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2014 End of the Year Wrap-Up- We’re Turning 3!

 

As we wrap up another year, we tend to look back at the past 12 months and tally up accomplishments (and disappointments). But I find that the disappointments fade into the background of memory and it is the accomplishments that stand out in one’s mind.

As I prepared our annual Holiday E-Card , I had to gather up all of the new contacts we’ve made in the course of doing business (and apologies to anyone we may have missed! Please click on the link for our holiday wishes to you :-)  ), and this year, it was literally hundreds of new names that got added to our recipients list.

That’s because this year, much like our 1st and 2nd years of business, was jam packed! In January of 2015, it will be 3 years since we officially incorporated as Green Product Placement (and April will mark 4 years since I was struck by the idea, following an online conversation on TED.com  with the documentarian Morgan Spurlock, to start the company).

In last year’s end of year post, I compared a new business to a child. Whereas last year, our business went from “baby” to “toddler”, this year, our “toddler” went running around, all over the place.

In April, we produced the London Sustainable Production Eco-Expo  which was modeled after the very successful NYC Production Eco Expos, produced by our friends at Film Biz Recycling.

As I posted late spring, see some pictures here  and  catch the sizzle reel here:

After that, as last year’s winners, we were off to present the “First and Foremost” Award at Film Biz Recycling’s  Golden Dumpster Awards  to the PGA Green, for their report “Going Green and Saving Green”  which was authored by our dear friend and Sustainable Production colleague Emellie O’Brien, of Earth Angel, sustainable production consultants.

Then, it was nose to the grindstone as we worked to place our brands in many more shows, including now several in the UK, and begin our supplemental production work on the Emmy winning show, House of Cards, Season 3.

September saw us at Natural Products Expo East, where we connected with our clients, friends and other great natural brands.

In October, Beth was asked to present a master class at the Netherlands Film Festival at the invitation of the Green Film Making Project, based in Amsterdam.

beth utrectpanel gff

The keynote speaker was none other than our friend Emellie O’Brien! And our friends at Casual Films  were represented by speaker Nick Francis.

Check out the sizzle reel from this fabulous day of international sustainable production promotion, here:

( Green Film Making Project @ NFF 2014 from greenfilmmaking on Vimeo. )

Lisa at school

impact hub amsterdam

 

Also that week, Lisa spoke at the Netherlands Film Academy  and Beth connected with fellow Impact Hub members in Amsterdam. We also met with numerous Dutch sustainable designers and were completely impressed by all of the forward thinking sustainable design coming from The Netherlands.

In December, we were able to host our office party for the Hampden Christmas Parade that marches right in front. It was a great way to hang with friends and colleagues and celebrate Charm City’s quirky charm.

party table set

Our desks turned into a serving table laden with yummy food for watching the parade.

As the year draws to a close, we look back on all we’ve accomplished this year, and the last three years. Our show count has grown exponentially- we’ve now placed well over 55 brands in over 105 shows in the US, Canada and the UK and we look forward towards greening the screen the way we do- and promoting great brands in front the of camera, even more in 2015!

Here’s wishing you and yours the happiest of Holidays and the brightest and loveliest of New Years!

All our best,

Beth and Lisa

b and l shout

Beth and Lisa are cheering you on for the holidays!

2014- The First 5 months- We’re Two!

Here it is the end of May, and this is our first blog post of 2014!

We have lots to catch everyone up on as we’ve been very, very busy. Our show count is now up over 85 shows in a little over our first two years. We’ve begun placing in shows across the pond in the UK and we’re beginning some business development to incorporate sustainable fashion placement into the scope of services we offer productions and brands.

Beth and Lisa with VP Jenny and President/Founder Tim of Wedding Wire

Beth and Lisa with VP Jenny and President/Founder Tim of Wedding Wire

 

Beth chats with Tim of Wedding Wire

Beth chats with Tim of Wedding Wire

 

 

 

 

 

This winter was a long, cold and snowy one on the east coast. Back in February, Beth was asked to speak at a “Fireside Chat” at successful tech company Wedding Wire. A number of tech companies like Google have inspiring entrepreneurs come in and speak at a company lunch once a month and so Beth was honored to be asked to speak at Wedding Wire.

