Microsoft, Google, META, and AWS are some of the biggest single-power consumers in the world. Along with other digital infrastructure companies’ consumption, they make up 2.4% of the world’s energy use. This film details the digital infrastructure industry’s work to reduce their carbon footprint in an effort to lower carbon emissions and help save the world.
This project was unique for Backflip Media. It was the culmination of a dream with a creative partner, Brandon Gries. Brandon works in modular energy pod production and is also a huge cinephile. As lovers of films and filmmaking, we often shared engaging discussions about what we had just watched and the state of cinema.
Contributors and Credits
BARE METAL
A Brandon Gries Film
A Backflip Production
DIRECTED BY
Brandon Gries, Johnathan Shoemaker, Ryan Freng
PRODUCED BY
Brandon Gries
EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS
Brandon Gries & Scott Pfeil
FEATURING
Tony Grayson, General Manager, Quantum – Compass Data Centers
Philip K. Bell, President, Steel Manufacturers Association (SMA)
Tabitha Stine, General Manager of Construction Solutions, Nucor Corporation
Brigette Douglass, President/CEO of NTT Training, Inc.
Kevin Dempsey, President and CEO of the American Iron and Steel Institute (AISI)
Charles ‘Chuck’ Johnson, President and CEO, The Aluminum Association
Teri Klug, Vice President of Business Development and Strategic Alliances at CATO
Kyle Self, VP of Engineering, Blue Planet Systems
Joe Reele, Vice President – Solution Architects, Schneider Electric
Dr. Rosemary Barnes, Founder, Pardalote Consulting and Engineering with Rosie
Jessica Maderos, Lead Process Engineer, San Francisco Bay Aggregates – a Blue Planet Systems Company (on location in Pittsburg, CA)
David Gottfried, Chief Commercialization Officer, Blue Planet Systems, Founder: U.S. and World Green Building Councils
Johnson Agogbua, Founder & CEO, Kasi Cloud
Ken Cowan, Senior VP of Sales, Enchanted Rock
Chris Downie, CEO – Flexential
Amy Marks, VP Industrialized Construction, Queen of Prefab, Autodesk
Christie Gamble, Senior Director of Sustainability at CarbonCure Technologies
Colin Wessells, Founder and CEO at Natron Energy
Brent Constantz, CEO & Founder of Blue Planet Systems
Stacy Smedley, Executive Director of Building Transparency
Matt Koerner, Principal at Critical Project Services
Craig McKesson, Chief Customer & Marketing Officer at T5 Data Centers
Matt Robinson, CTO at Rahi
Karim Shaikh, Chief Technology Officer at Cato, Faculty at Carnegie Mellon University
Ali Ruckteschler, VP, Chief Procurement Officer, Equinix
Nancy Novak, Chief Innovation Officer, Compass Datacenters
Dean Nelson, Founder & CEO, Infrastructure Masons, CEO, Cato Digital
Christian Belady, Vice-President & Distinguished Engineer – Data Center Development, Microsoft
Joe Kava, Vice President of Data Centers, Google
Kevin Brown, Senior Vice President, EcoStruxure Solutions, Secure Power Division at Schneider Electric
Scott Hanna, Chief Revenue Officer, Cumulus Data
Tom Schott, President and CEO, Cupertino Electric, Inc.
Kay Firth-Butterfield, Head of AI & Machine Learning and Member of the Executive Committee, World Economic Forum
CINEMATOGRAPHY BY
Ryan Freng
Johnathan Shoemaker
Luke Kolarsky
EDITED BY
Tyler Kortekaas & Maximillian Olmsted
GRAPHICS BY
Hannah Hess
ADDITIONAL CAMERA
Julio Luzquinos, Moving Pictures, Washington, D.C.
David Reimers, c2c Visuals, Campbell, CA
Luke Murray, Los Angeles, CA
MUSIC
Floe by Philip Glass ©1982 Dunvagen Music Publishers, Inc.
Used by Permission
Performed by Signal
SPECIAL THANKS
Ashley Gries
Nancy Novak
Dean Nelson
Amy Marks
Ali Ruckteschler
Melissa Gray
Brigette Douglass
Robert Weidner, III
Rose Manfredini
Brent Constantz
Shelley Finnegan
Autumn Casadonte
Jim Rueff
Anna Cahill James
Mark Hampton
Estrella Parker
Tom Schott
Adam Spillane
Bruce Baxter
Joe Lammers
Lisa Harrison
Christopher Albert, StudioWerks
Paul Dougherty, The Camera 1 Group
Katie Rosebrook
Rachell Robson
McKell Christensen
Simon Allen
Donna Whitehead
Jane Ricci
Jojo Gregorio and Cato Digital
Peter Campbell
Jay Kocon
Devon Smiley
Kathy Logan
Jacinda Mein
Angela Ezell
Corina Standiford
Karen Bayrasli
Candice Martinez
Gary Hercules
Nicole Majorczyk and The Fairmont Washington, D.C., Georgetown
STILLS AND STOCK FOOTAGE COURTESY OF FILMPAC
Storyblocks
Artgrid.io
Filmpac
EQUIPMENT RENTALS
Redstar Pictures
4487 Robertson Rd,
Madison, WI 53714
(855) 522-5272
As of September 16, 2022, 168 companies and 129 individuals have signed up to join the iMasons’ Climate Accord.
FILMED ON LOCATION
July 20 – September 14, 2022
Chicago, IL
Boulder, CO
Milpitas, CA
Los Gatos, CA
Washington, DC
Mercer Island, WA
Red Oak, TX
San Francisco, CA
Redwood City, CA
Carlsbad, CA
Madison, WI
COPYRIGHT ©2022