The Tie-In

This week on “The Tie-In.” Zena and Mark are in the field at SXSW with the Chief Operating Officer of Hill Country Studios, Kevin Bar. They’re hoping to be fully operational by late 2026, and we can’t wait to see all the amazing Film and Television Shows they make. They will be situated right outside of Austin, Texas, which means that teams shooting media there will have access to some awesome natural locations. Kevin and his production team are currently working out some deals with major productions, local artists, and even some climate activists to make sure they’re incorporating sustainable ideologies. It’s thrilling to see the production industry grow in the South, where creative ideas are needed now more than ever. Most importantly, it’s growing the right way with conscientious people like Kevin at the helm. 

We’ll be back with more SXSW exclusives next week, so please don’t forget to subscribe!

Kevin’s going to be accomplishing so much in the coming years, and we’re hoping to stay in touch with him. We hope you’ll follow him on LinkedIn and do the same! Check out the studio website and stay tuned for updates on its progress.

Please like & follow “The Tie-In” here: @the_tie_in_pod

• You can learn more about our hosts, Zena Harris and Mark Rabin & connect with them here:
• Zena Harris on LinkedIn
• Mark Rabin on LinkedIn

This week on “The Tie-In,” Zena and Mark are chatting from the 29th floor while surrounded by the gorgeous skyline of Austin, Texas, and during SXSW no less. Join us, and a neighboring, noisy building power system, on the Red ThreadX balcony! This week they’re chatting visionary directions for sustainable creators with Nathalie van Sasse van Ysselt (@nvsvy), a passionate creative director and experimental designer. We’re talking about how culture and technology combine in service of great storytelling, which is what film and television fans are most hungry for. IP, existing or new, can tell climate stories, and the productions around them can be examples of the real thing.

We’ll be back on the balcony next week! Follow Red ThreadX and maybe we’ll see you there someday: https://www.theredthreadx.com

We’re pleased to share our conversation with her that took place only an hour before her SXSW panel. There’s still so much we have to learn from Nathalie, so follow her alongside us. All social links can be found through her website: https://nvsvy.com

Please like & follow “The Tie-In” here: @the_tie_in_pod

• You can learn more about our hosts, Zena Harris and Mark Rabin & connect with them here:
• Zena Harris on LinkedIn
• Mark Rabin on LinkedIn

This week on “The Tie-In,” Zena and Mark are chatting from the 29th floor while surrounded by the gorgeous skyline of Austin, Texas, and during SXSW no less. Join us, the natural light of the sun, and a neighboring, noisy building power system, on the Red ThreadX balcony! This week we’re chatting with the Founder and CEO of “Human Change,” a global strategic firm, and all-around proud business longevity opinion maker, Bradley Schurman (@bigschur) several hours before he speaks at SXSW! He’s the co-founder of “New Rules,” an innovative platform that blends a thought-provoking newsletter with an upcoming podcast, and there’s lots on the horizon for this innovative thinker. We’re talking about how climate change is permanently changing the way we see, or should see, business opportunities. Conceptualizing solutions and using highly intricate demographic data to do so can help inform greener business practices. Together, we can establish a firmer foundation for profitable, and just as importantly, sustainable futures.

Order Bradley’s amazing book, “The Super Age: Deciding Our Demographic Destiny,” here: https://www.amazon.com/Super-Age-Decoding-Demographic-Destiny/dp/0063048752 

Follow Bradley’s amazing future through his website here: https://behumanchange.com/?fbclid=PAZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAaaMNCNg_20lzJQtfMY4-8eD3qCqroHoVwkMD0jvRrzeWvxfSB9LaUBeZq0_aem_5z6loyzxI739hBQbd5RXzA 

Please like & follow “The Tie-In” here: @the_tie_in_pod

• You can learn more about our hosts, Zena Harris and Mark Rabin & connect with them here:
• Zena Harris on LinkedIn
• Mark Rabin on LinkedIn

