Annabelle Wilczur
Annabelle Wilczur is an Assistant Business Agent with the Directors Guild of Canada, British Columbia. After 25 years on set as an AD, Annabelle has since worked for both the Quebec and BC District Councils of the DGC since 2018. She publishes the column The Green Scene for the DGC BC's Newsletter to Members and DGC BC's LOGLINE for DGC BC Permittee Logbook Holders.
The Green Scene: Career Opportunities in Murder and Mayhem... and Sustainability
The DGC BC salutes the cast and crew of Career Opportunities in Murder and Mayhem (COMM), which filmed here from August to December 2022. Spearheaded in part by DGC BC Members Hans Dayal (Production Manager) and Noah Rogers (Sustainability Coordinator), this show made great strides forward in sustainability.
From careful selection of the most environmentally-conscious vendors, to having their own EcoDiesel tank on site for fueling generators, to piloting a reusable lunch container program that had great buy-in from the crew, COMM is a shining example of how BC productions can commit to lowering their carbon footprint.
In total, production estimates having diverted 80,000 single use containers and packaging from catering and craft service by using reusables.com (more on them in a future article!) – equal to 3.7 tons of waste (and the associated cost-saving in disposal fees) and over 14 tons of CO2 emissions avoided! By having refillable water stations they calculate having saved 50,000 plastic bottles from being disposed of. COMM also diverted 1.1 tons of set builds by reusing or donating sets, and used 60,000 litres of Renewable EcoDiesel (generated by Petro-Canada from organic waste), reducing their emissions footprint from generators and transport vehicles by over 172 tonnes – equivalent to NOT running 53 cars for a year, or the annual energy consumption of 40 homes!
These are awesome results and shine a light on the road ahead for sustainable production in BC. Change is possible – be a part of it! For ideas on ways to effect change, check out DGC National’s DGC Green site as well as Creative BC’s Reel Green website for new industry initiatives, green vendors, events and courses you can take.
Tell me what your show is doing to be more sustainable! Do you have a green tip or success story you'd like us to share in a future Ebulletin? Send me an email at awilczur@dgcbc.com.
In my article on clean energy from Dec. 9, 2022 I mentioned that replacing just one generator with a power tie-in can save approximately 350 l of diesel - that reduces CO2 emissions by nearly a whole METRIC TONNE (not 1 KG, as I had stated!)
Annabelle Wilczur
Assistant Business Agent
awilczur@dgcbc.com