How Green Is Your Set?Kristyna Archer Is On The Case, When She Visits Jordan Brady’s Set
Directors Kristyna Archer (ArtClass) and Jordan Brady (True Gent), channeled their volunteer efforts as Green The bid ambassadors to create “How Green Is Your Set,” an entertaining and informative video in which Kristyna visits Jordan’s real life set to find out the answer to this burning question. Jessie Nagel sat down with both to find out more about this collaboration.
J.N.: What was the inspiration for this collaboration?
K.A.: For the last few years I was crippled by the existential dread of climate and obviously the pandemic amplified it, there was NO LEVITY in my thoughts at all to the point of passing on procreation - JUST DARKNESS. Yet, you can't really get anything done in the dark. So I started questioning why am I taking on this heaviness as an individual that's impacting my day to day emotional state.
J.B.: Knowing how Kristyna was all over sustainable production, I wanted a no-holds-barred assessment of my shoot. And if we share that, maybe others will step up their green game too.
J.N.: The tone of the film is both fun and instructional - why did you take that approach and who was involved in the process?
K.A.: Bringing humor, levity, and accountability into the sustainability conversation like Jordan does is THE WAY. Guilt of course is not the way, it creates shame, which creates a lack of engagement. Jordan has a knack for making engaging content that's honest, snarky and entertaining and I really like this approach to the conversation. What I found on his set at Void Studios was awesome - aluminum cans, recycled set pieces, green compost bin! I was so happy to see all the progress and how much that can become a norm with all of our voices together pushing for collective shift.
J.B.: Next to bribery, humor is the most effective way to sway an audience.
J.N.: What influence does the director have when it comes to sustainability practices on set?
K.A.: As a director we have control over the system of production within a set budget, which made me realize I can have more impact there than I do on an individual level in my personal life. Unfortunately there's still a barrier to entry and privilege in order to afford solar and EVs, for example. I shifted my perspective to the larger conversation, less all-on-me mentality, but rather examining the systems at play that are all broken, and studying human behavior. The systems of production, systems of recycling, systems of water rights/conservation, and more - and that we need progressive, thoughtful leadership to change the systems.
J.B.: The fish stinks from the head down. The director sets the tone and if she announces it at the top of the day, then the cast, crew, client and agency typically follow.
J.N.: You are both part of the Green The Bid Ambassador program. How has that inspired you to intensify your commitment to a “Green Set”.
K.A.: To have a sense of community is everything. It's the third space to engage and connect with like-minded individuals, and share our insights, knowledge, and unique challenges together, not in silo. We accomplish more together, faster. We all have our unique experiences, desires, interests all focused on the common good of sustainable production, and the GTB Ambassador program has helped me out of the haze or feeling powerless, and flipped to getting to work!
J.B.: My daddy always said “if you’re gonna be a bear, be a grizzly.” So let’s do this right.
J.N.: And how about your personal life? Have you experienced changes there?
K.A.: Integrating a new greener habit that impacts the closest ones around you can easily morph into one that you all adapt, and eventually flips to the thought of "HOW COULD YOU NOT DO IT?" My prime case study is my partner with composting. I started, he didn't follow, then he started to follow a little, and now he feels a civic duty/responsibility to ensure nothing gets left out of it. After 3 years of composting, the consistency of all the many small compost contributions to LA farmers markets by individuals has led to a large demand from LA's citizens for a compost system, that we are seeing those small steps of change happening (accepting compost in green bins, increase in sites and drop-off locations) the infrastructure is changing from the inside out because we showed up. The individual impact does ripple, yet we need the systems to enact the ability for rapid change. The GTB ambassadors ripple from the bottom up, while others are shifting the system from top down - that's the way it's done.
J.B: I’ve been an early adopter since my first electric car back in 2002, when charging stations were few and too far in between. Solar since 2004. And while there are trade offs, for instance lithium addiction is a real possibility, just like oil. But just going along, knowingly destroying the planet is not an option.
J.N.: Will there be some follow up videos?
K.A.: I am very open to continuing these green audit conversations on set in real time with crew, so that soon you will never see another plastic water bottle on set. It will be taboo, outdated, like rotary phones. It takes a village communicating with the producers, EPs, PAs, etc to set the production up for success this way. Soon, water refill stations and canned or boxed water will be the industry standard. Caterers are seeing the demand for providing ceramic plates or compostable dishware and the desire to donate excess food. This is gradually shifting the whole into building responsible systems in place to create new standards for production.
J.B.: My company, True Gent, will fund a simple BTS crew anytime. Ben Brady and Kristyna shot this green audit in about 90 minutes. Ideally, each production could provide their own BTS but I’m happy to cover it.
