Greenlit

GreenLit turns the camera on the film industry to shed some light on the problems with productions trying to stay as environmentally friendly as possible.

Following film producer Miranda Bailey, this documentary visits the set of The River Why, as it attempts to film in an ecologically responsible way. Employing the help of environmental impact consultants, the cast and crew struggle to adhere to the policies set in place in order to be "green."

Miranda's willingness to learn and explore the avenues that a production company can utilize to reduce their impact on the environment is noteworthy. However, the overall sense of the crew seems to be that the "green" policies are more inconvenient than helpful.

The documentary turns to the waste management companies to get an inside look at the way our garbage is handled once it leaves our homes. Providing varying viewpoints throughout the film, we get a fairly wide representation of peoples' concerns about recycling.

Surprisingly, the results of the "green" efforts on set turn out to be rather impressive, as the final data is presented. The film highlights the exuberant and sometimes illogical waste in the industry, while also showing room for everyone to learn more about what they can do to make changes.

Overall, the message is clear. We can do better. We just need to start by making the small changes until we come to a point where we practice these habits naturally. GreenLit provides great examples, not only for filmmakers, but everyone to be more responsible with our environment.

Greenlit is an entertaining and enlightening look into the idea of going green, and the practicality of doing so. With so much focus nowadays on going green and keeping our planet clean, this is an excellent look into the possibilities of what would happen if everyone did their part in going green, and some of the realities and challenges faced when asked to do so. The movie follows the production of a feature film trying to maintain a green set. Through the course of the movie, director Miranda Bailey shows us why it is so important to do things like recycle, use re-usable water bottles, and make traveling as eco-friendly and efficient as possible. On the other hand, she shows us the realities of trying to implement these green goals on a film set, the effects it has on the crew, and the production itself. Presented in an entertaining and unbiased manner, there was never a moment that I felt that I was being preached to, yet made me want to take steps towards being a little greener. This is a movie anyone can enjoy and learn a lot from.

In an ever-present debate regarding the impact humans have on the environment; 'Greenlit' puts the previously overlooked film industry under an eco-friendly microscope. Director Miranda Bailey sets forth on a journey to turn a film production into a green, environmentally friendly operation, attempting to answer the question of what it means to be "green" on a film set and if it a feasible goal for Hollywood to trade in the old ways for the new. Bailey is a quirky, entertaining host who guides the documentary through a crew who is less-than-enthusiastic about the additional steps it requires to stay environmentally friendly in the eyes of the eco-warrior Lauren Selman, the sets environmental consultant. Facing internal sabotage and self-doubt, Selman and Bailey make a valiant effort to create a more aware crew and confront the looming low-budget woes which cause film crews to disregard their environment impact. The documentary sheds light on an issue previously not discussed and uses interviews with cast, crew and members of the community to illustrate an inconvenient truth; it's not easy being green. The film is thoughtful, unique and a must-see for any filmmakers attempting to minimize their carbon footprint.

I decided to watch this doc after dabbling in a little recycling program of my own. I'm a junior in high school. This year, my friends and I started the Greenzo Recycling Club (inspired by the character of Greenzo in 30 Rock). Our goal was to be so energetic and zealous that people just HAD to recycle whether they liked it or not and it WORKED!! I totally feel the struggle of getting people to use less bottles. Everyone at school was like "this fountain water is gross" and I was like "no dude you're saving the environment, suck it up," and they did. It probably helped that I wore a green man suit to school.

I give this an 8 instead of a 10 because I would have liked to see more of haters' bad vibes and then a strong counter-argument, but overall it's pretty cool. Def recommend watching.

Greenlit is a great little documentary about the impact the film industry has on the environment. The movie chronicles the filmmaker herself, Miranda Bailey, during the making of a movie called "The River Why". The filmmakers hire an outside company to come in and help make their movie "Green" which ends up being quite the process. The green consultant who comes in helps the cast and crew of the movie recycle and implement different techniques to make the set more eco-friendly. Through this narrative, the movie manages to be both engaging and informative at the same time. This is what's great about the movie; that it is both a well made film as well as being an educational documentary. The movie definitely stays with you, showing the negative impact that things as seemingly insignificant as discarded plastic bottles have on the environment. It definitely makes you think twice about some of your bad habits. For film enthusiasts and people in the industry, it strikes an even deeper chord, showing how much energy and material is wasted across film sets every day. Most of the techniques used by the green consultant for the film shoot aren't that difficult to do, most as simple as separating trash from recycling. However, the movie is keen to show that just one individual's mistake can ruin the entire process. The film does an excellent job at reminding us that the biggest impact on the environment comes from the smallest of personal habits.