It’s undeniable that the film industry makes a huge contribution to the pollution of our environment. We are dedicated to raising awareness by promoting and practicing sustainable production methods, so that the planet can thrive alongside our industry.
Did you know that an average hour of filmmaking produces the same amount of CO2 emissions as a return flight from London to New York? Not to mention, a single day of shooting on a big-budget set equates to the carbon footprint of one person for an entire year.
Image credits © Dustan Woodhouse
The first change, that everyone on set can take part in, is having to hand a re-usable water bottle.
We all know that staying hydrated is key to remaining focused and maintaining your well-being on set but, alas, tens of thousands of plastic bottles are wasted on film sets every year. Instead, productions can offer their cast and crews a reusable water bottle, and set-up hydration stations across the set, where team members can refill as they please.
The most recent addition to the Terminator franchise, Dark Fate (2019), saved nearly 95,000 bottles of plastic throughout production by using this method. The final season of Game of Thrones saved over 10,000 plastic bottles by using refillable. The figures are clear; having a re-usable water bottle is invaluable for film productions.
Filtered water is available at the LFA front desk, for our students and staff to fill up their reusable bottles. This tiny change can make an enormous impact on a production’s environmental output, as well as give cast and crew those ‘water cooler’ moments on set!
Check back next week to see what our next step suggestion is on how we can work together to create a more sustainable film industry. Creating films that are not only inspiring, but also sustainable, is one of our core goals and values here at LFA, and we'd like to lead by example by sharing best practices environmentally.
Help us raise awareness for this critical topic by sharing on social media or forwarding on to a friend. #SustainableSundays