From the very beginning, Tambo Film has worked to minimize its negative impact on the places and people it works with, while actively seeking to leave a positive one. We are constantly learning from our mistakes and finding ways to improve. Over the years we have established a number of core principals and approaches that are at the heart of everything we do.
Relationships
Cultivating and sustaining personal relationships is at the core of everything Tambo Film does. This goes not only for our clients, but also for our service providers and all the individuals and organizations that make our work possible, such as Indigenous leaders, community members, local experts, mountain guides, llama herders, chefs… The list goes on. We know from experience that it is only thanks to people like these that we are able to provide our clients with exceptional access to unique locations and in-depth knowledge, and ensure safe and secure conditions for their projects. That's why we prioritize developing relationships grounded in mutual respect, transparency, accountability and allyship— relationships we cultivate and nurture well beyond the scope of any single project.
We often have the honor and privilege of working with Indigenous and other remote communities, and have developed an approach to working that honors and respects their traditions, while acknowledging and understanding the challenges they face as they increasingly engage with modern society. We have well-established relationships with many such communities, which we continually foster and maintain. However, when we are required to work with new communities, we make sure to establish relationships based on transparency, trust and a deep understanding of the often complex and unique nature of their situations. This process often takes time and requires in-person dialogue long before production commences, something experience has taught us is essential to ensuring successful and conflict-free shoots.
We also take great pride in our relationships with the many local and government institutions that we rely on for permits. We recognize that, while film productions can provide much-needed publicity, they can also have unintended consequences which can negatively affect areas of great cultural, historical and natural importance. By respecting the core mandate of these institutions—to protect and preserve historically, culturally and ecologically important sites—we are able to negotiate in good faith in order to facilitate unprecedented access for our clients. This has, on occasion, meant turning down projects which seek to undermine scientifically established facts or promote pseudo-scientific ideas offensive to the historical legacies of the original inhabitants of the Andes and Amazon. This is a sacrifice we are willing to make in order to preserve our good standing with local authorities and the communities they serve. As long as your project does not seek to undermine the work of archaeologists, biologists and other experts dedicated to protecting these locations, we are confident that we can secure the access you need.
Environment
Our commitment to the people we work with extends equally to the territories we have the privilege of filming in. That's why we have always made a concerted effort to mitigate any negative environmental impacts that our activities might cause. Since its foundation, Tambo Film has tried to minimize the waste produced during production, especially single use plastic. We encourage our staff and clients to travel with their own personal reusable water bottles and wherever possible, we provide water coolers on location, in crew vehicles and at hotels. This practice has allowed us to avoid the use of hundreds of thousands of plastic bottles. We also reduce disposable packaging by providing healthy alternative snacks such as fruit and nuts, purchasing others snacks in bulk, and distributing everything in reusable containers. Whenever possible we also encourage the consumption of locally-grown or produced food and snacks as a way to support local farmers and businesses and avoid foods with unnecessary carbon footprints. We are fortunate to live and work in an incredibly diverse and productive region of the world, which means this rarely comes at the cost of variety or quality. If anything, these policies often result in the opposite. We never impose these policies on our clients, and recognize that they are not always possible, but we do actively encourage them and have successfully implemented them on some of our biggest and most complex shoots. In many cases, this has led our clients to adopt and apply these policies to subsequent shoots in other parts of the world. If you would like to know more about our sustainability policies or would like to speak with past clients who have had positive experiences with them, just let us know.
Local economy and film industry
Hiring local crew is another practice we actively encourage, contributing positively to the local economy—especially the local film industry—while reducing overall production impact. Of all the things an international production can do to reduce its carbon footprint and make a positive impact on the domestic film industry, replacing international crew members with local ones is, without a doubt, the most effective. Over 20 years ago, when Tambo Film started, this was all but impossible, however, over the years the pool of local talent has grown exponentially and we now have a wide range of internationally trained, world class, bilingual technical and creative talent throughout the region. Beyond the positive environmental impact of hiring local crew, there are also the added cost benefits and improved workflow of working with teams that not only understand the local language but also the cultural codes and nuances of the places and people you are working with. So, before you put your team together, be sure to reach out and ask us about local crew options for the area you intend to work in.
