawatt solar array and a three megawatt storage system.

11:13So that means the electrons that we are providing to the productions, like the Burroughs, are already clean.

11:20They don't need to worry about it.

11:21We have so many charging stations, including fast charging stations.

11:25The crew don't need to be concerned.

11:28Will I have enough juice to get my job done?

11:30Can I do this in 20 minutes and still keep us on time?

11:34And the team, I must compliment them, just relished this.

11:40They couldn't get enough mobile batteries.

11:42They couldn't get enough EVs.

11:44In fact, they were the first in the world, we think, to pilot electric Shorty 40s, which are a truck

11:50specific for our industry.

11:53So let's give them applause for you.

11:59But as you heard when Sam very capably rattled off the number of members in the Sustainable Entertainment Alliance, we

12:05cannot do this in a silo.

12:07We cannot do this as Netflix alone.

12:10And so we work every day finding the opportunities that are a shared challenge.

12:16As an example, when we saw there weren't enough mobile batteries available in all of the places we shoot,

12:21we knocked on Disney's door and we said, what do your needs look like?

12:25Oh, quite similar to ours.

12:27And we joined forces with them and technology incubators.

12:31And we started innovating and growing the supply of those mobile batteries so that everyone has access to one when

12:37they need it.

12:38And I think that's really indicative of the opportunities that have yet to be tapped,

12:43is looking across those fences and finding those unconventional partnerships.

12:47I love it.

12:53All right, Cal, we're going to we're going to stay on the production side of things with you.

12:57And obviously, you have a great new movie out, You, Me and Tuscany.

13:00And I know you and the NBCUniversal team did a lot of, you know, shout out, You, Me and Tuscany.

13:06You and the NBCUniversal team did a lot of great work with EVs and batteries and renewable diesel and reducing

13:12waste.

13:12I'm curious, you know, as a director, is there a different vibe on set when when sustainability initiatives are being

13:19implemented?

13:20And what would you maybe say to a director who's interested in this, but nervous, whether about pushback or budget

13:26or other things like that to take the first step?

13:28Well, the first thing I would tell you, if you're a filmmaker, a director, a producer, an actor, any kind

13:34of filmmaker, all the studios have these incredible teams.

13:37They cannot really reach out to you.

13:40You have to reach out to them.

13:42And then once you do, you will have so many resources.

13:46All of your fears can be allayed by these guys.

13:49You know, I've done my studio films at Universal, and so I've been working with The Greener Light.

13:54When I did my first film, I didn't know they existed, so I was kind of working in a vacuum.

13:58And this time around, you know, anything I was worried about, oh, too many water bottles, how do we get

14:03filling stations?

14:04You know, all the way to the electric cars.

14:06And, you know, I just talked to them.

14:10So, you know, you're going to hear me on like a broken record.

14:12Communicate.

14:13Talk to people.

14:15Ask questions.

14:17But that's the thing.

14:18They exist, and they exist at all the studios, and they are literally there to help you make your productions

14:25greener.

14:25And a lot of people don't know that.

14:28So that's kind of my rallying cry, is get that.

14:32Because once you have more systemic support, it's a lot easier than trying to do things on your own.

14:39Does that answer the question?

14:40Is there another part of the question?

14:42What's the vibe like on set when doing sustainability?

14:45You know, it's a self-esteem builder.

14:49I mean, it sounds silly, but it's like we all want to be good.

14:52We all want to help the world.

14:55And so when you start seeing it happening, you feel good.

14:59And people feel good about themselves.

15:02And then maybe the person who doesn't care about the world feels a little shame.

15:05And they use the bottle anyway, even though they didn't want to.

15:10They want to, you know, be litter bugs.

15:14And so it's really, you know, that community building.

15:17I have found that people get excited, too.

15:20And you'll have the set dressers and the prop masters.

15:24And, you know, those people go, oh, my God, I didn't know you could dress a set without using plastic.

15:29And it's actually made me more creative.

15:31And I've had great conversations with writers where, like you, I never step on story, right?

