Our latest Focus On guide explores the relationship between cinematography and sustainability. We speak to industry leaders about how to be sustainable on set and what changes need to be made going forward.
Introducing the first sodium battery designed and built for the motion picture and television industry. We all know that the motion picture industry has a significant environmental footprint. Tentpole productions had an average carbon footprint of 3,370 metric tons (approximately 33 metric tons per shooting day) between 2016-2019, while large films averaged 1,081 metric tons … Read more
Sunbelt Rentals champions sustainability in equipment rental, transforming the film and TV industry through innovative solutions and a commitment to eco-friendly practices. Sunbelt Rentals is the global leader in equipment rental. Its inventory and expertise span sectors from construction and civil engineering to live events and critical infrastructure. It keeps the film and TV industry … Read more
VP offers promising sustainability solutions for the filmmaking industry. As virtual production technology becomes more widely adopted in filmmaking, its environmental benefits are gaining attention. While significant strides have been made in comparing virtual production to traditional filmmaking regarding sustainability, there is still a long journey ahead. This involves not just technological advancements, such as … Read more
MPB are urging photographers, videographers, and content creators to recirculate used kit. MPB is the largest global platform to buy, sell and trade in used photo and video gear. It recirculated 570,000 cameras and lenses this year, extending the life and creative potential of visual storytelling gear. While its business model—buying, selling and trading used gear—is circular, it is going further by applying circular principles across … Read more
Sustainability has been at the core of Green Kit’s business since it launched in 2012. Find out how the company’s inventory has evolved with the industry while sharing a wealth of knowledge to allow clients to achieve their sustainability goals. Now that LED lighting is common on so many productions, it’s hard to remember a … Read more
Get Set Hire reliably and flexibly provides planet-conscious, top-quality, clean equipment to the film industry via low-carbon delivery. If the film industry is serious about transitioning to a sustainable industry, it has to end the destructive cycle of ‘buy-use-discard’ and work towards a circular framework, according to Paul Miller, founder of Get Set Hire. “Hiring, … Read more
Jason Grey, technical sales consultant at CVP, explains how virtual production provides sustainable, cost-effective alternatives to traditional shoots, tackling both economic challenges and environmental impacts in filmmaking. Virtual production is among the most rapidly evolving and innovative areas of the film and TV industry. Initially the sole preserve of high-end productions with big budgets, the … Read more
Cinematographer and director Hugo Boué outlines why working with portable power station with a rechargeable battery, Aputure DELTA Pro, was essential for his recent productions. When you’re thinking about sustainability on set, the last thing that comes to mind is having a diesel generator running in the background. Fact of the matter is though, that … Read more
SUSTAINABILITY COUNTRY HBO’s True Detective: Night Country was a collaboration between a production and a country, with both sides taking away sustainability lessons. Producer Mari Jo Winkler-Ioffreda has been a sustainability gadfly throughout her professional career. In 2003, moved by the environmental damage she was seeing wrought on the planet, and extreme waste that can … Read more
GREEN VENOM The Essex Serpent sheds its carbon footprint, embracing sustainable practices and green innovations for environmentally friendly filmmaking. The Essex Serpent features a lot of the natural world. Based on Sarah Perry’s novel of the same name, much of the story takes place on the coast of East Anglia, a location offering environmentally sensitive salt marshes with … Read more
THE FRENCH CONNECTION Cinematographer Xavier Dolléans AFC balances sustainability and artistry while capturing the natural elements in Rivages, a captivating Franco-Norman miniseries. There’s something talismanic about Rivages in the context of protecting the environment. The time pressure of cinematography is notorious, and considerations like sustainability are often easy to overlook. Production on Rivages saw cinematographer … Read more
INNOVATIVE PRODUCTION PRACTICES SET NEW SUSTAINABILITY STANDARDS A campaign demonstrates innovative methods for integrating sustainability into production, from virtual worlds to plant-based diets, reducing environmental impact. This year’s Mastercard BRIT Awards campaign, supported by CRAFT and McCann, showcased how brands can effectively address the environmental impact of their marketing productions. The campaign, which included TV … Read more
JOY TO THE WORLD Find out how recycled bus batteries helped drive forward sustainability on set for Netflix’s newest drama, Joy. From using recycled bus batteries to donating left over food to women’s shelters, the crew on Pathé UK and Wildgaze’s historical drama, Joy, found unique and innovative ways to reduce the environmental impact of … Read more
Virtual production technologies, especially LED volumes with their ability to recreate places anywhere on (or off) Earth, provide significant environmental benefits over conventional location filming. Ben Saffer is a cinematographer with a diverse range of experience shooting features, short films and brand content. He has delivered talks on virtual production for Final Pixel Academy’s VP … Read more
Mobility and transportation are crucial in reducing a film production’s carbon footprint. This challenge intersects with various aspects of filmmaking, including screenwriting, financing, talent, and logistics. The script of a feature film, TV movie, or series sets the course for the production, notably its scale, the type of locations, and the number of locations. The … Read more
The film and TV industry is evolving with sustainability in focus, from carbon literacy and green energy solutions to innovative production practices and rigorous environmental standards. The ecological transformation of the film and TV industry is a complex challenge. The production of a feature film, TV movie, or series requires a broad bandwidth of resources, … Read more
Despite tightened budgets and production challenges, a growing number of studio facilities across the world are committed to addressing the global climate crisis. Victoria Stokes, sustainable production manager for albert, manages the Studio Sustainability Standard, a voluntary initiative launched in 2022 to help studios reduce their environmental impact. “Studios play an important role in decarbonising … Read more
The movies were built on special effects, but how does onset film magic need to transform in a sustainability adopting industry. Some of our most treasured moments on film are nightmares of sustainability. The climax of The Bridge on the River Kwai features the blowing up of a real train and a real bridge beneath … Read more
Productions are embracing sustainability with innovative approaches: from reusable set materials and modular systems to circular-economy initiatives, reducing waste and environmental impact in the industry. When a movie wraps, the production often deals with a lot of set decoration material that won’t be reused or recycled. If there is no disposal strategy, it is simply … Read more
Making the film industry sustainable is going to require everyone to take on responsibility for the future. Who is the sustainability person on your set? Surprise! It’s you! Sustainability is everyone’s responsibility on a production, just as it is in personal lives. But how sustainability is managed on set is still evolving. Most studios and … Read more
Comment / Amelia Price, chair, sustainability committee, PGGB