The new romantic comedy “Valentine’s Day,” in theatres now, has been getting a lot of hype for its star-studded cast, which includes such famous actors as Julia Roberts, Patrick Dempsey, Anne Hathaway and Jessica Biel. While the names on the movie posters are sure to draw in a wide audience, the film really hasn’t been getting played up enough for the truly amazing thing it’s doing: “Valentine’s Day” is going green.
While the fight to save the environment continues its uphill battle, Warner Bros. decided to show their support for the earth-saving movement. The prodution of the film is among the first in the film industry to implement green practices to lessen its environmental impact. To me, it seems like an enormous task. Being a college student and living in a dorm, I see first hand every day how tough it can be to remember to recycle, or even to put your trash in the garbage instead of throwing it down on the sidewalk. It’s hard enough to make the individual commitment to help the environment, but going green on a movie set would involve not just the actors’ cooperation but that of equipment suppliers, vendors and film crews — surely difficult to coordinate.
But it seems that Warner Brothers’ green endeavors with the film “Valentine’s Day” have been successful. Green initiatives were seen throughout all aspects of the production. Producers used reusable water bottles and solar-powered generators. Biodiesel fuel was used to power rental trucks and set lighting generators. Caterers used biodegradable plates, cups and utensils, and most of the waste was either composted or recycled. Perhaps most significantly, each actor was provided with a hybrid rental car to use in place of gas-guzzling limos. Way cooler, if you ask me, and the best part for the company is that only the solar panels added to the budget.
The best part about it — this wasn’t even a stand-alone project. Lots of studios are doing their part to reduce energy costs, and Warner Bros. has even hired environmental managers to help figure out the most sustainable production techniques. I have no doubt that before long, seeing “green” films will be the norm, and I can’t wait. There’s a lot of buzz and “speculation” as to why the sudden focus on the environment in Hollywood: Is it just for the good PR? To save money? Do the rich and famous actually care about the environment? It could be any or all of these, and if you ask me, it doesn’t even matter. The point is, for whatever reason, they are doing their part to help the environment. And hey, I know better than anyone how teenagers can be slaves to Hollywood: this could easily inspire us sloppy college kids to throw our trash in the recycle bin.
