Articles
All articles GFM has published in the last 10 years
about sustainability in film and TV.
Film Harvest Map now online!
For the past 2 years, Green Film Making has worked hard on the development of our Film Harvest Map, in collaboration with architectural firm Superuse Studios. And yesterday it was officially launched! Find public charging points, electric generators and battery packs in The Netherlands that can be used on the film set: www.filmoogstkaart.nl
You will find all tech specs and necessary contact details to get started right away. For the options of public charging points in several big Dutch cities we have had help from the local film commissioners. And all suppliers of sustainable applications listed on the map are ready to provide you with clean and quiet energy for the set.
Do you have comments, updates, additions or would like your own profile to create entries yourself? Contact us now!
Next year we will add to the map with options for sustainable set design, props and costumes. The map is not only limited to the Netherlands, new entries can be made for the entire world. Do you have ideas about cross-pollination with other initiatives or sectors that could find the map useful, we’re happy to hear from you!
Production team The Big Escape goes the extra mile
Dutch production company BlazHoffski wants to produce as sustainably as possible and asked Green Film Making to consult their productions. And so on June 4th, sustainability manager Els Rientjes met with executive producer Nicolle Weenink and production manager Yara Graber, who were scheduled to shoot their third series of The Big Escape, a big reality game show with Dutch celebrities, in September.
Sustainable goals live broadcast classical concert ‘Prinsengracht’
Good preparation is half the battle! In 2019 Green Film Making joined the production team of the big annual live broadcast of the classical Prinsengracht concert in Amsterdam. Broadcaster AVROTROS raised the bar and, in addition to the many studio and news shows that had already been consulted, wanted to shoot this major event as sustainably as possible. Ronald Kok, the producer of the show, knows how the cookie crumbles and how to collaborate with partner Pulitzer Hotel.
On the way to the top: Taking stock after 4.5 years of Green Film Making
photo: Summer With Rana by Sanne Vogel
By Sustainability Manager Els Rientjes
In January 2015 I took over from Strawberry Earth and founded the Green Film Making Foundation. Now, 4.5 years later, I look back on a time of hard work, a lot of pushing and pulling, but also a time of meeting many professionals from the industry who really want to work together towards a different approach. Together we made beautiful films and shows produced in a more sustainable way.
Rethinking waste: Sustainable Set Design
photo: Set of Les Misérables (BBC, 2018) reclaimed by DRESD
Whether it’s a police station in 1980, a medieval alleyway or the inside of a space shuttle; a lot of time and material goes into making a fitting decor. Unfortunately, all this beautiful work is usually not very long-lived. Two years ago the conclusion of our workshop “Art Department, Costumes and Make-up” was that there is a great need for a shared set depot and prop house, a revival of the former NOB. Specifically because there is a desire from the industry to reclaim sets and to reuse them instead of throwing them away. And a lot can be gained in the art department in terms of reuse, recycling and upcycling.
Sustainable generators: Volta Naos and The Green Generator
Slowly but surely the range of alternatives for the diesel generator is growing. Especially the silence of an electrical unit suits a set on location really well. In addition to the True Hybrid, GreenBattery, Wattsun and Greener, that are already known in our sector, The Green Generator and Volta Naos are being used in the construction and event sectors. With its maximum 10 kVA, the Volta would fit well on a smaller set and the Green Generator provides the necessary certainty and power for a larger production with fewer movements. Green Film Making visited The Green Generator’s home base just outside of Amsterdam. And location manager Ralf Wentink is investigating the possibilities for using the Volta for the production of an English mini-series to be shot on Dutch soil.