15:37For me, I don't tell climate stories.

15:40I tell big escapist fantasies.

15:43And then I put subliminal messages in them.

15:46But, you know, what I find is that people get really excited to kind of solve those problems.

15:54And so, you know, I've had every member of the crew come up and be like, oh, you know what

15:59it is?

15:59It's empowering.

16:01And my job as a director is really just to make everybody feel their best and strong and good.

16:07And so when they feel like they can do their job well and do good, they feel good.

16:13And that's kind of the goal.

16:15I love it.

16:15Empowerment and shame, two powerful forces.

16:18You know, they go hand in hand.

16:20I try not to shame too much, but.

16:23All right.

16:24I want to pivot us a little bit from our carbon footprint to our cultural footprint as an industry.

16:29And thinking about the storytelling side of this work.

16:32Obviously, we are hearing from today some incredible storytellers who are doing this work.

16:37Gabby, I'll start with you.

16:39The Television Academy sits at this really unique intersection of celebrating excellence and supporting the industry.

16:44When you think about what makes a great story that's going to resonate with audiences, what do you think makes

16:50climate change such a compelling subject area to explore?

16:56I think there are two elements when we talk about climate that I think translate really well to story.

17:02One is humanity and humanity showing its best self.

17:11But also conflict.

17:13So prior to starting at the Television Academy, I was a Homeland Security advisor and humanitarian responder for about 10

17:22years.

17:24And excuse me, I'm getting over a cold.

17:28I watched my colleagues respond to every kind of emergency that you can think of.

17:33Volcanic eruptions, hurricanes, flooding.

17:38And I really saw the best in them.

17:39And it's actually seeing the people who stand guard every day to help people on their worst day that inspired

17:48me to support storytellers in this role.

17:52And I think, I believe, I have the hunch, and I'm starting to see it quite a bit at the

17:56Television Academy, is that all of you, all the storytellers have a sense that there's a story to be told

18:04here.

18:04I just need a little bit of help finding it.

18:09And, of course, you know, with climate, there's a number of points of conflict here as people trying to figure

18:15out, well, what resources are going to be available to all of us and who's going to lay access to

18:20those resources.

18:22So, again, going back to an answer I shared before, because it's very true, I feel like it's my responsibility

18:28to help our storytellers, our members, find where those stories are.

18:33And with the mandate that, again, we cannot tell our members what stories to tell, how can we best bring

18:39them to the places where they can find it?

18:41So, that's something that we're actively working on now, and I think there's a lot of really good to come.

18:46I love it.

18:47Adam, along those lines of sort of how we can support storytellers, you said at the intersection of a lot

18:52of this work sort of connecting creatives with resources to help them, including with the Great Grey's Anatomy team that

18:57we'll hear from later.

18:58When these initiatives work, what do you think makes them successful, and are there any areas of opportunity that you're

19:04excited to see people explore?

19:06Yeah, so we have a client who's a scientist and renowned climate activist, Ayanna Elizabeth Johnson.

19:14Brilliant, brilliant.

19:17And her line, she says again and again and again, about the problem globally, not talking film and TV here,

19:27but globally, she always says, we have so many solutions available to us today, we don't need to wait for

19:35the technology.

19:36We don't need to wait for, you know, some, you know, unexpected development that helps us solve this.

19:43We have solutions we can implement today.

19:45And that's, that's the key thing here, is that this room is full of people, and then there's a whole

19:52bunch of people who are in this room who are so well-equipped to make this stuff happen.

19:58Whether it's story consulting, sustainable production, but, but when it comes to story, you know, it's really a lightbulb moment

20:08for people when you explain to them, hey, there are a million ways you can integrate climate themes into your

20:15story.

20:16It, it does not have to be the main plot. We would love, as Stephen Markley said earlier, we would,

20:22we'd, we'd love for there to be more features that, that address the, the crisis head on, but there are

20:27ways to integrate climate themes in every single story because it's a reality in all of our lives.

20:33It is, it is the reality we are living right now.