This week on “The Tie-In,” Zena and Mark chat with Lilian Liu about maximizing the benefits of finding sustainable solutions across a variety of art forms. Tech-forward solutions are becoming the new standard, but there’s still a long journey ahead in getting everybody on board. It used to be that companies needed to find the road map. Now that we have them, it’s all about getting support in executing those plans. Implementation is a cultural, communal effort, and this process is the kind of change that yields results. The time for giving up when the going gets rough is over. Thinking about the results from the beginning helps keep organizations holding course. The fashion industry where consumers, many of whom want sustainably ethical products, have a closer connection with brands and their sustainability. We have lessons to learn from other industries and this conversation is a great start.

Visit Lilian’s business website to keep up with all the amazing work she’s doing. This class act eats and leaves no crumbs: https://www.theblossom.co/

Connect with her professional achievements on LinkedIn too: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lilianyliu/

Please like & follow “The Tie-In” here: @the_tie_in_pod

• You can learn more about our hosts, Zena Harris and Mark Rabin & connect with them here:
• Zena Harris on LinkedIn
• Mark Rabin on LinkedIn

This week on “The Tie-In,” Zena takes her team down under. She’s got the scoop on how various entertainment professionals are thinking about sustainability in Australia, and her Green Spark team is going to be a part of this movement! We’re thrilled to highlight a couple of folks doing great work - Zachary Lurje and Sarah Tosone, sustainability consultants on film and TV productions. We hope you learn a little something about where the industry is going and how collective action will take it further. 

Sarah Tosone, sustainability consultant:

https://www.imdb.com/name/nm3504555/

Zachary Lurje, sustainability consultant:

https://cosmocreative.au/cosmo-creative-sustainability

https://www.linkedin.com/in/zaclurje/

Here is the Open Letter in IF magazine that was mentioned in the interview with Zach:  https://if.com.au/open-letter-a-call-for-leadership-and-collective-action-on-sustainability/

Please like & follow “The Tie-In” here: @the_tie_in_pod

• You can learn more about our hosts, Zena Harris and Mark Rabin & connect with them here:
• Zena Harris on LinkedIn
• Mark Rabin on LinkedIn

This week on “The Tie-In,” Zena and Mark learn about the amazing work Neel Vasavada and his team at “Overdrive Solutions” have been doing to help heal LA after the devastating fires. It’s bigger than a matter of dollars or politics. It’s a complete cultural shift that needs to happen if we want our great cities to survive and thrive. Neel’s sustainable efforts are proving that diesel alternative methods to power equipment and work trucks are the best practice in every conceivable way. When you’re presented with the benefits of implementing working green tech at every turn and people still refuse to adapt with them, it becomes clear how rooted in mindset hangups the public’s hesitation to get on board really is.

Even in such desperate situations as the LA Fire disaster, people will find ways to argue against cleaner energy sources and practices. We are proud to share the story of someone who fights for our world, regardless of the naysayers or the ignorant. Our team is grateful for Neel’s words, insight, innovation and actions. Please, check out “Overdrive Solutions” and all the awesome things they’re doing right here: https://www.overdrive.rocks/who-we-are

Everyone needs to do their part. Community is what will truly win the battle. Please visit or forward the LA Disaster Relief Navigator if you or anyone you know needs help: https://wildfires.betterangels.la

Please like & follow “The Tie-In” here: @the_tie_in_pod

• You can learn more about our hosts, Zena Harris and Mark Rabin & connect with them here:
• Zena Harris on LinkedIn
• Mark Rabin on LinkedIn

This week on “The Tie-In,” Zena and Mark join the giant communal efforts behind “Burning Man” with all around fun generator, Athena Demos. Get ready, Playa One, cuz live events are going virtual. It’s the new reality! Athena has been involved in Burner activism for years, and you won’t want to miss our exploration into how, through clever problem-solving, Athena is integrating a VR experience with the festival we all know and love. Her group is having a blast in this new entertainment arena, but they’re also building sustainable platforms for the community. “Burning Man” is more than just an event. It’s a collection of stories, and we’re proud to celebrate the people like Athena who are educating the public about new ways to interact with it. 

