How to Make a Sustainable Movie or TV Show Part 3: Post-Production

So, you want to focus on sustainability for your next movie or TV production. Great! But where to start? How about from the beginning? Before you put pen to paper (or finger to keyboard), you must educate yourself on sustainable production and seek guidance from industry standards such as our EMA Green Seal and third-party help from a sustainable production company. To help you on your way, we've elicited advice from our friends at Green Eyes Production for a series on sustainable movie making, from pre-production to release. 

Green Eyes Production is a trailblazer in sustainable filmmaking dedicated to transforming the industry's landscape. Green Eyes' mission involves examining a project's life cycle, from the green light stage to distribution, ensuring that every stage aligns with our commitment to environmental responsibility. 

Let's get to part two of our series (read part one here and part two here) and learn about production! 

A film or TV production wraps on set. Is the sustainability journey over? 

No, the sustainability journey doesn't end when production wraps. It's just the beginning of a new phase. Once production finishes, we focus on ensuring that all the sustainable practices implemented during filming are carried through to the end and beyond. Most importantly, we ensure that we record accurately and provide our client with a report they can use to make their next production even more sustainable. 

There's usually a mad rush after a production's last shooting day. Everyone races against the clock to pack everything as if we were never there and vacate the studio. However, this is a crucial period from our perspective – and from a materials end-life perspective. Departments will discard items left and right, and there will be last-minute decisions about what goes into storage, what's kept for reshoots or additional seasons, and so on. We stand ready to assist. As the saying goes, one person's waste is another person's treasure. In the past, we've donated the most unusual items, often with just 48 hours notice: Nile palm trees, pillowcases, knick-knacks, and even, on one occasion, we almost ended up donating a life-like dinosaur skeleton – although that one ended up being destroyed for IP reasons! 

The key here is that planning needs to start early so we know where everything will go by the time approval is granted. There are fantastic companies that promote a circular economy, helping us resell, donate, upcycle, or simply find a new home for items you wouldn't think anyone would need. For materials that productions can't reuse, we prioritize recycling and composting where applicable, such as composting biodegradable items and recycling leftover construction materials like wood and metal. 

Next comes the laborious task of analyzing the data collected throughout the shoot and turning it into a coherent report we deliver to the client. This can be quite a lengthy process, as we include post-production data, which, as you know, can take some time. Depending on our agreement with the client, we often provide a close estimate for post-production data, as we also need to 'wrap up' the project on our side and move on to the next show. The importance of assessing and learning from a project cannot be underestimated. One of our success stories involves a company that asked us to determine everything that could go wrong during Season 1. We analyzed the data and identified solutions and best practices, and now, Season 2 is showing fantastic results. It all depends on how seriously you want to implement change, but it is possible to do. 

Finally, there's a stage I call 'green marketing and publicity'. Fortunately, this is becoming increasingly relevant as audiences shift their focus, and large companies must adjust their messaging. Numerous articles and behind-the-scenes (BTS) videos now highlight the green credentials of films and TV series. Having formerly worked in sales and distribution, I strongly believe in impact marketing, and seeing this message reaching wider audiences is encouraging. However, we still have a long way to go in raising awareness and changing mindsets. 

My goal is that the more we openly discuss established sustainable practices and eco-workflows, the more these ideas will ripple beyond production, ensuring a positive and lasting impact on the community, the environment, and audiences at large. 

What early aspects of post-production deserve the most attention regarding sustainability? 

Sustainability in post-production shares common themes with earlier stages but also presents unique challenges, particularly in addressing the digital carbon footprint. Although a few studies have explored post-production from this perspective, it remains an area that requires further research. 

One of the most significant aspects we can measure is energy consumption. Post-production processes are highly resource-intensive, with vast amounts of data being generated, transferred, and stored. Using energy-efficient servers, cloud storage solutions powered by renewable energy, and eco-friendly post-production facilities can significantly reduce the digital footprint. For example, LTO tapes are more sustainable than hard drives. 

Sustainable vendor choices are essential. Choosing post-production houses or visual effects teams committed to green practices is crucial. 

Additionally, as in earlier stages, travel for post-production staff should be carefully managed. Remote working, using public transport or carpooling, switching to HVO fuel instead of diesel, utilizing electric vehicles (EVs), and reducing flights can all help minimize travel and accommodation-related emissions. 

There is much more to explore in this area. I hope future studies on film versus digital and the impact of running time versus cutting floor material will shed more light on the sustainability of post-production in filmmaking. 

Once a filmmaker finishes editing, how can their production incorporate eco-friendly practices during the final stages of festival, sales, and distribution windows? 

As previously mentioned, the sustainable workflows established at the outset of a film's production can and should be extended into the later stages. 

