The Good Energy Playbook is a resource for screenwriters to incorporate climate change into their storytelling. It provides inspiration, information, and practical tips on how to address climate issues in film and TV, including character development, climate psychology, and solutions to climate challenges.
Including climate change in storytelling helps normalize conversations about it, reflects the reality of the world we live in, and can inspire audiences to take action. It also addresses the emotional and psychological impacts of climate change, offering hope and courage alongside fear and grief.
Small ways to incorporate climate change include set dressing like showing solar panels on roofs, electric stoves in kitchens, or electric vehicles in car scenes. These subtle visual cues normalize sustainable practices without needing to explicitly address climate change in dialogue.
The playbook emphasizes that emotions like grief and anxiety are not inherently bad and can motivate action. It encourages writers to show characters processing these emotions and finding courage to act, rather than focusing solely on doom and apocalypse narratives.
Hollywood has the power to influence social norms and behaviors through storytelling. By normalizing climate conversations and sustainable practices on screen, it can shift public perception and inspire action, similar to how it has influenced attitudes toward smoking and designated drivers.
Examples include 'Don't Look Up,' which uses a meteor as a metaphor for climate change, and 'First Reformed,' which explores climate issues through a deeply personal and emotional lens. These stories show how climate narratives can be engaging and impactful without being preachy.
The playbook's success will be measured by tracking the frequency and nature of climate-related content in TV and film. USC's Media Impact Project found that only 2.8% of scripted entertainment included climate themes between 2016 and 2020, and the goal is to increase this percentage over time.
Marginalized communities, particularly Black and Indigenous people, are often on the front lines of climate impacts and solutions. Centering their stories ensures authentic representation and avoids the 'white savior' trope, highlighting their leadership and resilience in addressing climate challenges.
After a week of devastating fires in Los Angeles, we’re revisiting John’s conversation with Anna Jane Joyner and Quinn Emmett from Good Energy Stories on how to talk about climate change on screen. They discuss opportunities for writers to inspire change, raise awareness, and capture the environmental concerns of our time.
We follow up on disability representation in Hollywood with the release of the Cost of Accommodations report from the Inevitable Foundation.
In our bonus segment for premium members, we talk about asking people for money, whether it’s to finance a movie or launch a campaign to save the planet.
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You can download the episode here).