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Greening film production

2010 October 17
by pwilloquet

Studies of ecomedia have began addressing the ecological footprint of film production. Robin Murray and Joseph Heumann offer a brief discussion of An Inconvenient Truth’s carbon-neutral production (see their Ecology and Popular Film). Harri Kilpi argues that since “cinema also produces as a matter of fact concrete, real-world effects on the environment,” research focused on sustainability issues might “trace the ecological footprint of a given production and help contribute to the environmental audit of the industry” (see his “Green Frames: Exploring Cinema Ecocritically”).  I recently attended a panel at a local film festival featuring producers, directors, and art designers speaking about the sustainability efforts underway.  Here are some examples.

1. The Producers Guild of America Green Committee has developed a website for filmmakers who want to use sustainable strategies in greening their productions. The site includes tips, resources, articles, and case studies of sustainable productions. www.pgagreen.org

2. The Production Guild of America Foundation, with funding by some of the big players in the industry (Disney, Fox, NBC Universal, Sony Pictures Entertainment, and Warner Brothers), created a Green Production Guide that list over 1 000 vendors that offer sustainable and energy saving products and services, as well as a Carbon Calculator specific for productions. www.greenproductionguide.com

3. Green Media Solutions is a consulting firm that provides entertainment productions with resources, staffing, and research to reduce their carbon emissions.

4. The Guide to Environmentally Sound Film & Video Production was written by filmmakers for filmmakers, outlining the application of sustainable production in every aspect of the production process through a case study of the making of the independent film No Telling (shot in 1990). www.glasseyepix.com/lowimpact/

5. The not-for-profit prop and set dressing boutique, Film Biz Recycling, was set up to accept donations of useful and reuseable items and to re-route these items to other organizations. www.filmbizrecycling.org

One Response leave one →
  1. Stephen Rust permalink*
    October 18, 2010

    Thank you Paula this is fantastic information and really shows how sustainable practices are beginning to take hold.

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