From the very beginning, Tambo Film has worked to minimize its negative impact on the places and people it works with, while actively seeking to leave a positive one. We are constantly learning from our mistakes and finding ways to improve. Over the years we have established a number of core principals and approaches that are at the heart of everything we do.
Relationships
Cultivating and sustaining personal relationships is at the core of everything Tambo Film does. This goes not only for our clients, but also for our service providers and all the individuals and organizations that make our work possible, such as Indigenous leaders, community members, local experts, mountain guides, llama herders, chefs… The list goes on. We know from experience that it is only thanks to people like these that we are able to provide our clients with exceptional access to unique locations and in-depth knowledge, and ensure safe and secure conditions for their projects. That's why we prioritize developing relationships grounded in mutual respect, transparency, accountability and allyship— relationships we cultivate and nurture well beyond the scope of any single project.
We often have the honor and privilege of working with Indigenous and other remote communities, and have developed an approach to working that honors and respects their traditions, while acknowledging and understanding the challenges they face as they increasingly engage with modern society. We have well-established relationships with many such communities, which we continually foster and maintain. However, when we are required to work with new communities, we make sure to establish relationships based on transparency, trust and a deep understanding of the often complex and unique nature of their situations. This process often takes time and requires in-person dialogue long before production commences, something experience has taught us is essential to ensuring successful and conflict-free shoots.
We also take great pride in our relationships with the many local and government institutions that we rely on for permits. We recognize that, while film productions can provide much-needed publicity, they can also have unintended consequences which can negatively affect areas of great cultural, historical and natural importance. By respecting the core mandate of these institutions—to protect and preserve historically, culturally and ecologically important sites—we are able to negotiate in good faith in order to facilitate unprecedented access for our clients. This has, on occasion, meant turning down projects which seek to undermine scientifically established facts or promote pseudo-scientific ideas offensive to the historical legacies of the original inhabitants of the Andes and Amazon. This is a sacrifice we are willing to make in order to preserve our good standing with local authorities and the communities they serve. As long as your project does not seek to undermine the work of archaeologists, biologists and other experts dedicated to protecting these locations, we are confident that we can secure the access you need.
Environment
Our commitment to the people we work with extends equally to the territories we have the privilege of filming in. That's why we have always made a concerted effort to mitigate any negative environmental impacts that our activities might cause. Since its foundation, Tambo Film has tried to minimize the waste produced during production, especially single use plastic. We encourage our staff and clients to travel with their own personal reusable water bottles and wherever possible, we provide water coolers on location, in crew vehicles and at hotels. This practice has allowed us to avoid the use of hundreds of thousands of plastic bottles. We also reduce disposable packaging by providing healthy alternative snacks such as fruit and nuts, purchasing others snacks in bulk, and distributing everything in reusable containers. Whenever possible we also encourage the consumption of locally-grown or produced food and snacks as a way to support local farmers and businesses and avoid foods with unnecessary carbon footprints. We are fortunate to live and work in an incredibly diverse and productive region of the world, which means this rarely comes at the cost of variety or quality. If anything, these policies often result in the opposite. We never impose these policies on our clients, and recognize that they are not always possible, but we do actively encourage them and have successfully implemented them on some of our biggest and most complex shoots. In many cases, this has led our clients to adopt and apply these policies to subsequent shoots in other parts of the world. If you would like to know more about our sustainability policies or would like to speak with past clients who have had positive experiences with them, just let us know.
Local economy and film industry
Hiring local crew is another practice we actively encourage, contributing positively to the local economy—especially the local film industry—while reducing overall production impact. Of all the things an international production can do to reduce its carbon footprint and make a positive impact on the domestic film industry, replacing international crew members with local ones is, without a doubt, the most effective. Over 20 years ago, when Tambo Film started, this was all but impossible, however, over the years the pool of local talent has grown exponentially and we now have a wide range of internationally trained, world class, bilingual technical and creative talent throughout the region. Beyond the positive environmental impact of hiring local crew, there are also the added cost benefits and improved workflow of working with teams that not only understand the local language but also the cultural codes and nuances of the places and people you are working with. So, before you put your team together, be sure to reach out and ask us about local crew options for the area you intend to work in.
