The Tie-In

Zena Harris and Mark Rabin

Behind the scenes, sustainability in action. Entrepreneurs Zena Harris and Mark Rabin talk shop with filmmakers, event producers, and entertainment professionals from around the world in a quest to amplify the voices of people who are innovating, leveraging their influence, connecting ideas, and inspiring crews to make the entertainment we love more sustainable.

  1. 5d ago

    How Battery Power Is Replacing Diesel on the World's Biggest Film Sets | David Sinfield, Green Voltage

    David Sinfield is one of the most in-demand gaffers in the world and co-founder of Green Voltage, a UK-based battery power rental company serving major film productions. In this episode, he breaks down how battery-electric systems are quietly replacing diesel generators on blockbuster sets — from filming on a frozen Norwegian lake for No Time to Die to silent night shoots at sea in Jamaica to powering location work in Matera, Italy, without disturbing a single local restaurant. He also shares how one 49-day UK production ran on diesel for just four days total, why smart power planning in prep is the real unlock, and what it looks like when the biggest studios in the world start backing this shift. A practical, on-the-ground look at how clean power works at the highest level of film production. Topics: sustainable film production, battery power on set, diesel generator alternative, green production, gaffer, film lighting, blockbuster production, clean energy entertainment, Green Voltage, James Bond production, on-set sustainability This is an excerpt from a previously released episode. Listen/watch the full episode! YouTube: https://youtu.be/iX1EVX26qGo Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/2rEDUiVQ710NkwuY6YHtYs?si=b6852006b12b4fda Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/s1-e10-real-world-q-gadgets-with-gaffer-david-sinfield/id1753867919?i=1000668145998 🎙️ Connect with David 📸 Instagram: @davidsinfield1 📸 Instagram: @greenvoltageuk 🎙️ Connect with your hosts: 💼 Zena Harris on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/zenaharris 💼 Mark Rabin on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/rabinmark Zena Harris is a founder and entrepreneur who has been working in the entertainment industry for more than ten years. Mark Rabin is a two-time founder and innovator in the energy tech industry who spent the last decade powering films, events, and festivals with renewable energy.

    12 min

  2. Jun 16

    Green Filmmaking Goals That Work | Lydia Dean Pilcher

    PGA Sustainability Task Force co-chair and Emmy-winning producer Lydia Dean Pilcher shares why setting clear sustainability goals at the start of a production is the only way to make them stick — and what that looks like in practice. Lydia co-developed the PGA's newly released Sustainability Tool Kit for Producers with Mari Jo Winkler and Clara George, also featured in this Best Of series. Essential listening for producers and production managers ready to move beyond good intentions. Full toolkit at producersguild.org/sustainability-tool-kit-for-producers This is an excerpt of a previously released episode. Listen/watch the full episode! YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Z6i_4TgT-U Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/4hyJgKeKGZuJLsC5nTGnT2?si=5b084d6661224110 Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/s1-e11-finding-collective-continuance-with-producer/id1753867919?i=1000669030714 Learn more about Lydia and the PGA Sustainability Toolkit 🔗 PGA Sustainability Tool Kit: sustainability.producersguild.org 🔗 Lydia Dean Pilcher on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lydia-dean-pilcher-23772046/ 🔗 Lydia Dean Pilcher on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lydiadeanpilcher/ 🔗 Lydia Dean Pilcher website: https://www.ldpilcher.com/ Connect with our hosts: 🎙️ Zena Harris on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/zenaharris 🎙️ Mark Rabin on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/rabinmark 👉 SUBSCRIBE for more sustainability and clean energy content from inside the entertainment industry.

    9 min

  3. Jun 9

    How HBO's True Detective: Night Country Became One of TV's Greenest Productions | Mari Jo Winkler-Ioffreda

    Mari Jo Winkler has been greening film productions since 2003. As executive producer of HBO's True Detective: Night Country, she made a decision that cut the show's carbon footprint by 2–3x: shoot in Iceland instead of Alaska — not just for the landscape, but for the geothermal grid. In this excerpt from the NAB Excellence in Sustainability Awards, Mari Jo walks through exactly how she did it: scouting at -22° in Kotzebue, choosing Iceland for its 100% clean energy infrastructure, deploying 40+ EVs, and piloting a battery-powered generator that now lives permanently in Iceland. She also breaks down how the show's environmental themes — toxic mining, indigenous communities, climate justice — made it onto screen, not just into the production protocols. What you'll learn: — Why Iceland beat Alaska and Canada on both carbon and cost — How a single conversation got a facility manager to purchase an EV battery generator for the production — Why the carbon footprint in Iceland was 2–3x lower than a comparable US or Canadian shoot — How HBO extended sustainability protocols all the way through marketing and the premiere — What Mari Jo is calling for from the supply chain right now Perfect for producers, production managers, sustainability coordinators, and anyone making the case for green production inside a major studio or streamer. 🔗 Mari Jo Winkler-Iofredda Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/boneduds/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mari-jo-winkler-254010177/ 🔗 Green Production Guide: greenproductionguide.com 🎙️ Zena Harris on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/zenaharris 🎙️ Mark Rabin on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/rabinmark This is an excerpt from a live session at the NAB Excellence in Sustainability Awards, April 2024. Watch/Listen to the full episode here: 🔗Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/nabshow-special-release-in-conversation-with-mari-jo/id1753867919?i=1000660156732&l=pt-BR 🔗 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/1KHnegzzj3eVpqiY2JROo9?si=16c3c0634eea4e44 🔗 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AwGkWxxhdRs

