Trash Becomes Art at New Film Biz Workshops

Eva Radke started not to make money, but to save the world. And she doesn't think of the shop — 11,000 square feet of film shoot detritus — as a thrift store either, she thinks of it as a community space.

"The point of this space is to be more than a prop shop. We want this to be a groovy hangout. We've got all this amazing space. People can learn and meet each other here," she said on a recent sunny morning, surrounded by cans of half-used paint.

That paint will soon be put to use, not on film shoots, but in workshops held in the Gowanus warehouse basement.

Radke hopes the Film Biz Workshops, which are slated to launch in June, will help bring Film Biz back to its roots.

"We've got to stop trashing the planet," she said.

"Our message has gotten kind of lost," said Jane Borock, director of marketing and outreach at Film Biz. "We've become known as a second hand shop, and while that's great, what's missing is that we care. Everything here would be in a landfill."

Radke started the recycling shop about three years ago after she saw how much waste was generated from film shoots. Instead of throwing props and materials used in set designs into the trash, why not reuse them, she thought?

And while Film Biz, which is a non-profit organization, is extremely popular — they were in the most recent Best of New York issue of New York Magazine — Radke wants to take things further.

"We're trying to be responsible for a lot of the greening of Gowanus," she said. "We've always wanted to be something bigger, something better."

Here's their chance.

There will be workshops for parents and kids to create art together. There will be workshops for adults who want to learn to make art out of trash, or found objects. There will be workshops taught by community members, for community members. There will be workshops intended to teach the film industry to be less wasteful.

"Make your waste useful! Make new jobs! Do something utilitarian!" said Radke, enthusiastically.

The huge space was also a motivator in launching the workshops, said Borock.

"We're so lucky, we have so many tables and chairs," she said. "They shouldn't sit stagnant while they're here."

Film Biz gives back to the community already, added Borock. The non-profit donates 40 percent of their goods to charity and often gives materials away at no cost.

And the materials they keep, they either sell, at discounted prices, or rent to other film shoots. But with the workshops will come a new use. The materials will even help a person make a little bit of money.

"What would have been garbage is now a revenue stream," said Borock. "We aim to foster entrepreneurial skills and create jobs for people."

The first workshop offered is for parents and kids. A three-part class, though not all are mandatory, will teach kids to build a set, build finger puppets and then stage a performance.

Another workshop will take participants on a walking tour of the Gowanus neighborhood to find a piece of trash that can be reused, and turned into art.

And that is pretty much the mission of Film Biz, said Borock.

"Nothing ever dies."