 

Beth speaks at a product placement law seminar.

Beth speaks at a product placement law seminar.

Following that, Beth was asked to speak at a seminar given by venerable entertainment lawyer, Jaia Thomas, produced by her firm, Jaia Thomas Law. 

Beth and Lisa expo west

Lisa and Beth goof around with our fab clients, Derma E.

Lisa and Beth goof around with our fab clients, Derma E.

 

 

 

 

 

Then, it was off to Anaheim, California in March for Beth and Lisa and the annual largest natural products expo in the world, Expo West, where we saw many of our clients and made connections with some new ones.

paramount

 

 

After that, we scooted up to Los Angeles for our annual week of meetings. It was absolutely back to back and non stop, but we were able to touch base with many of our branded placement executive contacts, and meet with some more- in addition to production companies that produce many of the tv shows and films you would be familiar with.

A full gallery of our Anaheim and LA pictures can be found on our Facebook gallery, here.

Then, it was back to the east coast for two weeks to prepare for our trip to London and Dublin. We went over to Dublin, Ireland for one night to meet with our clients, iameco, makers of the sustainable wooden computer. They were lovely people who showed us true Irish hospitality.

iameco's wonderful sustainable wooden computers.

iameco’s wonderful sustainable wooden computers.

 

 

 

London Sustainable Production Eco Expo

 

After that, it was more back to back meetings in and around London to mark our 2 Year Anniversary,  to kick off beginning placements in UK productions and our start to begin to incorporate sustainable fashions into the scope of products that we can provide productions. We also organized the London Sustainable TV & Film Production Eco-Expo, which was modeled after the very successful NYC Sustainable Production Eco-Expos organized by Film Biz Recycling, at which, we’ve participated in the last two years.

We’d love to thank our sponsors, The London College of CommunicationsCasual Films, who created our fabulous sizzle reel, Pulp Art Surfaces, Food for Good, and Life Water, along with photographer Calvin Day of The London Film Company for capturing the evening in images for us. (We took a few of our own as well.)

Also, of course, we want to thank our speakers and presenters: Emcee Simon Mann, Martin Kern of Scenery Salvage, Julie’s Bicycle, The Producer’s Guild of America Green, Tallulah Chapman of The Forest Stewardship Council, Eric Huyton, of Eyefish.tv, Chai Locher and Weindelt Hooijer of The Green Film Making Project, Amsterdam, Barnaby Cook, of Casual Films, Jane Soans, Film Fixer, Firefly Solar, Victoria Cartwright of Neptune Environmental Solutions, and Sony Pictures for their Eco-Spidey sizzle reel.

Then, it was off to Natural Products Europe, one of the largest Natural Products Expos that side of the pond.

b and l london expo

After Expo, and a couple more meetings, we headed back to the US, but our intern Mabel, based in The Netherlands, was able to attend a masterclass in Amsterdam entitled “Green Film Making is Taking over Europe.” The event was hosted by our friends at The Green Film Making Project and included exciting speakers from across Europe, all reporting on progress being made concerning green film making in their home countries.  The event was highly informative, providing attendees with concrete ways they could make their own work more sustainable, and enabling everyone to learn from one another’s experiences. But it was also inspirational, really emphasizing how significant an impact every individual has on the planet, and how everyone can always be greener. Pictures can be found here.

Then it was suddenly May, and time for The Golden Dumpster Awards,  put on by our friends at Film Biz Recycling. As last year’s winner of the “First and Foremost” Award, we were honored to present this year’s winner PGA Green.

With GDA 2014 winner Emellie O'Brien of Earth Angel

With GDA 2014 winner Emellie O’Brien of Earth Angel

Our pictures from this event can be found here.

So there you have it- an extremely busy first 5 months of 2014. We’re really excited about all of the growth we’ve undertaken as a company, and all of the wonderful sustainable production people, marketers and entrepreneurs we’ve been able to connect with. Now, we’re getting into summer and a very busy time for production. We’ll be back to doing some production work ourselves, too, as we have been, as a start up company. We can see the day, on the horizon, in the near future, when we’ll have our last 6 am call time, and as we continue to grow our brand family and scope of services, we will also have one figurative foot “on set”.

Have a great summer everyone!

Cheers,

Beth and Lisa