Greener Shooting
Those who are Leading the Way
There are many films that envision a more sustainable world and showcase the beauty of the planet, indirectly encouraging an ecologically committed seventh art. Without abandoning the magic of cinema, it is possible to set an example on the screen.
Behind the image of a lone man walking on the dunes, sixty people, from the props man to the soundman, from the camerawoman to the production assistant, are on the rush... A film shooting means tons of paper for the scripts, electricity for the cameras and the lighting often used day and night, sometimes daily transport for all the members of the team, materials for the sets, textiles for the costumes... The list is long. However, the film industry is slowly becoming more responsible, as awareness is growing among the industry's players. And green shootings are starting to appear.
A green filmaking ecosystem is emerging and organisations committed to promoting good practices have been emerging in recent years. For example Albert, based in the UK, is an environmental organisation that encourages the film and television production sector to reduce its waste and carbon footprint. In France, Ecoprod has become a leading association on the subject. Its aim is to educate the industry on how it can be more sustainable while reducing the cost by avoiding too much waste. This resource centre seeks to unite the industry around environmental issues. Several productions have already been supported, such as Le baron noir, a Canal Plus series, and Poly, the latest film made by Nicolas Vanier. In the same vein, Secoya, an agency created by two former directors, helps productions integrate environmental issues into their roadmap. It offers an online carbon simulator adapted to audiovisual production. Transport, sets, technical resources... Everything is taken into account.
On a broader scale, the Green Screen project shares best practices in sustainable production across Europe, with financial assistance at stake. In Hollywood too, the most eco-responsible films are rewarded at an Environmental Media Association (EMA) awards ceremony.
The carbon simulator adapted to the visual proposition proposed by Secoya
Efforts toward sustainable production!
Poly, directed by Nicolas Vanier - No more air travel, a selection of local organic producers for the cast and crew.
Jurassic World, directed by Dominion, Colin Trevorrow - Filmed at Pinewood studios which now runs on renewable energy. Additionally, every dinosaur has been made out of recycled silicone and fibreglass by the company Green Clover.
La déesse des mouches à feu, directed by Anaïs Barbeau-Lavalette - Carpooling, composting and recycling, but also food donations to food banks to avoid waste.
Le baron noir, directed by Ziad Doueiri, Antoine Chevrollier and Thomas Bourguignon - Most of the equipment was rented, and reducing packaging and sortin waste was prioritized.
The words of Guy Daleiden,
Director of the Film Fund Luxembourg
"The various players in the film sector recently realised that audiovisual production was far from being sustainable. So the idea of green shooting came up. On a European scale, networking initiatives were launched. We had a lot of discussions and working groups within the sector to talk about what we could do, change or eliminate. In Luxembourg, we thought right away that we had to be part of this network.
We are not only trying to participate in these discussions at a European level, but also to change something about filming locally. We want to have slightly greener productions in the Grand Duchy, with less impact than in the past. We make all our films here in co-production with other countries. So it would be strange to use plastic cups in Luxembourg when filming is more sustainable elsewhere! It's a small initiative, but, for example we produced water bottles that we distributed on the shooting. It is also an educational way of drawing attention to a global issue.
There needs to be a change in mentality, reflections on both sides. There is an opportunity to save our resources. It is not up to our technicians or actors to find solutions, they arealready busy with their work. It's about the commitment of the production managers."
To be read also in the dossier "Polluting Cinema: End Clap?"