    11 min

  4. Jun 2

    Why Sustainable Production Isn't More Expensive — You're Just Not Looking at the Whole Budget | Clara George, Producer

    Clara George has spent over 30 years in film and television — moving from line producer to unit production manager and producer on US and Canadian productions — and she co-wrote the production sections of the PGA's newly released Sustainability Tool Kit for Producers. In this episode, she breaks down the concept she calls holistic budgeting: why the argument that sustainability costs more is almost always a failure to look at the full picture. From diesel generators carried for an entire shoot when you're on stage half the time, to location fees, cable runs, labor, and the hidden cost of a noisy generator on a residential street — Clara makes the case that productions are already spending the money. The question is where. A must-listen for producers, UPMs, and anyone who's ever been told clean energy is too expensive What you'll learn: — Why productions are not budgeted efficiently and what that actually costs — How to calculate the real cost of a diesel generator vs. a battery system — Why carrying generators for a full run of show when you're on stage 50% of the time is already wasteful — What location goodwill is worth — and what you lose when a noisy generator costs you a location — Why "sustainability costs more" almost always means "I don't want to do it" — How to reframe the conversation from cost to decision-making Perfect for producers, unit production managers, line producers, production coordinators, and anyone responsible for a production budget who wants to make the case for sustainable production practices. Topics: sustainable film production, green production, holistic budgeting, production management, UPM, line producer, clean energy on set, battery vs generator, diesel generator alternative, PGA Sustainability Tool Kit, sustainable entertainment, film industry sustainability, production efficiency, carbon footprint film, Vancouver film production, US productions Canada This is an excerpt of a previously released episode. Listen/watch the full episode! YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ckgEidUTh4Y&feature=youtu.be Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/0aZ5zLAEVM6DzKBM8Z1nGM?si=Bm9lY_2_RxGcYRbAfWyZ7g Apple:https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/s1-e5-championing-sustainability-producer-clara-george/id1753867919?i=1000663777686 CONNECT WITH CLARA AND LEARN MORE ABOUT THE PGA SUSTAINABILITY TOOL. KIT: 🔗 PGA Sustainability Tool Kit: sustainability.producersguild.org 🔗 Clara George on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/clarageorge CONNECT WITH ZENA AND MARK: 🎙️ Zena Harris on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/zenaharris 🎙️ Mark Rabin on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/rabinmark 👉 SUBSCRIBE for more sustainability and clean energy content from inside the entertainment industry. #SustainableProduction #GreenFilm #FilmProduction #SustainableEntertainment #LineProducer #UPM #ProductionManagement #CleanEnergy #BatteryVsGenerator #GreenProduction #FilmIndustry #TVProduction #PGASustainability #ProductionBudget #HollywoodSustainability #CanadianFilm #VancouverFilm #SustainableFilmmaking #EcoProduction #FilmBudget #TheTieIn #EntertainmentSustainability #CarbonFootprint #GreenSet #ProductionEfficiency

    10 min

  5. May 26

    AI Energy Use, Data Center Carbon & the Emissions Nobody Is Counting | Kanika Sharma

    A single AI query uses four to five times the energy of a regular search. Data centers consumed 415 terawatt hours of electricity in 2024 — and that number is projected to more than double by 2030. But the carbon story most people aren't talking about isn't the electricity. It's the equipment. Kanika Arora Sharma, Principal of Sustainability at Introba, led the research report Hidden Emissions of the Cloud — examining the embodied carbon of data center cooling systems over a 60-year life cycle. She breaks down what a data center physically is, why the mechanical and electrical equipment inside it dominates its carbon footprint over time, what happened when her team asked manufacturers for their carbon data, and what the entertainment industry's studio and streaming infrastructure has to do with all of it. If you work in film, TV, or production and use cloud tools, AI workflows, or streaming platforms — this episode connects directly to your industry. 💼 Connect with Kanika: https://www.linkedin.com/in/arorakanika/ 🌐 Introba: https://www.introba.com 🔗 Read Kanika’s report: https://www.introba.com/news/hidden-emissions-cloud Connect with your hosts: 💼 Zena Harris: https://www.linkedin.com/in/zenaharris/ 💼 Mark Rabin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rabinmark/ 👉 SUBSCRIBE for more sustainability and clean energy content from inside the entertainment industry. #DataCenter #AIEnergy #EmbodiedCarbon #DataCenterSustainability #AICarbon #CleanTech #GreenTech #Sustainability #DataCenterCooling #ImmersionCooling #CarbonFootprint #Scope3 #NetZero #ClimateAction #SustainableEntertainment #FilmIndustry #StreamingSustainability #GreenProduction #TheTieIn #EnergyTransition #AIEnvironmentalImpact #CloudComputing #BuildingDecarbonization #WholeLifeCarbon #MEP

