Many couples will be doing something such as dinner and a movie to celebrate Valentine’s Day this weekend. Single guys may opt for “Rambotine’s Day” instead, having a few drinks at a friend’s house before eschewing the romantic for the “Rambotastic” by hitting the theater to watch something like Fight Club, Wolfman, or one of the many bloody Rambo series. Of course, should Rambotine’s Day not be an option, Hollywood has made sure that there are plenty of more romantic options. One such film is Valentine’s Day, a star-studded story in which “intertwining couples and singles in Los Angeles break-up and make-up based on the pressures and expectations of Valentine’s Day”, according to IMDB.

Warner Bros. apparently paid some attention to reducing its carbon footprint while filming the movie. The LA Times has an article outlining some of the steps the company took to produce a greener film. Studios and producers saved money by adopting basic habits, such as eliminating plastic water bottles. The article points out several attempts to reign in the normally profligate lifestyle for which Hollywood and its stars are known. In “Valentine’s Day,”

• Producers used 350 reusable water bottles, eliminating 21,000 plastic bottles and reducing carbon dioxide emissions by 67 metric tons, according to a “carbon audit” by by Warner Bros.
• Solar-powered generators were used at the production base camp, saving an estimated 19 metric tons of carbon dioxide.
• Rental trucks and set lighting generators were powered by biodiesel fuel.
• Caterers used biodegradable plates, cups and utensils to serve cast and crew meals during the 55-day shoot.
• Most of the 25 tons of waste collected through the filming was either composted or recycled.
• Stars were supplied with hybrid rental cars to travel to the set.

The film was also shot entirely in Los Angeles, thereby reducing the expensive and carbon intensive shuttling of stars and their entourages around the world for shoots. Warner Bros. is also creating a video documenting the practices in the hopes that it will spur green standards for future productions.

- Justin Manger

[Image Credit]