How to Make a Sustainable Movie or TV Show Part 2: 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 friend Zsófia Szemerédy of 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 learn about production!
Now that we've covered pre-production, it's time to implement our sustainable plan in production. Ideally, what roles must a production hire have to ensure sustainability on set?
Every production should consider sustainability when hiring key roles. We worked on a production where, for example, the 'deal in principle letter' already contained short information on the ambitious sustainability goal of the project, so the person who was about to sign their contract was well aware of the degree of sustainability that was to play in that production. There can still be rumbles afterward, but it's a good way to set the stage. It's essential to recognize that filmmakers should not confine sustainability to a few specific roles but integrate it across all key positions.
For instance, a Transport Captain can be the driving force behind the transition to EVs and the adoption of HVO fuel in a transport fleet. For example, a location/unit manager can be the cornerstone of change in clean energy transition, mobile power usage, transition to HVO, and much more. We could share an example for almost every department, from art, costume, and props through electrical to all SFX. It is crucial that the crew feels empowered and supported, even to make mistakes. Change inevitably brings about mistakes, and film and TV are traditionally not a forgiving space; too much money is at risk, which means the seasoned crew is trained NOT to make a change and do everything the way it works… however no mistake, no change, no progress: one can argue routine is the death of creativity in all aspects.
Naturally, it's also essential that someone looks after sustainability and production initiatives. Production tiers matter as well. For instance, it is advisable to have a sustainability consultant overseeing the strategy and managing the coordinator and team on the ground for blockbusters. They can oversee the entire sustainability plan (agreed upon in pre-production), ensuring all departments adhere to eco-friendly guidelines. Stemming from the hierarchical nature of the film and the tradition that sustainability is 'green in every sense,' coordinators often need to pull more decision-making weight. A consultant will be more likely to plan on an even field. Supporting these roles on the ground, Green PAs and Sustainable Trainees can handle day-to-day sustainability tasks and monitor activities to maintain compliance.
Integrating sustainability into all roles and responsibilities, as well as incorporating sustainable vendors, ensures comprehensive management of sustainability efforts throughout the production process.
What key factors do productions overlook early on that make earning an EMA Green or Gold Seal harder?
One significant oversight is the need for early planning and integration of sustainability into the initial stages, leading to missed opportunities for eco-friendly practices. Everything often centers around time, money, and approvals in our line of work. So, we need top-down pressure and approvals to make ambitious sustainability goals and feel supported; productions need to budget for these; line producers are significant in this to look at budgets and manage them with a holistic view.
For example, the art department brought an idea to the sustainability council meeting on a production that was doing this. It would have cost the production a few grander and was out of budget. However, the lighting department and rigging got involved when it turned out they needed less rigging and equipment installed, and that would save roughly the same amount. These two things are traditionally in a different budget line. However, the producer looked at the budget as one whole, not as separate slices, and they chose the more sustainable choice!
Considering sustainability as a driving thought when choosing a sound stage studio, offices, warehouses, and locations can be a powerful tool. It matters where energy comes from and how logistics will arrange transportation. The more 'fertile the ground, the easier the production's job is. There are certifications for sound stage studios now, as well as checkpoints and databases for more sustainable locations.
Productions should identify impactful areas and implement strategies for mitigation and reduction from the outset. For example, if a filmmakers shoot in a city on location, you know your crew's traveling will increase. Production can incentivize them with a £15 public transport contribution or cover congestion fees. Including these considerations early in the budget is a strategic move. This strategy encompasses budgeting, script integration, transparency with the crew, and regular strategy meetings, such as council meetings for power and fuel planning and sustainability meetings with representation from each department, which are also essential.
Furthermore, it helps when a production has a green pledge signed by the Head of Production (HoP), Line Producer, and Sustainability Manager and shared transparently and proudly with the entire crew. It means the production and the top decision-makers are held accountable. Crew can rightly expect that the fleet, swing, machinery, etc., will be powered electrically or with HVO if the production aims to be diesel-free.
