The good news is that the industry is finally
doing a lot more to reduce their carbon
footprint. The progress may be slow but
awareness of the issue has certainly made
an impact.
“We’ve had some progress, but it’s not
an industry that’s familiar with sustainable
practices and it’s due to the nature of the
industry really. It’s almost like a disposable
industry in that you throw up a set and you
tear it down again,” says BFI sustainability
manager Frank Horn.
Late to the table we may be, but compared
to ten years ago the changes are dramatic.
Today there are a slew of resources
available to ensure production activity is
more eco-friendly, with bodies such as
BAFTA and the BFI leading the way to
a more greener industry. From BAFTA
there’s Albert, which allows productions to
track their carbon footprint. BAFTA is also
behind the website Media Greenhouse,
dubbed “the home of environmental
sustainability for the screen arts”.
Also available online is GreeningFilm
from the BFI, which enables production
companies to find eco production services
and the organisation also champions
BS 8909, a British standard which sets
out the requirements to enable a more
environmentally film industry.
These useful resources can help
productions become more eco-friendly
when it comes to set design. The Albert
website, for example, recommends that
if you can’t reuse existing production
materials then FSC-certified timber should
be sourced. Because paints often contain
volatile compounds (VOCs) it also advises
to obtain low (or zero) VOC paints and
ensure they are disposed of by using a
“registered waste management company”.
Ground-breaking productions
As well as a raft of resources, the BBC
and BAFTA have joined forces for the
first ever on-screen ‘green certificate’
called Albert+, a stamp of approval
that appears at the end credits to show
which TV shows (not just the BBC’s) met
higher environmental standards. The first
production to be awarded the Albert+
certificate was CBBC’s All at Sea, which
made a considerable effort when it came
to eco-friendly set design. The production
used sustainably sourced materials for
the set, such as FSC and PEFC timber,
which are now being reused for the
second series. Studio lighting was also
switched off when not needed and no
air-conditioning was used. In addition, any
waste material was recycled in one way or
another.
For Jonathan Creek, another Albert+
awarded production, the design team
saved the destruction of two large sets by
recycling or setting them aside for reuse
on future productions. From There to Here,
starring Philip Glenister, was also given
the Albert+ approval - as well as dropping
paper use by 80% and a surfeit of other
green achievements, the production
bought props from local charities and
returned them after filming.
It’s evident that in recent years there has
been a shift towards the recycling of sets,
with Colin Firth one of the advocators of
the issue. “I’ve long lamented the fate of
all the beautifully crafted film sets I see:
no sooner is a scene finished then they
head for the landfill - or at best eternal
storage,” he said. Good news for Firth
then that now there are several companies
which specialise in a green method of set
disposal.
One such company is Dresd, who have
worked on films such as Les Miserable
and Fast & Furious 6. “We saved the
production of Les Miserable around £65k
and up to two weeks in time,” says the
company’s founder, Lynn McFarlane -
proof that making conscious changes to
a production can save money and time as
well as the environment.
sustainable Set design:
Several factors are to blame as to why the TV and film industry damages the environment: energy-
sucking lighting, churning out endless scripts, transporting movie stars from A to B in fuel-guzzling
private jets, and sets that are designed and constructed only to be thrown away again. In an industry
where time is forever tight, figuring out ways of becoming more green hasn’t been a priority.
The future’s
bright, the
future’s almost
green
By Paul Banks
Above: Colin Firth speaks out
in favour of more eco-friendly
practices in the industry.
Right: The first production
to be awarded the Albert+
certificate was CBBC’s All at Sea
Sustainability in film and TV
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