Following the success of the “Rolling Green” Program, whose mission since 2021 has been to support the Quebec audiovisual industry in the ecological transition process, the Quebec Film and Television Council launched the first edition of the Rolling Green x SODEC Pathway in 2023 to encourage production companies to embrace eco-responsibility. From spring to autumn, representatives from fifteen companies, divided into three cohorts, underwent training to promote more sustainable management of their production sets.
Let’s take a look back at 2023 edition of the Rolling Green x SODEC Pathway through the perspectives of three participants: Alexis Ahelo-White (Production Manager at Zone3), Angélique Bielski (Independent Production Director), and Catherine Boily (Producer at Metafilms).
Overview of the Rolling Green x SODEC Pathway
The aim of the Rolling Green x SODEC pathway is to support Quebec production companies in their ecological transition by giving them the knowledge and tools to make their sets more environmentally friendly. Over twenty-four hours of training spread across nine weeks, participants covered topics such as responsible communication and sourcing, waste management, and digital sobriety. At the end of the training program, each participant received a $4,000 grant to support future green initiatives.
“For us, the Pathway represents the cornerstone of green audiovisual. The time had come to offer personalized support to production companies, enabling them to anticipate the arrival of new eco-responsible regulations”
The initiative mobilized the entire ecosystem, notably through the collaboration of the Quebec Film and Television Council (QFTC), the Société de développement des entreprises culturelles (SODEC), the Conseil québécois des événements écoresponsables (CQEER), the Institut national de l’image et du son (L’inis), and the Association Québécoise de la Production Médiatique (AQPM) to set it up, deliver it and promote it.
“The Pathway is a lever for change in the audiovisual sector. It’s an ambitious but necessary project that mobilizes all private, public and institutional players in the face of climate change”
Improving ecoresponsibility skills
Participants aimed to acquire or refine their knowledge in eco-responsibility through the pathway. “At Zone3, we’re already implementing a number of green initiatives, but we wanted to improve our skills by drawing inspiration from best practices,” explains Alexis Ahelo-White.
Angélique Bielski took part in the training course at the suggestion of Colonelle Films, the company that hired her to coordinate the production of the feature film Vil et misérable. “In the midst of its development, Colonelle Films was keen to implement an eco-responsible policy within its own structure, and to apply it to all its projects,” comments the production manager.
Catherine Boily decided to enroll in the Pathway when she returned from producing a short film in Manitoba, where setting up a green set had proved quite a challenge. “The production sector is a consumption environment. We need to find ways to offset that with green actions. I knew some of them, but I wanted to learn more in order to make a greater impact,” she explains.
Quality of the teaching
Participants praised the quality of the teaching provided during the Pathway. Catherine Boily mentions the complementarity of the different modules: “Theory informs practice, and practice reinforces theory. Knowing how a plastic fork is made leads us to opt for reusable cutlery. Conversely, implementing green practices on the set allows us to appreciate their impact on environmental preservation,” she asserts.
“Training audiovisual industry workers in eco-responsible filming practices is at the very heart of L’inis’ mission. That’s why we provide part of the training”
Creating a Community
The participants appreciated the authenticity of the exchanges made possible by the small-group format. “The networking sessions enabled us to get together and talk about our experiences, which created a community spirit!” exclaims Alexis Ahelo-White. “Thinking together is really what drives practices forward,” adds Angélique Bielski.
“The initiative brings together a community of producers to encourage good practices in eco-responsibility. We hope the enthusiasm of some production companies will positively influence the entire ecosystem”
Conducted both in-person and online, the training allowed participants to join from anywhere. The trainers, flexible and adaptive to various profiles from television, cinema, or advertising, provided personalized guidance through the CQEER to help participants apply their learning to the realities of their sets.
One Step Closer to the Rolling Green accreditation
After the Pathway, a number of production companies hired green coordinators on their sets, including KOTV and Colonelle Films. These companies strengthened their eco-friendly efforts, accrediting their productions through the Rolling Green program. This includes KOTV, Pixcom, Colonelle Films, Zone3, Les Films Rodeurs, and Metafilms, among others.
” The recipes for our cooking show 5 chefs dans ma cuisine feature local, seasonal, and vegetarian products,” explains Alexis Ahelo-White. “Instead of going to the regions for the entire shoot, we decided to rent a studio in Montreal for the indoor scenes of La déneigeuse,” adds Catherine Boily. “We encouraged more carpooling on Vil et misérable,” concludes Angélique Bielski.
Greening Production companies
The participants took advantage of CQEER’s support to implement a sustainable development policy within their production company. The aim is to green all of the companies’ activities, not just one or two productions. “At Zone3, we want to try to limit our technological footprint in the company, by sending far fewer e-mails, for example,” explains Alexis Ahelo-White.
“The Pathway is a way of strengthening the ability of people in the industry to rethink the way they do things, and implement actions that are both accessible and meaningful to reduce the environmental footprint of their production”
The $4,000 bursary received by participants following the training has been used in different ways by different production companies. For example, Zone3 plans ,among other actions, to purchase carbon credits to offset the cost of its crew’s plane flights for certain shoots in Africa. Colonelle Films and Metafilms, for their part, have decided to use the money to pay an eco-responsible coordinator for their upcoming green shoots.
The future of the Pathway in 2024
Following the success of the 2023 edition of the Rolling Green x SODEC Pathway, the Quebec Film and Television Council (QFTC) and its partners intend to renew it in 2024. The aim is to capitalize on past experiences and feedback from participants to offer an enriched and improved curriculum.
Several improvement strategies are currently being explored. The 2024 edition of the Pathway will target a greater diversity of production companies: not only those making films and series, but also those producing documentaries and variety. It will be aimed at producers, but will also encompass other professional fields. Additionally, the QFTC seeks to reach more production companies outside Montreal and in regional areas. Shortening the training duration and expanding the number of participants per cohort are also being considered.
“The Pathway is the best way to exponentially increase the number of production companies committed to ecoresponsibility. It’s the future of our industry. That’s why we want to extend the Momentum into 2024”
Congratulations to the three 2023 cohorts composed of : Valérie Naud – production manager at Koze, Marie-Christine Lavoie – producer at PassezGo, Alexis Ahelo-White – production manager at Zone3, Amélie Vachon – associate producer at +1 maison de production, Fanny Forest – producer at Les Films Rodeurs, Charles Stéphane Roy – producer at La maison de prod, Angélique Bielski – production coordinator at Colonelle Films, Marie-Claude Beaulieu – producer at KOTV, Isabelle Courval – producer at Pixcom, Dave Robitaille – production manager at Caramel Films, Catherine Boily – producer at Metafilms, Yann-Manuel Hernandez – producer at Les mains sales films, François Bonneau – producer at ACPAV, Léa Marinova – production coordinator at La Coop Vidéo de Montréal, Stella Morissette – development coordinator at Productions Mustang.
Rolling Green x SODEC pathway, 2024 edition
Please note that a 2024 edition of the Rolling Green x SODEC pathway is currently under consideration. We’ll be announcing its launch in early 2024 on our social networks and in our newsletter.
Are you interested in taking part in the 2024 edition of the pathway ? Write to us at info@ontournevert.com, stating your first and last name, position and production company, and explaining why you would like to take part. (please note that this training program is only offered in french)
To find out more about the accreditation of the Rolling Green program, click here.