Blog Action Day 2009: Does Visual Effects Ruin our Environment?

Climate Change, the chosen cause for this year's Blog Action Day helped me realize how much we as human beings are using up our natural resources. Too many of us in the United States and abroad have taken natural resources for granted. Everyone is responsible for the negative effects that are taking place on our environment, including those of us in the entertainment industry. For every movie that Hollywood makes each year, there are probably thousands of independent films produced around the country that can be more energy efficient. There is one area in particular that many film producers are neglecting when taking climate change into consideration.

The sections on efficiency and unplugging electronics in 10 Solutions for Climate Change are two subjects that movie producers consider make environmentally friendly decisions during post-production. According to the 10 Solutions piece, electronic devices cost us more money when they are turned off than on because they use more energy during this downtime. Unplugging electronic items, a practice that movie producers film editors should adopt can not only save us money but energy as well. Star Trek and X-Men Origins: Wolverine are not even the tip of the iceberg when calculating the number of movies released just this year that included visual effects (or special effects). The movie 2012 even has a special video on how detailed the visual effects process was to create tidal waves for this film.

With all of the visual effects needed to create blockbuster hits at your local movie theater, that is a lot of computers, TV monitors, video cameras, tape decks and other electronic devices that can easily reserve our energy by simply being unplugged. If Hollywood movies are using up this much energy, how many independent films are adding to the problem of climate change? Broken, Alex Ferrari's entertaining short film was praised for it's elaborate special effects but that's just one film. There are probably hundreds, if not thousands of horror, action and Sci-Fi movies that are produced independently and come loaded with visual effects. This includes hours of work in addition to the time it takes to edit a rough cut of these movies.

The Sundance Film Festival alone claims to receive over 9,000 submissions each year. I wonder how many of those submissions have contributed to global warming by heavy use of special effects equipment. The lighting in post-production facilities may also affect climate change if standard incandescent light bulbs are being used instead of more energy efficient products such as compact fluorescent lights. Sure, the work area of special effects editors need to be illuminated for them to be able to locate the proper tools to do their job. There is still a way to reduce climate change during the movie production process by getting rid of lights that produce carbon dioxide emissions.

While unplugging special effects equipment and using energy efficient light bulbs is one way to reduce the potential for drastic changes to our earth, efficiency during production is another way to bring positive adjustments to climate change. As independent producers, we would be more efficient by shooting on location, reducing the energy use of special effects teams that we have depended on to make our movies more extravagant in post-production. This could mean the loss of many jobs in the post-production sector that specializes in effects, which is another subject in and of itself but our mere existence and survival is more important today than tomorrow. Special Effects teams could adapt their skills to be put to use on location rather than in editing rooms equipped with computers, monitors and other forms of technology that uses lots of energy on a constant basis.

While indie film producers are trying to land distribution deals and compete with major Hollywood studios, keeping the importance of climate change in mind can help to reduce major environmental disruptions in the coming years. I know some of you reading this may be thinking "Climate Change? Global Warming?...who cares?!!!" and yes, I thought the same thing too over the last two years until now. It's not as boring or insignificant as we may think because climate change affects the earth on many levels that we rely on everyday including our water supply, air supply and cooling systems.

How do you think movies are adding to Climate Change?
Leave your comments below!

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New Movies Behind the scenes: Brooklyn's Finest

Richard Gere is among the cast of a new movie which is to be released in 2009 (or it's release will be announced in 2009) titled "Brooklyn's Finest". This movie is currently in production with lots of filming in New York. I found some cool behind the scenes content and it looks like they are working on something noticeable on this movie set.

Brooklyn's Finest tells different stories of a group of police officers who are all related to a particular crime scene in some way. According to one Cinemablend article, these cops are corrupted. This could make for an entertaining movie to watch. We shall find out next year, or whenever Brooklyn's Finest is released. Richard Gere is just one highlight of this movie worth noting. He will also be joined by Ethan Hawke and Don Cheadle, two actors who have been favorites among movie fans for years.