Please visit https://burnersphere.com to get connected, literally and communally. 

Please like & follow “The Tie-In” here: @the_tie_in_pod

• You can learn more about our hosts, Zena Harris and Mark Rabin & connect with them here:
• Zena Harris on LinkedIn
• Mark Rabin on LinkedIn

This week on “The Tie-In,” Zena and Mark discuss modular sets and more with Set Construction Manager Joe Madziak, the man behind the magic for the last five seasons of “Suits” and many other TV shows! Come with us and journey through the rich history of set construction, and get ready for some iconic stories behind-the-scenes of your favorite TV shows! The industry is certainly changing, and while designers had more power back in the day, some positive changes are occurring as well. It’s way safer, because you wouldn’t believe the places those crews used to rig, and it’s also way more sustainable. There’s lots of work still to do, but people like Joe have embraced environmental responsibility and saved their producers money in the process. Reusing set pieces is the key! Our next step is to collaborate on reuse opportunities at the local level. Join us by demanding your favorite production companies take this seriously. It’s cool to reuse!

Please like & follow “The Tie-In” here: @the_tie_in_pod

• You can learn more about our hosts, Zena Harris and Mark Rabin & connect with them here:
• Zena Harris on LinkedIn
• Mark Rabin on LinkedIn

This week on “The Tie-In,” Zena and Mark celebrate the return of a previous guest, the filmmaker of all trades, Robert Diaz LeRoy! The gang gets candid about how the industry and the world need to act. It’s Robert’s estimation that we can be a part of the problem, landscape, or solution. Turning a blind eye to environmental dangers caused by our misuse of power is ignorance incarnate, and Robert is trailblazing in the industry to make a difference. On the upcoming show “Dark Gospels,” the mystery surrounding the death of a possessed girl is dissected, and those involved must face the consequences of their actions. Robert’s facing the consequences of our collective lifestyle and pushing for sustainability (aka: dynamic equilibrium)  on his sets. “Dark Gospels” went indie in order to maintain an impressive amount of sustainability, and we could not be more excited about how he approaches his work. Climate change is as real as the stars we see up above, and we see Robert leading all of us into a more sustainable age.

Check out our first ever YouTube episode with Robert. This was when we started, and the team was still figuring out “the Tie-In.” - https://youtu.be/u4hRlqNyhq0?si=RqRjuVQ77EbR9Y1a

Please like & follow “The Tie-In” here: @the_tie_in_pod

• You can learn more about our hosts, Zena Harris and Mark Rabin & connect with them here:
• Zena Harris on LinkedIn
• Mark Rabin on LinkedIn

This week on “The Tie-In,” Zena and Mark get curious with show-runner and Livable Communities Initiative Co-Founder, Lindsay Sturman. Working on set helped Lindsay learn how to seek innovative solutions and encourage others to do the same. She and everyone in her organization wants the LA community to feel good when they walk down the street. One of their many plans is to increase walkability in the many gorgeous historic main streets, and keeping all generations protected from vehicles is their primary goal. We all have to get our coffee stroll in somehow, so it may as well be done safely. Bikes are the one thing that closes the gap between walking and a car, and we think, especially with the advent of cargo bikes, that they’re the happiest mode of transportation.

Check out Lindsay’s awesome podcast, “Bike Talk” - https://biketalk.org

You can also keep track of, and get involved with, the Livable Communities Initiative by visiting their website here: https://www.livablecommunitiesinitiative.com 

We recommend watching this episode on YouTube so you can engage with the visual component of our conversation: https://youtube.com/@the-tie-in?si=rUHpooyajyNpmYn2

Please like & follow “The Tie-In” here: @the_tie_in_pod

• You can learn more about our hosts, Zena Harris and Mark Rabin & connect with them here:
• Zena Harris on LinkedIn
• Mark Rabin on LinkedIn