    38 min

  6. May 19

    The Hidden Carbon Cost of Streaming: Barbara Lange on Media Tech Sustainability

    What does it actually take to get content from a camera to your screen — and how much energy does it burn along the way? Barbara Lange, founder of Kibo 121 and co-founder of the Media Tech Sustainability Series, breaks down the four stages of media tech — production, digital factory, distribution, and consumption — and why the industry needs to stop quietly doing good work and start talking about it. From the Media Climate Accord to right-to-repair, this is a behind-the-scenes look at the people and systems working to make entertainment less wasteful. 🎙️ Connect with Barbara: 🌐 kibo121.io | mtsseries.org 💼 LinkedIn: : https://www.linkedin.com/in/barbarahlange/ 🎙️ Connect with your hosts: 💼 Zena Harris on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/zenaharris/ 💼 Mark Rabin on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rabinmark/

    37 min

  7. May 12

    Hollywood Trucks Built a Fleet of Self-Powered Trailers — Now NBCUniversal Is Deploying Them | Andre Champagne

    Andre Champagne, founder and CEO of Hollywood Trucks, just announced a multi-year deal with NBCUniversal to deploy his new Eco Luxe trailers across all their film and TV productions — on-lot and off-lot. In this episode, he joins us from inside one of his new Eco Luxe trailers — parked on the Universal Studios lot, running entirely on its own power, never plugged in. He breaks down how autonomous power works on a real film set: solar-powered trailers that generate, store, and distribute free clean energy to anything on the lot — including EV charging for cast and crew. On one Amazon production, he walked up to eight Hollywood Trucks trailers with eight EVs tied in and charging — no external power source, no cost. Listen in to hear why he believes the clean energy tipping point for the entertainment industry has already arrived. From his first solar panel on a trailer in 2012 to a fully off-grid base camp by 2015 — this is a behind-the-scenes look at how sustainable film and TV production actually gets built, and where it's going next. 🎙️ Connect with Andre: 🌐 hollywoodtrucks.com 📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hollywoodtrucks/ 💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/hollywood-trucks/ 🎙️ Connect with your hosts: 💼 Zena Harris on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/zenaharris/ 💼 Mark Rabin on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rabinmark/ 👉 SUBSCRIBE for more sustainability and clean energy content from inside the entertainment industry.

    47 min

  8. May 5

    Hollywood Power Infrastructure & Sustainable Base Camp Solutions: Hybrid Generators, Battery Tech & Clean Energy Transition for Film & TV Production | Mark Walter

    Mark Walter has spent thirty years inside Hollywood's production infrastructure — launching and operating major production facilities across California and globally, and working with manufacturers to find cleaner power solutions for film and TV sets. In this episode, we get into why hybrid generator systems are the most accessible and effective solution for base camp power on location today, what resistance to new technology actually looks like on set, how small legacy vendors are navigating a rapidly changing equipment landscape, and what Hawaii's coming diesel generator ban signals for the rest of the industry. A candid, practical conversation from someone who has seen it from every angle. 🎙️ Connect with Mark: 💼 LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/mark-v-walter 🎙️ Connect with your hosts: 💼 Zena Harris on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/zenaharris/ 💼 Mark Rabin on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rabinmark/ 👉 SUBSCRIBE for more sustainability and clean energy content from inside the entertainment industry.

    24 min
See All (107)

About

Behind the scenes, sustainability in action. Entrepreneurs Zena Harris and Mark Rabin talk shop with filmmakers, event producers, and entertainment professionals from around the world in a quest to amplify the voices of people who are innovating, leveraging their influence, connecting ideas, and inspiring crews to make the entertainment we love more sustainable.

Information

  • Creator
    Zena Harris and Mark Rabin
  • Years Active
    2024 - 2026
  • Episodes
    107
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Copyright 2026 Zena Harris and Mark Rabin
  • Show Website
    The Tie-In

You Might Also Like