Hi, my name is Meryl, and I am passionate about turning the film industry green! Environmentally sustainable filmmaking practices are on the rise, and it's my goal to help push this change forward at the academic level. As a graduate student in the USC School of Cinematic Arts, I figured there's no better place to begin than with the next crop of the best and brightest filmmakers. So, I set out to organize a Sustainable Filmmaking Panel at USC. I brought leaders in the sustainable filmmaking space from HBO, The Academy, and Netflix to speak to USC students from the film school and beyond. Furthermore, I created a 20 minute presentation explaining the basics of sustainable filmmaking, how the film industry is environmentally damaging, and why it is necessary to alter our production practices. The Panel was a success; our speakers brought unique and insightful points of view that helped our audience understand how the major players in the industry are already moving the needle and how important it is for students to join the cause. The first major step in generating change is raising awareness, so, that's what I did with the panel. My next goal is instituting a universal Sustainable Filmmaking course at USC for all production students to take.

I learned a lot from organizing the Sustainable Filmmaking Panel at USC. I learned that people will be motivated to help if they understand the context behind their actions. I learned that students have immense power when they speak for what's important to them. I learned that there is much more to be done, and that my Panel was only the first step in generating long term change.