Production Eco-Referent

Now viewed as a more common professional, Pauline Gil is hired on film or series projects as an eco-production referent or manager. This technician "trained on the job" now occupies a position that is becoming ever more important because of the climate emergency!

INTERVIEW

Sustainabilty MAG: Can we say that you are one of the first "eco-referents" in production?

Paulin Gil: You could say that! When I started to work in 2018, there were already first films in eco-production but no one was hired exclusively to deal with this aspect. But this is now the case for me, it's my job. There are service providers who do the same type of work, but it's outsourced, whereas I'm actually employed as part of the film crew.

What does a working day look like for you?

You have to know that most of my work is upstream. That's what production is all about! I raise awareness before the shoot, I look for partners and stakeholders who will also be involved in the film's approach. Then, on the set, I check that everything is respected and correctly applied. I am there to assist the technicians because this approach sometimes involves an additional burden for them. Also, throughout the project, there are many questions from newcomers, whether on the acting side or the technical side; these are all people who need to be taken on board in the process! And finally, when we're shooting, I have to plan for the weeks ahead. So I'm always very busy!

And after the shoot?

I do a lot of reporting and data gathering for my balance sheet. At the end of each project, I produce a report in which I record figures, observations, advice for changes of habit... I explain what we did, what worked and what didn't, and what our impact was. Usually, I also send a questionnaire to the teams to find out what they thought and retained from the process. In the end, it's a job that pushes you to always try to find new solutions! Sometimes they exist but in other areas, in other industries, and they need to be transposed. This is one of the reasons why it is important to have someone dedicated to this process. This means making use of channels that are not common in the film industry.

Is it the result of a film industry that is particularly behind on the environmental issue that led you to take up this profession?

Exactly! I've been quite militant for a few years now, and I've been making a lot of changes in my personal life, whether it's in terms of my way of consuming or living. So when I started working and saw the reality of film sets, I was really disappointed. It's quite an idealised environment. When I realised that the sustainability aspect was not taken into account at all, I questioned whether I should continue working in this industry. Then I thought that I should not be alone in realising that there was a major concern in this sector and that is why I joined Ecoprod, an association that works for environmentally friendly audiovisual and film productions.

Are there any initiatives in eco-production that you consider to be more important than others in order to move towards an eco-friendly cinema?

Opening more and more stockrooms, recycling centres, could be a very good solution to avoid throwing away sets and materials and encourage reuse. There is one that was set up in France, in Bagnolet, not long ago and it is very successful! Generalising this approach would be very welcome. This type of initiative can be set up quite easily and have, in my opinion, a rapid beneficial impact. However, the biggest problem is transport. It is one of the most polluting factors of filming because the crews travel with lorries. It is therefore a priority issue to be addressed.

Do you have a project that you have accompanied and that has particularly made an impact on you?

I have two shoots in mind. First, L'Effondrement. This Canal+ series, which came out in 2019, marked me because the whole team was extremely motivated by the approach. It was a young team, aware of sustainable development issues. Everyone was happy to play the game. L'Effondrement was the first series to base its communication on the fact that it was produced in eco-production. It had a knock-on effect: from that moment on, more and more people became interested in this approach. In the last two or three years there have been real advances and tangible changes.

I am also thinking of the Germinal series, which was released on France T.l.visions. On the contrary, it was a real challenge because the production manager who had recruited me had just joined the project a few months before shooting. It was difficult because we had to act with extremely limited preparation time, whereas eco-production, as you have understood, is practically all about planning and anticipation! But to my surprise, we still managed to put a lot of good practices in place and our action had a strong impact.

To be read also in the dossier "Polluting Cinema: End Clap?"

• How to Produce a Green Cinema?
• Greener Shooting
• Cinema on Small and very Small Screens more Polluting?