The Tie-In

What does it actually take to eliminate diesel generators from one of the world's largest music festivals — not as a statement, but as a business decision that saves money? Ken Deans has been the power and production infrastructure mind behind Coachella, Stagecoach, and dozens of other large-scale events for over 30 years. In this episode he breaks down how a 2004 rider from Jack Johnson's managem...

Before Hollywood Trucks announced their multi-year deal with NBCUniversal, before the Ecoluxe trailers were deployed on Amazon and Universal productions, Andre Champagne sat down with The Tie In live at the Sustainable Production Forum and laid out what was possible. This is that conversation. Andre Champagne, founder and CEO of Hollywood Trucks, breaks down how autonomous power actually works on...

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 powe...

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. Essenti...

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: sco...

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 almos...

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...

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...

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...

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...

David Rovsek has been putting sustainable power to work on Hollywood productions since 2011 — long before the industry was ready. As President of King Kong Production Services — the parent company behind King Kong Production Vehicles and #setlife — he's spent two years building out a battery energy storage business serving film sets, live events, and festivals. In this episode we get into what it...

What happens when a software engineer turned sustainability consultant turns musician decides to use her fan base as a force for climate action? Vienna Teng — songwriter, performer, McKinsey Sustainability Fellow, and one of Grist's 50 Climate Innovators to Watch in 2025 — joins Zena Harris and Mark Rabin to talk about the unlikely through line connecting all of her careers: empathy-driven problem...

What if the foam, wood, and metal used to build film and TV sets could be replaced with a material that's stronger than it sounds, faster to build with, and goes straight into the blue bin when the shoot wraps? Karmen Hansen, Owner of Nordwerk Design Inc., joins Zena and Mark to break down how engineered paperboard is replacing virgin, high-emission materials in film, TV, and event production — an...

What does it take to build a thriving community around big ideas — and what does that have to do with sustainability in entertainment? Jenny Stefanotti, founder of Denizen, joins Zena and Mark to talk about how an accidental pandemic-era salon grew into a conversation with an 85,000-person reach on Clubhouse and a global community of leaders at the forefront of systemic change. They dig into AI's...

Writer, director, and actor Nat Boltt — known for Riverdale and South Africa's Isidingo — joins The Tie In to talk about her debut feature film Holy Days, a comedy starring Miriam Margolyes, Jacki Weave,r and Judy Davis. Nathalie opens up about the realities of sustainable film production, what it takes to make an independent film in Canada and New Zealand, and why the entertainment industry has a...

Becky Morrison, founder and CEO of New York and LA production company The Light, joins hosts Mark and Zena on The Tie-In to expose the hidden public health crisis on film and TV sets worldwide. From the Safe Sets documentary to the untold history of Hollywood's military-inspired production model, Becky breaks down why crews are burning out, getting hurt, and why the industry is finally pushing bac...

Amanda Smith has spent over two decades as a scenic artist working across theater, theme parks, and film. In 2022 she joined IATSE Local 729, became a Certified California Naturalist through the UC CalNat program, and launched two parallel projects: Los Angeles Is Not A Desert — an art and writing initiative exploring LA's overlooked ecosystems — and the IATSE Local 729 Set Painters and Sign Write...

What if a QR code at a live show could route thousands of people to exactly the right place to make a difference — based on where they're scanning from? Pete Kronowitt is "an activist with a music problem" and board member of Music Declares Emergency. He joins Zena and Mark to talk about the organization's Amplify program — a system that gives artists at any level a simple, trackable way to direct...

What does it look like when actors use their power on set to drive real climate action? In this episode of The Tie In, Zena and Mark sit down with Danusia Samal, co-founder of the Green Rider. The Green Rider is a UK-based organization that provides actors, writers, and directors with practical tools to reduce the carbon footprint of film and TV productions. We explore how the Green Rider's "hands...

What does it actually take to make sustainability a core pillar of a major live event — not an afterthought? In this episode, we sit down with CJ Jerard, Chief Brand Officer at Outside, and Jonah Geschwind of Green Disco to unpack how they built Outside Days, one of the fastest-growing outdoor festivals in the U.S., with sustainability baked in from day one. From slashing diesel generator use by 9...

This week on The Tie In, Mark is in the field at DistribuTECH 2025, the premier grid modernization and clean energy technology conference, interviewing innovation leaders solving critical sustainability and infrastructure challenges. Featured clean energy technologies: AI-powered utility infrastructure software accelerating grid upgrades (Bentley Systems), breakthrough lithium battery safety techn...

In this raw, honest episode of The Tie-In podcast, Zena Harris and Mark Rabin tackle the question every entrepreneur and startup founder faces: Is starting another business worth the next 5-10 years of your life? Zena and Mark dive into real talk about building companies and the founder journey: ✓ The hidden costs of entrepreneurship beyond money ✓ Self-awareness and personal growth as essential f...

This week on “The Tie-In,” Zena and Mark talk with Every Day Action Co-founders Hillary Cohen and Sam Luu. Every Day Action is a non-profit born from Hillary and Sam’s frustration at seeing untouched gourmet meals for cast and crew on film and T sets being thrown away rather than donated – because it was too complicated. Their experience as Assistant Directors for film and TV gave them the experie...

This week on “The Tie-In,” Zena and Mark speak with Maria Intscher-Owrang, Co-Founder and CEO of Simplifyber, an advanced materials company transforming manufacturing through simplified, sustainable processes. Maria is a fashion innovator who brings over 20 years of global design leadership and early expertise in ethical, sustainable luxury. Listen in as we learn about the vision and methodologies...

This week on “The Tie-In,” Zena is on stage at the Sustainable Production Forum with Yasmin Glanville, a senior results-oriented, growth, innovation, leadership, and communication strategist. Yasmin has over 35 years of executive and consulting experience with major business organizations, communities, NFPs, foundations, government, NGOs, and startups in a broad range of industries. Filmed during...