The movie poster for Brooklyn's Finest is appealing. It gives the impression of cover art for one dark film, which may actually be the case. The MTV logo has me concerned. Not that MTV always makes bad films or gets involved with ones that flop, but their idea of good entertainment is sometimes different than the quality of films that say....are nominated for Academy Awards or even Independent Spirit Awards. Still, this is a nice looking poster. The colors and design make me want to find out what this movie is about, which could turn into me actually buying a movie ticket when it is released in theaters.

The fact that there are three cop-like shadows shown like they are deep in an alley somewhere is quite suspicuous. Cheers to the designer who created the poster. Now, whether or not this will be the actual poster that is marketed to the masses once Brooklyn's Finest is completed....who knows? If it is, it just may be worthwhile to moviegoers. Famed actor Wesley Snipes was also reported to be in this movie. However, I found an article that stated he was going to play a role that is currenly occupied by Don Cheadle. So, is Wesley Snipes in Brooklyn's Finest or not? I guess we will have to find that out once more press is released on this movie.

It wouldn't be odd if Wesley Snipes was going to do the role and then Don Cheadle replaced him for this movie. It's kind of like when they started casting for that Notorious B.I.G. movie and considered Forrest Whitaker for the main role and then looked for someone else. It's just normal Hollywood stuff. How about this for some interesting behind-the-scenes information: The New York Post reported that a scene from Brookyln's Finest had to be cut because they had a parking issues with the city (NY, that is). That report seems to be a rumor though.

Now, this movie was not written by a famous Hollywood screenwriter who had years of experience and a dozen of produced films to brag about. Apparenltly, Brooklyn's Finest was a script written by a guy who worked at a tollbooth in New York. He entered it into a screenwriting competition with hopes that the prize money would help him to purchase a new car. Instead, the script put on the radar of a Warner Bros. Studio producer who was looking for someone to write a sequel to the 90's hit, New Jack City. Examining how this all went down, it now seems understandable how Wesley Snipes would be involved withBrooklyn's Finest because he was probably already on the casting list for that New Jack gangster sequel.

Movie Stats:
Brooklyn's Finest
Written By Michael C. Martin
Directed By Antoine Fuqua
Starring Richard Gere, Don Cheadle and Ethan Hawke (Possibly Wesley Snipes as well, or not)

What was your favorite cop movie?
Leave your comments below

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My Own Prison

As this year comes to and end and a new one arrives, I've looked back on these last 12 months and am disappointed with what has been accomplished. There were plans for a few online videos, short movies and at least a second draft of this awesome screenplay for a feature length movie that I want to produce. It seems that the reasons for this lack of accomplishment can only be attributed to less determination and life in general. Oh, I almost forgot to add the short documentary into the list of projects to be worked on this year. Now, the short documentary is completed, but has been in a distribution limbo since earlier this year. That is due to much procrastination on my part and expenses that seem to amass with no ending in sight.

After attempting to survive on the work-at-home and freelance gigs, it has become apparent that they will not keep me afloat when it comes to the cost of living. Even if they can be taken to that point, there is nothing left over to even grant one purchase of a DV videotape or food for actors. Therefore, I have decided to apply for "regular" jobs only to find much difficulty in that. Where has that landed me? Not any further than I was in high school. This seems to raise a feeling of being stuck in one place in life forever. I did not take out loans to attend school and obtain higher education only so that I could end up working a cash register and making not much over the minimum wage rate to live. There has to be a better way. As I try to figure out where to take this and what the next step will be, I can only hope that something better will come in the new year. Back to the mission at hand....Independent Filmmaking.

The plans are minimal but realistic and steady, which can foster more productivity on each project. The only thing standing in the way of completing these projects are willpower and empty mugs where lots of tea and ginseng should be. What a huge roadblock I have created for myself. At the end of the day, I don't feel like working on a script, turning on a camera, setting a production in motion or even writing this blog. That is not good and will have to change for something to be different in 2008.