It is crucial to recognize the mindset shift happening within audiences. Increasingly, marketing materials and PR campaigns are considering sustainability in the story's substance and physical execution. Large studios proudly share behind-the-scenes (BTS) videos and articles on their chosen productions, highlighting the sustainability initiatives and efforts in place, and audiences are becoming more attuned to this. A broader shift is occurring, and no one can afford to be seen as engaging in 'greenwashing'. Impact marketing is becoming increasingly prominent as companies find innovative ways to connect with new audiences. 

Of course, the film industry is predominantly a people's business, and I'd be blind to the nature of my own industry if I suggested that we could forget this aspect. No, what we need to do, in my view, is educate ourselves, remain aware, and, above all, adapt while being prepared to continue adapting. Adaptation is the key to flourishing. To succeed sustainably, we must embrace this ability to evolve while maintaining the human connections integral to the industry. 

Those involved in festivals, sales, and distribution have realized they have a responsibility, and their eyes are on them. The number of panels at festivals addressing sustainability has increased significantly, which is fantastic. We must continue raising awareness! 

Many festivals now prefer digital submissions, aligning with the broader shift towards virtual processes. This can have a significant impact on reducing a production's environmental footprint. Similarly, virtual screenings offer a more eco-friendly option compared to traditional physical screenings, reducing travel and resource consumption. However, a large part of the film industry still revolves around premieres, cinema screenings, festivals, and marketing, which cannot always be avoided—but these events can integrate sustainable practices. 

Transitioning to digital press kits and promotional materials helps minimize waste and conserve resources. Opting for sustainable and recyclable options is imperative if physical materials are necessary. Eco-friendly "swag" for audience members, such as reusable items or products made from recycled materials, further supports a green marketing approach—if such giveaways are necessary. 

Working with sustainable and local marketing vendors, businesses, and distributors with solid sustainability policies ensures that the distribution process remains environmentally conscious. As with earlier stages, travel and logistics for festivals and sales events offer opportunities to reduce carbon footprints. Virtual attendance should be encouraged wherever possible, cutting down the need for travel. When travel is unavoidable, implementing carbon offset programs and promoting carpooling or public transport can help mitigate environmental impacts. Using local resources for physical needs, such as printing and transportation, reduces carbon emissions associated with shipping and logistics. 

Adopting green certifications or endorsements from eco-friendly organizations can also showcase a film's commitment to sustainability. Sharing these efforts with audiences and stakeholders raises awareness and encourages other industry professionals to follow suit. 

At EMA, we encourage Green Seal recipients to include our Seal in their credits, posters, and other marketing collateral. How else can sustainability help market a movie? 

Sustainability is gradually becoming a tool in the arsenal of film marketers, directly correlating with audiences' growing interest. However, ensuring we offer more than just the green badge of honor is essential. Due to the nature of strict NDAs, little to no information about sustainability is shared with the wider audience. 

Sustainability will enhance a film's market presence through brand differentiation. In an industry saturated with content, showcasing a commitment to sustainability could set a movie apart. As environmental awareness becomes more significant to audiences, films that prioritize green initiatives can attract viewers who value sustainability, leading to increased interest and support. My goal is that, one day, all film and TV credits will display sustainability information—whether that's acknowledging the sustainability team as part of the crew, noting how many meals were donated, or, in my wildest dreams, when we have a unified way of measuring carbon footprint, productions might even declare their final footprint, how much was mitigated, and who they partnered with for legacy projects, insetting, and offsetting. The idea of carbon budgets has been circulating for a while in our industry. I have some fun ideas for what we can achieve as an industry over the next decade, haha! 

There's also a bigger picture for companies. Public relations efforts can benefit from sustainability, as highlighting a film's green credentials offers another angle for positive media coverage. This can boost the parent company's profile and attract the attention of journalists and bloggers interested in environmental topics. 

Sustainability can also lead to partnerships and sponsorships with eco-friendly brands and organizations. These collaborations not only extend the film's reach but also provide additional marketing support, contributing to its overall success. 

Film festivals and industry awards increasingly value sustainability, giving eco-conscious films a competitive edge. Doing so boosts the film's profile and attracts attention and recognition. A film's commitment to sustainability can foster consumer loyalty, leading to enthusiastic word-of-mouth promotion and creating a robust and engaged community. 

In the end, a shift is coming, and soon, integrating sustainability into a film's marketing strategy will significantly enhance its appeal, marketability, and long-term success—or, to take a more sobering view, the absence of these efforts will have an undesired impact. 

Finally, can you share a post-production success story of one of the projects you've advised? 

We recently had a brilliant meeting with the post-production producer. We began discussing the possibility of measuring how much footage is shot versus how much ends up on the cutting room floor and then assigning a carbon cost to that. Since I'm not an expert on this topic, I suspect others may have already started exploring this elsewhere, and if so, I would love to see their findings. 

What emerged from this conversation is that the goal of such an exercise should not be to assign 'incidental blame' or 'point fingers.' The creative process is highly individual, and editors, directors, and others involved must be free to make creative choices to do their jobs well. Instead, the aim should be to understand the hows, whys, and trends behind these processes and to explore what we can learn from them to improve. 

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