20:36And so when you do tell those climate stories, you're telling, you're telling stories that actually are, are, are touching

20:44people's real lives.

20:46It's, it's what they're experiencing.

20:48And when you sit down with a, a creative team, whether it's writers or showrunner, uh, and, and one of

20:57the many brilliant story consulting groups that, that are here and involved in our ecosystem, go through the, the many

21:04different ways you can tell a climate story.

21:06It's, it's a lightbulb moment.

21:08I've seen it happen time and time and time again, because ultimately it's just another creative challenge.

21:13And that's what, that's what writers are there to do.

21:15They're to solve creative challenges.

21:17How do I get this character from point A to point B, uh, and, and throwing in a, a, a,

21:23a, a challenge to them to, to write in a climate theme is, is it can be fun.

21:28It can be exciting.

21:29And again, it reflects our real world.

21:31So when that all comes together, you end up with something that really touches people because it's, it's, it's true.

21:39And it's, it's what's happening in our world today.

21:42And we'll, we'll see that a little bit later when we, when we talk to the Grey's Anatomy team.

21:45Um, but it, it's, it's, it's, it's, it's almost so simple, uh, that, you know, it's, it's just obvious and,

21:54and, and it really works.

21:55Yeah.

21:56It's an unlock.

21:57Uh, speaking of it working, Emma, uh, Netflix has a history of these type of titles going from don't look

22:03up up to thrash, which came out a week ago of stories that engage with climate and sustainability.

22:07Also really connecting with broad audiences.

22:10Why do you think that is?

22:12And what do you think audiences are responding to?

22:14So we're in the business of making stories that are beloved for people in every corner of planet earth.

22:22And that means variety because people are different to state the obvious.

22:26And what we have found is that sustainability is actually a theme really conducive to variety.

22:33It's experienced locally as well as globally.

22:36It transcends borders.

22:38And as important for this industry, it transcends genres.

22:43So you can have your heartstrings pulled by an octopus in my octopus teacher, or you can have a moment

22:53of fangirling and a little giggle watching Zac Efron tour you around the world, showing you sustainability solutions and down

23:01to earth with Zac Efron.

23:03Or you can be haunted by the beauty of an old growth forest in critically acclaimed films like train dreams.

23:12Or you can talk to Adam McKay about sharks.

23:18So the maker of Don't Look Up just came out with Thrash on Netflix.

23:24And let me get this log line right.

23:27I don't want to screw this up.

23:29It follows a group of stranded residents who, after a catastrophic, unprecedented hurricane, slams their coastal town.

23:36They must try to survive rapidly amidst rising waters.

23:41Swarming with sharks.

23:44Now, this is a great example because that hurricane doesn't happen absent climate change.

23:51And the scientist on screen talks about that.

23:54Now, what's most interesting is here you have a climate sustainability film.

24:01Wildly, and I mean that in the double entendre sense of the word, when we're talking about sharks, wildly resonating

24:07with audiences.

24:08It came out just a bit ago on April 10th.

24:12In four days became our number one most watched English film globally.

24:16It is still at number one.

24:19It has been viewed by 34 million households.

24:22And it has hit number one in 82 countries.

24:33But the person who perhaps put it best is the star actor, Phoebe Deneva.

24:39She, in a recent video interview, which I urge you all to look up, and I will not attempt her

24:45beautiful British accent,

24:46said filmmakers, our filmmakers, wanted to tell a story about how climate change throws nature out of balance,

24:54like sharks following warmer ocean temperatures and prey closer to the shore, which in this story does not go well.

25:02It's really a story about a planet under pressure and what's possible when people come together to change course for

25:10a better future.

25:11Now, we are proud to have worked on Don't Look Up All the Way Through Thrash,

25:16but those are just two of the over 200 films and television stories in our sustainability collection on the service,

25:25which we've curated because we know that members are looking for them.

25:29They're looking to have their heartstring pulled by an octopus.

25:33Aren't we all?

25:37All right.

25:38We are almost out of time, so we're going to do two quick rapid-fire questions.

