Lights, Camera… (Environmental) Action! | Sustainable Production

Sustainable Production

Lights, Camera… (Environmental) Action! 

Your invitation into the world of sustainable content creation.

As the climate crisis intensifies and life as we know it rapidly approaches the point of no return, it is our shared and individual responsibility to take critical action and reduce the harm that is being caused to our planet. Such responsibility may seem like an overwhelming task. Still, we believe that everyone can make a positive difference and become a force for good, whether within their family, community or industry. That is why, to educate ourselves on the issue further, discover tangible solutions and implement a new environmental action plan, we decided to explore an industry close to our hearts - content making.

The creative industry is rarely mentioned in the same breath as other environmental villains, such as the travel industry, consumer goods, fashion etc. This is because it has a silent yet deadly toll on the climate - a toll which often goes unnoticed, cloaked behind a curtain of bright lights, award shows and movie star glamour.

Unfortunately, this glorified perception could not be further from the truth: On average, a tentpole film generates 2,840 tonnes of CO2 during production. In air miles, this equals 11 one-way trips from Earth to the moon. Emissions contributed by air travel alone on production are equivalent to flying one-way from London to New York 150 times. Moreover, the carbon footprint from accommodation used on production is identical to the use of electricity by 34 homes for one year. [BFI, 2020]

And that’s only a tiny fraction of the overall impact.

Those concerning statistics are not only specific to extensive Hollywood features, however. For example, while the average person going about their day generates about seven metric tonnes of carbon a year, a single film technician typically generates up to 2.5 tonnes of carbon on an eight-week shoot, up to 32 tonnes per year. Naturally, this varies depending on the scale of the production, cast and crew numbers, locations, and amounts of waste, but one thing remains certain - something needs to change.

In this upcoming article series, we will explore the full spectrum of sustainable filmmaking, highlight the best and worst practices prominent on film sets, analyse case studies from some of the most famous sustainable movies, introduce the environmental gatekeepers of the industry and share glimpses into our own climate-conscious productions.

Join us weekly for this important and timely exploration.