End of Year Wrap Up- 2021

The sun sets on 2021, another “train wreck’ of a year

As 2021 wraps up, GPP founder Beth looks back on a year that gave 2020 a run for its money as “worst year ever”. Well, at least “worst year ever in recent memory”.

As I write this, 5 days before Christmas, there have been a total of 275 Million worldwide cases of Covid-19 and 5.35 Million deaths worldwide from this modern day plague. Following last year’s end of year post, several companies emerged with additional vaccine options. Johnson and Johnson is off the market now, due to higher risks of dangerous side effects, but Pfizer and Moderna remain viable options for vaccination and booster shots. I’m fully vaccinated and boosted myself- “Team Pfizer”, but that still has not completely taken away any risk of me contracting coronavirus. You see, with so many people worldwide who remain unvaccinated- due to no, or limited, access to the vaccine OR a refusal to get vaccinated out of some selfish fear of public health initiatives, government and (not entirely without reason- see Hulu’s “Dopesick”), big pharma, the vaccine has mutated so many times that we’ve all been learning the Greek Alphabet. Currently, the Omicron variant (sounds like a Transformer, right?!), is spreading worldwide with exceptional speed. Supposedly the most contagious variant thus far (we all thought Delta was bad, but Omicron said, “Hold my beer!”), it is forcing countries to roll back more restrictive rules on gatherings and public spaces.

This time last year, everyone was hoping that with mass vaccinations, we’d start to see a real waning of concerns regarding the pandemic, but the pandemic had other plans. That said, production work resumed this year in a very ramped up fashion, with Covid protocols continuing in place. But still, from GPP’s perspective, there still weren’t quite as many appropriate productions for placement as a non-pandemic year. Our show count did climb- we’re over the 600 mark at around 610 placed-in productions since launching, going on 10 years ago.

2021- another “train wreck” of a year started with a full on insurrection at the Capitol building in DC by right-wing Donald Trump loyalists. The world watched in horror as this illegal, terrorist act was carried out. I think many of us knew then, as we watched a horror many of us had feared, be carried out, that maybe 2021 wasn’t going to be much of an improvement on the year before.

The tone changed slightly a few weeks later when we watched Joe Biden and Kamala Harris be sworn in on those same Capitol steps that weeks before was the scene of disturbing and fatal attack on US Democracy. There were bright spots that day- 22 year old Amanda Gorman’s amazing delivery of her even more amazing poem “The Hill We Climb”, along with Lady Gaga’s over the top dress, all the Bernie mitten memes and seeing the first female- a woman of color, be sworn in as VP. And we all said “don’t let the door hit ya’ on the way out” to our Climate Change denying, racist, inept former president, who shall not even be named.

Daffodils in spring

The year continued on to spring, which saw Megan and Harry’s tell all interview with Oprah, the death of British Royal Patriarch, The Duke of Edinburgh and the roll out of vaccinations for all adults in the US.

My spring? For me, personally- on the good side- getting fully vaccinated, but on the sad and heartbreaking side, losing my mother at age 91. If you had read last year’s post, you may remember that she had a stroke in 2020 at the start of initial lockdowns and had vascular dementia. This was a crushing loss- I was quite close to my mom and it was she that instilled in me a love for theatre, film, and the arts in general.

Beth was a featured guest on the Reducetarian Podcast

Business wise, I had the honor of being a guest on the Reducetarian Podcast. I spoke about what it’s like to get your eco friendly brand placed in tv shows, films and streaming media. I wrote about Brian Kateman, the host and founder of Reducetarian, several years ago for Triple Pundit.

The first quarter and the spring also saw me sign new clients Mented Cosmetics, Lettuce Grow, Outstanding Foods and Poppi Soda.

The FSC prominently featured in Amazon’s “The Tomorrow War”

Later on in the summer, Amazon released entertaining sci-fi feature, “The Tomorrow War”. My clients The Forest Stewardship Council (The FSC) and I were very stoked to see their logo and slogan as part of the classroom décor of the lead character, played by Chris Pratt. Not to give away any spoilers, but climate change DOES play a part in the story.

Not a statement of fiction- but all of our futures are at risk by the effects of climate change, and we’re already seeing extreme weather and melting arctic to prove it. Droughts, flooding, heatwaves, extreme storms, unseasonal and catastrophic hurricanes, ramped up wildfires, it was all on display again this year.

Beth masked and vaxxed at Expo East

Beth with new client Outstanding Foods

September arrived and I attended my first in person Natural Products Expo in 2 years! Expo East was this year held at the Philadelphia Convention Center. Everyone was fully masked and vaccinated and booths were spread out to allow for social distancing. It was good to be back, but still not the same as it usually is.

The autumn also saw a strike authorization vote by IATSE, the entertainment technician union, although the new area standards agreement did get ratified by a very small margin, many members still have a number of issues regarding extended work hours, and inadequate weekend turnarounds. In 2020, when work first started back, many hours were reduced for COVID safety concerns, but that went out the window quite quickly. The Instagram account ia_stories gained a lot of attention as a voice for the voiceless- the below the line workers- who are the beating heart of film and tv production.

Following that, the fatal death of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins on the set of a western shot in New Mexico brought forth even more the concerns of rushed film making, cutting corners, and inexperienced staff, both as armorer and as producers.

November saw COP26 happen in Glasgow. Progress was made, but not enough. I couldn’t help feeling a bit like Greta Thunberg and her “blah blah blah” statement.

By the time December rolled around- the virus had mutated even more- from the Delta Variant that caused concern earlier in the year, to Omicron, as I mention in my earlier paragraph. Nevertheless, having been boosted on Black Friday, my husband and I planned a trip to the UK to see his family for the holidays. I had fully planned to work remotely to craft this very end of year post, work with 3 shows coming up in January, and get the company e-card sent out.

Well, fate has plans of its own. The day we arrived, my other brother passed away back home. He was the last surviving member of the nuclear family that I grew up in. So, as I write this, I am still deep in the throes of 5 day old grief. Per my niece and sister-in-law, I am staying put here in the UK as planned until a few days after Christmas, my planned return home.

Where will the future take us? Sometimes you just have to ride the river to find out.

But what does all of this personal loss, added to Covid related business challenges, mean for my business? At this point in time, I can’t actually answer that question.

For the time being, I will keep on, keepin’ on with the business-  I have 3 shows coming up in January already that will be sent out as opportunities to appropriate clients.

I think in time, the next steps will make themselves known. No matter what comes next, however, I will ALWAYS have a stake and be an advocate for more sustainable film making, for the elevation of “better” brands, and for the help and service of others.

This holiday season, and all year long- tell the people you love, that you love them. Show kindness to others. Find a way to help people in need. Push businesses and governments to operate more sustainably. Support the guardians of our natural environment. Do everything that’s in your own personal power to make a positive difference in this world. It’s the only one we’ve got.

Love is the most powerful thing we’ve got.

Check out GPP’s annual Holiday E-Card HERE.

Have a happy, healthy, peaceful holiday season and a hopeful and joy filled new year!

All my best,

Beth

Happy Holidays from Beth, Founder of GPP