November’s Spotlight of the Month: Jeremy Beiler

For November, actor, writer and Freelance Video Journalist for the New York Times, Jeremy Beiler volunteers to step into the spotlight and share some of his greeness. Jeremy has produced, shot and edited about a hundred videos for the New York Times since starting in 2007, almost all of them for the Arts section. He can also be seen in the hit production of Our Town currently playing off broadway at the Barrow Street Theatre.

Is there something or someone that first prompted your interest in the environment?

I used to get nerdy over science almanacs in high school and college, and I had crushes on magazines like Scientific American and books like Bill Bryson’s “A Short History of Nearly Everything” – so I think my concern for environmental stuff was a natural byproduct of my interest in science and cosmology. It’s hard to read about the earth without reading about the damage that’s been done to it, and then at some point it became less about the scientific fascination and more about the basic obligation of being a living person on the planet.
If I had to pick one person who solidified my views, its Carl Sagan. His 70’s educational series “Cosmos” is so incredibly expressive and accessible and beautiful. He dedicated his life to educating normal people about science and connecting them with the true questions of life, bridging the gap, and there’s nobody like him today. He was talking about global warming decades ago while a lot of people were calling him crazy.

Why did you choose coal as the subject matter of your first video (and is it your first video of this nature?)

I made Coal with my sketch group, FreeLoveForum, and we’ve made a lot of parodies, but it’s my first video of a green nature, yes. I’ve written some more stuff in this vain that I intend to produce. I think humor has a way of illustrating real issues in a way that is clearer and more accessible than just speaking about something. I wrote “Coal” after I saw a commercial called “the human element” put out by Dow Chemicals (part of a larger campaign of theirs). It’s a truly beautiful commercial, full of gorgeous cello music and sweeping slow-motion images, a deep meaningful voice over about the preciousness of human life – And of course, Dow is notorious for decades of environmental disregard. They manufactured Agent Orange, helped build nuclear bombs, leaked Dioxyn into residential communities… so this incredibly beautiful commercial seemed like the ultimate irony, and the ultimate display of how a company’s branding may bear no resemblance to the reality of their business.
I wanted to poke fun at the tools that are often used to create a company’s image… I wanted my commercial to look expensive, and have all the earmarks of something “inspiring” – slow motion, people looking sincerely in the lens… and I used coal as the subject because it’s so ubiquitous and iconic as a dirty substance. I made the vid around the time that “clean coal” was gaining noteriety as an alternative energy source (which it is not).

The number of hits for Coal on youtube is nothing to sneeze at. What has been some of the feedback towards the film?

We have gotten some nice blog action on it – and it was featured on the homepage of YouTube, which is where it got a boost early on. It’s been shown on TV a couple times in “best of the web” shows on CW and Current, and it caught the attention of Greenpeace last year, who got in touch with me and said it inspired them to create a humor-based campaign to spread their message. I don’t know if they’ve gotten that off the ground yet, but I was touched to hear them say that, and I hope they follow through.

At green is sexy we enjoy how relatively sustainable it is to run a website – do you feel that way about film and video?

I make all of my videos using a corn-based bicycle-powered video camera, and all my film-stock is recycled burlap. Uhm… I mean…. Actually it’s not the most sustainable activity, no. Making films and videos uses electricity and can be wasteful. Most pro lighting instruments, even simple ones, pull a whole lot of juice. And on bigger film projects, a lot of money is spent on sets and other materials just so they can be photographed and then destroyed. So it’s not as low-impact as a website, BUT, there are a lot of ways to cut corners and have a consciousness about what you’re using while filming. As with anything else in life, it’s possible to minimize the wastefulness.

Are there easy, cost effective ways to be green when filming? Any tips?

One thing that’s always good to do is whenever you can make a scene work outside, shoot outside. For one thing, the sun is the best lighting instrument available, and it uses no electricity. Or if it’s gotta be indoors, stage the scene near a window using the natural light in the room, and a bounce board to fill. It usually looks best that way anyway. And, in terms of gear, don’t let your batteries stay in the chargers all day after they’re charged. Unplug the charger when its not in use or it will keep sucking power. In general, keep gear switched off unless it needs to be on. There is lots of waiting on a film set between shots, and all that time adds up to a lot of waste if there is something running that doesn’t need to be.

You are currently starring in the critically acclaimed off broadway production of Our Town. Is there a movement towards sustainability in the theatre world? Tips for being green on or offstage?

Theatre is the most sustainable form of entertainment because it’s just people talking and telling a story in person – no electricity needed! (Though, realistically, commercial theaters use gigantic lighting instruments and dimming switches that suck a lot of power.) Maybe the best green page to take from the theatre is the idea of re-purposing materials into new things, and maintaining old things to keep them working. The theatre world has a great reputation for not having any money, and therefore re-using sets, costumes, props etc. and modifying them to fit any production. It’s always good to be creative about reusing things before you just throw them away. Like – if you have a broken chair, don’t replace it, fix it really well so it works again… Or, if you have a crooked old bookshelf, take the shelves out and attach them to the wall. Be a pack rat with the things you can’t recycle, and think creatively about how to turn them into other useful new-seeming things.

What is the most rewarding thing about making these projects?

One of the coolest things about “Coal” was hearing from a friend that his sister’s professor in Montreal showed it in his classroom one day. And every once in a while we get an e-mail asking if it’s okay to use in a presentation or class. So it feels good that people want to use it to illustrate a point. I want to try to make things that speak for themselves and express concepts clearly, on their own. While making you laugh. It’s gotta be funny or it doesn’t float.

Do you have a favorite eco film or play?

The final episode of Carl Sagan’s COSMOS series – it’s called “Who Speaks for Earth?” (I’m a nerd, I remember the title!) is so amazing. I’ve watched it many times, it’s an inspiring and serious call to action. And it’s so much more powerful (and scary) that it was written and recorded 20 plus years ago. It speaks the truth beautifully and urgently, and reminds you why the cause is so important. It gives me chills.

What is your favorite green thing?
YOU! And, building-integrated photovoltaics. Which are solar panels that are incorporated invisibly into the façade of a building, or the shingles of a roof. So the building is constantly gathering its own power without looking any different from its surroundings!

Check out Jeremy’s NYT news video on the flooding in the Cedar Rapids.

Contact Jeremy @ jeremyben1982@gmail.com