25:42My first one that I would love each of your responses on.

25:45If you could wave a magic wand and change one thing about how this industry approaches sustainability,

25:51whether that's a practice, a policy, a cultural norm, what would it be?

25:55Kat, I'm going to start with you and run on.

25:56No!

25:58Everything.

26:01No, you know, look, I'll talk about what I care about, which is waste.

26:06I want to end a production.

26:07I want the sets to be reused.

26:09Other movies can use those sets.

26:11It's easy to redress them.

26:13We've done that on the show I work on, Matlock.

26:16We do it over and over.

26:18We did it in Italy with You, Me, and Tuscany, where we sent those sets.

26:22Sometimes it's to other movies.

26:23Sometimes it's to schools who need supplies.

26:26And you can do it with the props that are used, with the clothing that is used, with the food

26:30at the end of the day.

26:31Either donate it or compost it.

26:33Do not throw it away.

26:35And every production should have reusable water bottles.

26:39And this comes from the studio.

26:40We need filling stations for those water bottles.

26:43We can't tell people to use their water bottles and then not have a way to fill it.

26:46And, you know, I would love to walk away from a set and have created the minimal amount of waste

26:52and feel like I created a story, but not a big, giant pile of trash.

26:57Amen.

27:01All right, Gabby, you're up.

27:03Yes, I would say every script that gets greenlit has that opportunity.

27:08Well, they do have the opportunity to certainly get an invitation and time to go through and see how climate

27:15themes, both acknowledging it, integrating solutions, integrating adaptation strategies can be incorporated so the storyteller can decide what they'd like

27:25to include and not.

27:27Great.

27:32I would just say we need to normalize talking about it and asking questions.

27:37As you noted, people care about it, but don't think other people do.

27:41If we start talking about it, we will realize that it is something that we all are invested in.

27:46We all care about finding solutions.

27:48And when you start asking questions, as Kat noted, you know, talk to the sustainability person at the studio.

27:55They're going to give you a whole host of solutions that are going to help you tackle this problem.

28:02So normalize talking about it and asking questions.

28:05Can I add something, Adam?

28:06Can the sustainability leads at the studios raise their hand that are here?

28:12Stand up.

28:13Stand up.

28:13Come on.

28:14Let's see.

28:15Come on, guys.

28:18They're so shy.

28:22One, I'm sorry, Emma, to be taking away your time.

28:25No, no, no.

28:26Call us.

28:27Call us.

28:27But that's the point.

28:29It's to recognize, one, the good work that you do.

28:31But also, I imagine that there are people who are sitting here thinking, this sounds wonderful.

28:36I sound a little bit, I feel a little bit inspired, but I kind of don't know what to do

28:39next.

28:39I'm overwhelmed.

28:41So I would say, if you're in the room and you want to take your first step or an additional

28:47step, please find anyone up here.

28:50We're all connected to one another.

28:52Find a sustainability lead and just ask, you know, the question, where do I start?

28:57And we'll help you.

28:58We'll get on the phone.

28:59We'll text one another.

29:00Can you raise your hand one more time?

29:03They're there.

29:04We're here.

29:04We're here for you.

29:06Go find them.

29:07All right, Emma, close us out here.

29:08Well, apparently, I'm big on double entendres today, so I'm just going to go with it.

29:13Mine is question the dinosaurs.

29:17And I mean that on two levels.

29:19One, every time you're confronted with an answer of, sorry, that's just how it's done here.

29:24Or, sorry, this industry has been doing it this way for decades, dear.

29:29Question them.

29:31And the reason it's a double entendre is, obviously, we don't need to be using energy from dinosaurs we dug

29:38up.

29:41We have infinite sun power and quite a bit of wind power.

29:45And it turns out they're cheaper than dug up dinosaurs.

29:49I love it.

29:51All right.

29:52We are going to wrap it there.

29:54As Gabby mentioned, there are incredible resources in the room.

29:57There are also incredible resources, including the Green Production Guide, on our website at sustainableentertainmentalliance.org for both on-set