Green Crew Hero, Producer Alec Pedersen.
Green The Bid Crew Heroes is a series that highlights individuals who bring sustainable practices to any area of the production process, and seek to inspire others to do the same. Production can’t happen without all crew-members (both on set and off), and the same is true of their support of Green The Bid.
Here Green The Bid’s Kat Friis talks to Producer Alec Pedersen.
K.F. Where did you grow up and how did it inform how you do your job today?
A.P. I grew up in the southwest suburbs of Chicago, IL.
My first love was movies. Going to the local theater to watch films was one of my favorite things to do. I started reading a lot about how films are made. I started filming with a camcorder and taking still photographs. I really enjoyed taking pictures of nature. When it came time to pick a vocation, a career in film made sense to me. I made my way to film school at Columbia College Chicago, graduated, and then moved to LA. After several years working at a production company on the backlot of Universal, I pivoted to finance. Today, twenty years later, I have a business partner and a wonderful financial planning practice but never lost my love of film. So after a while, I started producing feature films with a sustainable message. I also now have two kids so it simultaneously changed my thinking and sped up my action about preserving the planet. So when one of my best friends, Founder & CEO of Good Planet Innovation, Michael Kaliski, shared what he was doing at GPI and how fast things were shifting, I wanted to be a part of it and help how I could. I truly love people and being on set. Combining that with helping move the entertainment industry toward a more sustainable future today, it is the definition of a win-win.
K.F. What are some things you do when producing to ensure a more sustainable shoot and what things would you love more production companies and crew to adopt?
A.P. Step one is to hire an established sustainability team. Producing is like trying to herd cats while your hair is on fire. Just when you think everything is going to run smoothly, things change and it's very difficult to shoot and do real sustainability in-house. We produced a one day shoot pre-COVID that was a PSA for Amazon Watch and Extinction Rebellion. Had a talented cast led by Joaquin Phoenix, Matthew Modine, Rosario Dawson, Adria Arjona, Oona Chaplin, and Albert Hammond, Jr from The Strokes. Good Planet Innovation was brought in to handle sustainability. They set up resource recovery stations (trash, recycling, and compost stations) throughout the set, by catering, and crafty, and anywhere waste was created by the production. Water stations were set up throughout the location as well so cast and crew could stay hydrated without using single use plastic water bottles. Production paid for Vapurs - A brand of BPA-free, collapsible, reusable water bottles - for all to use on set and keep. Catering and crafty were provided with compostable plates, to-go boxes, and bamboo utensils by Good Planet. Lastly, the GPI team donated all leftover food to the Midnight Mission to feed the houseless. We were even able to get the Vurger Guyz (caterer) to provide Beyond Meat burgers and fries for lunch. It was well-planned ahead of time and 95% of trash on that shoot was diverted from landfill to recycling and compost. These are the things I would love more production companies to adopt.
K.F. What are the things you have changed in your own life to be more environmentally conscious?
A.P. Ten years ago I adopted a plant-based diet and lifestyle. A seismic shift from where I started. One of my favorite quotes from a good friend, documentary director Louie Psihoyos (The Cove, Racing Extinction, The Gamechangers) is: "A vegan driving a hummer has less negative impact on the environment than a meat eater riding a bicycle." Love it because it's true. The catalyst for me becoming vegan was watching a documentary called EARTHLINGS narrated by Joaquin Phoenix with a score by Moby about the five ways human beings use animals. Pets. Food. Clothing. Entertainment. and Scientific Research. As I stated before, I grew up in suburban Chicago and all I knew growing up was eating what others around me ate. Meat. Cheese. Dairy. Giving that up surprisingly was not difficult. I just had to decide then adapt. Today, there are SO many amazing plant-based options. I'm so inspired by companies that are forward-thinking like Beyond Meat, Impossible Foods, etc. They are literally changing the world around them by providing an alternative option for food. I also partnered with Shaun Monson, the writer / director of EARTHLINGS and now we are producing films that share awareness about the environment and sustainable living. The best thing you can do is to always be learning, be kind, and care about others around you, That circle of compassion covers humans, animals, and nature.
K.F. Who most influences you and inspires you when it comes to being socially and environmentally responsible in your work life and your personal life?
A.P. The two biggest influences on my being socially and environmentally responsible are my kids. I want a better world for them to live in than I had and it ain't looking so good now. We do charity work together (painting schools in Compton is their favorite one so far - kids like to paint) as well as do beach cleanups, hike together, visit The Gentle Barn, and eat healthy plant-based food together. Thankfully, they laugh at my dad jokes still. Native American wisdom was to always be mindful of what you do today and how that affects the next seven generations. Somehow we lost that but maybe, just maybe, some conscious stewardship is coming back. I see it on productions and it is inspiring.
K.F. If you could do any other job in production - what would it be and why?
A.P. I actually really like producing and don't think I'd want to do anything else. So many incredible people make the productions work. Grateful to them all.
----- Are you a crew hero or do you know one? We want to hear from you!