By incorporating sustainability into every process step, from scripting to crew coordination, productions can create a smoother path to achieving the EMA Green or Gold Seal.
How can a project convey its sustainability goals to the cast and crew? How should producers handle any pushback on set?
We worked on productions where the production company had a detailed Sustainability Handbook (written by us, so we knew it reasonably well). It was a perfect start, as it outlined the expectations and steps. The handbook is a living, breathing document where the production execs deeply care about not just environmental sustainability but accessibility, HR, training, mental health, etc., and strive to be as inclusive as they can on all fronts. So, you draw the lines at an early stage.
The next steps were to include sustainability in the deal in principle, have a green pledge, and offer a sustainability welcome package for the crew so that when producers onboarded them, they already knew what to expect going forward.
In the future, one of the most efficient ways to communicate these sustainability goals is to conduct consistent sustainability council meetings, with representation from each department, and fuel and power plan meetings with key suppliers and departments in attendance.
I'm a silver-lining kind of person. We won't win wars by forcing an enemy to surrender in one battle. I also don't believe in wasting my energy changing the mind of a hard-line nay-sayer; I better focus my energies on those open to debate. When most of the crew gets used to and thinks of sustainable practices as a natural act, the nay-sayers will have no choice but to stand in line. That said, I'm a firm believer in consistency and reason. These are some tasks a production exec or producer must weigh. So, figuring out how best to balance each case will be different. However, being open to making reasonable adjustments without compromising core sustainability goals ensures a balanced approach. When the person in question is open to discussion, sometimes emphasizing the long-term benefits of sustainable practices for both the environment and the industry can help mitigate resistance. Most importantly, transparency and equal treatment, paired with a psychology degree, will benefit a good producer.
What are the critical areas of sustainability for a TV or movie production?
The critical areas of sustainability for a TV or Film production include the use of energy, fuel, and power, together with travel and accommodation. These areas are apparent when you have details about the production and can create a carbon footprint estimation. The more impactful regions will pop out immediately on your production.
Most of the time, the emissions generated by fossil fuels and power are the most significant contributors to a film's carbon footprint and, thus, the first area to tackle early on when talking about sustainability.
Is your production traveling through state lines/countries/continents? Are you shipping a lot of equipment? It is vital to plan for these eventualities and alert your crew and suppliers early on that your goal is to mitigate them through careful planning. You will decide everything in the planning stage; everyday decisions are but flourishes, a drop in the ocean in terms of your carbon footprint.
Sustainability, being an afterthought, is the biggest hindrance to production!
Finally, how can a consulting company help a TV/Movie production earn an EMA Green Seal for sustainable production?
We plan with you from the beginning. That's what will help the most.
Consultancies are also familiar with the land and layout, the suppliers, and the regional availability. Consultancies have the added benefit of having worked on multiple productions, learning from other's mistakes firsthand, and building them into the strategy of how to avoid those next time. Take us, Green Eyes, for example; we work on productions but also have a presence in the industry at large, lobbying for new policies, keeping an eye on infrastructural updates, doing R&D projects, working on refining solutions, analyzing scripts from a sustainability POV, organizing events and drumming up interest across different departments or providing training and much more. Consultants are your link to the world; they have done the market analysis of your production needs to get state-of-the-art sustainability choices. Our job also entails meticulous data collection, so productions to come can benefit from the learnings we gain on each project while simultaneously ensuring all efforts are well-documented and reported, which is essential for the certification process.
Finally, guiding the production through the certification process helps meet all criteria and standards required for the EMA Green Sea and benefits the industry in the long run. By partnering with a sustainability consulting company, productions can effectively integrate sustainability into their operations, achieving recognized standards for eco-friendly filmmaking. Shout out to all the Consultants worldwide who have been treading these stormy waters.
Are you a production looking to commit to sustainability on set? Check out our EMA Green Seal here.