Program overview
The CMPA STAR Producer Program is a comprehensive professional development platform designed to help members advance their careers and grow their businesses. STAR is an acronym for Skills, Training, Access, and Resources, which the program will offer through an extensive range of development opportunities for producers at all stages of their careers.
The program is open to all CMPA members and participation requires no commitment other than being a member of the CMPA. Individuals will have the opportunity to sign up for programming and events on an individual, case-by-case basis, throughout the year.
The STAR Producer Program is made of quarterly modules featuring programming, training opportunities, and supporting materials through the following pillars:
Presentations
Keynotes, webinars, or panel discussions featuring industry leaders, sharing knowledge and speaking about their career experience
The Sustainability and Climate Action module will help producers incorporate eco-friendly practices into their productions, so they can deliver high-quality content while reducing their environmental impact. The module will kick off with a webinar that delves into the budgetary implications of sustainable production practices, followed by a practical workshop on how to use the albert carbon calculator to track a production’s carbon footprint. Plus, a virtual networking event will connect producers with consultants and leaders in green production practices.
Presentation | The budgetary implications of sustainable production practices
The sustainability and climate module kicked off with a webinar on Wednesday May 24, 2023 about the budgetary implications of sustainable production practices.
This webinar, hosted by the CMPA’s Tracey Friesen (Managing Vice-President, BC Producers Branch) featured Telefilm’s Deborah Patz (Investment Analyst) who unpacked their revised budget template, the CMF’s Marcia Douglas (VP, Growth & Inclusion) who dug deeper into eligible costs and best practices and Hans Dayal (Production Manager and Chair of the DGC BC Sustainability Committee) with valuable insights into how you can incorporate eco-friendly practices into your production budget. Tracey also reviewed the CMPA’s recently released research report “Towards a Green Budget Framework.”
To view a recording of the session, click below:
Workshop | Carbon calculator training
As some funders begin to introduce carbon tracking requirements for funding, calculating the carbon footprint of your production will become an important step in understanding its environmental impact.
In partnership with the CMPA, Reel Green is offering a free carbon calculator training as part of the STAR Producer Program. CMPA members and non-members can attend this free training session on Thursday June 8 at 12:00 pm to 1:00 pm ET / 9:00 am to 10:00 am PT.
Derived from one of the motion picture industry’s leading carbon calculators, albert, Reel Green has adapted a carbon calculator, for free, for film productions to use.
Calculating the carbon footprint of your production is an important step in understanding the impact of film production. Having consistent data and metrics from the industry can help organizations like Reel Green understand priority areas for sustainable practices as well as help productions understand and measure their carbon impact.
Additionally, with more available data points we can also derive economic benefits of going green on production!
The albert carbon calculator tool is available free for all productions to use. It has helped streamline the process of inputting and collecting data needed to calculate carbon impact. Multiple productions can be tracked on this tool, and having a single data hub helps to develop benchmarks for productions to work from and improve upon.
The June session has sold out. Reel Green is in the process of organizing an August session. Stay tuned for registration information.
Networking | Virtual networking roundtables with green production partners
On Tuesday, June 27, 2023 at 12:00 pm – 1:00 pm ET / 9:00 am – 10:00 am PT, the CMPA’s STAR Producer Program will host a virtual networking event where producers will have an opportunity to meet with consultants and leaders in green production practices and climate storytelling.
This networking event will occur over four rounds of meetings, each lasting 10 minutes. Producers will meet in small groups over Zoom, with the companies of their choice. Representatives from the companies will present an overview on their organization and their specialties, and set aside a portion of time for questions and discussion.
We are happy to welcome the following companies to the networking event:
- Earth Angel
- Good Energy
- Good Planet Innovation
- Green Spark Group
- Picture Zero Productions
Space is limited and prior registration is required. We encourage interested producers to register as soon as possible to secure a spot.
To register, click here.
Resources | Sustainability and Climate Action
The CMPA encourages all producers and industry stakeholders to take action to reduce their carbon emissions as quickly as possible. Under the Producers Toolkit section of our website, you can find a selection of resources to help you design and implement sustainable practices to reduce your production’s carbon footprint. New links will be added to this toolkit on an ongoing basis, across the topics of training and tools, climate content, and consultants.
Past modules
The STAR Producer Program consists of a series of modules, offered throughout the year. To access content from past modules, please click below.
Past Modules →
FAQ / contact us
Answers to frequently asked questions can be found below. Should you have other any questions about the STAR Producer Program, or if you have suggestions for future programming, events or content, please contact Andrew Addison (Vice-President, Communications, Marketing & Membership).
No you do not. Individuals will have the opportunity to sign up for programming and events on an individual, case-by-case basis, throughout the year.
Although some programming will be open to non-members, many of the components of the STAR Producer Program will be available to members only.
Interested in joining the CMPA? Click here.