Lights, Camera, Sustainability: The Green Magic Behind Your Favourite Movies!

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When we think about sustainability animated movies and superhero battles are the last places where incorporating eco-friendly practices seems like a possibility. Beyond educating, inspiring and entertaining the filmmaking industry is stepping up to find creative ways to go green. The concern arises from the substantial carbon footprint the industry induces through its energy-intensive set designs and international travel. The awe-inspiring storytelling is leveraging innovative technologies to create a space for green filmmaking. Climate crisis doesn’t feel like a buzzword. It is real and revolutionising every aspect of filmmaking into an eco-friendly endeavour. When filmmakers and studios embrace sustainable filmmaking through LED walls and nature-inspired aesthetics, they not only create visual masterpieces on the screen but, also contribute to ‘Green Shooting’ off the screen.

From Reel to Real: Saving the Planet with Virtual Worlds

Cities are extensively involved in movies around the world. London, New York, Los Angeles, Paris, and Toronto are popular choices as filming destinations. Traditional filmmaking involves fuel consumption, travelling to these locations, building massive sets, and arranging accommodations, contributing to significant carbon emissions.

The Sustainable Production Alliance, where the world's leading film, television, and streaming companies came together to achieve the goal of sustainable filmmaking, found in March 2021 that the “average CO2 emission of a film production is 3,370 metric tons—or about 33 metric tonnes per shooting day.” As alarming as these numbers were, they created green filmmaking as an initiative and a reality.

?? Did you know that in Frozen 2 and Avengers Endgame, the blockbusters adopted green practices by using energy-efficient lighting and minimising waste?

Understanding Virtual Production

Virtual production is revolutionising filmmaking, saving the planet in the process. The real question is how? To understand better take a look at this example:

The Mandalorian was a Disney+ series set up in the Star Wars universe. The project reduced its carbon footprint through? Industrial Light and Magic (ILM) StageCraft. In this setup, instead of relying on post-production teams to add CGI and special effects while the actors perform against green screens. StageCraft created an opportunity for filmmakers to develop hyperrealistic backgrounds digitally.

• The directors reproduce, modify, and project locations on large LED walls known as ‘the volumes’ to create photorealistic 3D environments minimising environmental impact by reducing the logistical challenges.
• The LED imagery allowed for accurate lighting that eliminated the need for additional lighting to mimic the environmental conditions required by the story.
• There was a smooth transition between diverse locations, from breathtaking landscapes to bustling cities without location scouting and multiple days of shooting.
• With virtual production, the numerous extras needed during filming could be created virtually with the game engine. Thus, cutting costs on background characters.

Interesting Fact: The Mandalorian utilised over 60 virtual backdrops on a single Stagecraft stage, drastically reducing the carbon footprint from physical travel.

How is Virtual production contributing to green filmmaking?

According to the Green Production Guide prepared by ‘SPA’ when adopting LED lighting for production, the electrical demand on the set is reduced significantly. In February 2022, GREEN SCREENS, GREEN PIXELS AND GREEN SHOOTING created a report by comparing two companies for virtual production and their opportunities for sustainable production. The report had the following findings:?

1. Reduced Carbon Footprint: Virtual production consumes about a third of the energy compared to offline rendered production. LED video walls consume 70% less energy, cut carbon emissions, and eliminate the need for extensive travel, saving 30 tons of emissions in The Mandalorian alone.
2. ?Material Efficiency: Sustainable materials like foam and luan minimise waste, while reusable "Volumes" in global locations reduce resource consumption and support scalability.
3. ?Time and Cost Savings: When digitised through LED walls, real sets reduce travelling costs. StageCraft's streamlined workflow combines pre- and post-production, saving time and money while offering controlled environments to avoid weather-related delays.

Recycling Isn’t Just for Bottles—It’s for 3D Too!

Ever wondered how 3D characters get a second life?

The familiar concept of recycling is often limited in our imagination to bottles, clothes, or colourful bins. What if I told you that the animation industry has adopted this concept to create green magic on screen?

In the beginning, animation was long trails of paper with drawings and scribbles from inks and developing chemicals that bring a character to life. Gradually, instead of new sets of stationery for every project, hardware software led the trail of imagination on the digital screen.

When the animation industry reuses digital assets, it doesn’t build everything from scratch. The studios repurpose:

• In pre-production: 3D models, textures, and animations across projects, which saves time and resources
• In post-production: reusing and cataloguing sound effects, textures, and animations

With this approach, the industry aligns with the principles of a circular economy where an asset’s value exists beyond its initial use. This ensures maximum creative output without unnecessary waste.

For the broader discourse of environmental care, big production houses are adopting sustainable production policies to make a real difference.

●????? Disney’s sustainable production policies include designing assets with reusability in mind.

●????? Stop-motion animation studios are phasing out harmful plastics in favour of biodegradable materials like natural fibres or cornstarch-based bioplastics.

These innovations not only reduce environmental impact but also pave the way for new creative possibilities. Storyboards adapt on-screen characters’ actions to sustainable actions so recycling is not limited to pre-production. Eco-friendly practices are aligned with creative works to reduce the need for excessive resource consumption.?

Eco-Stories from the World of Anime

Anime is leading the charge with eco-conscious storytelling.

Gone are the days when animation was considered as visually appealing graphics that were targeted at children. As we move into this era of technology overtaking every aspect of our lives, animation has left its impression on its viewers.

With its popularity animation has extensively indulged in educating, informing and sensitising people on pressing environmental issues.

• Makoto Shinkai’s Weathering With You where the film's narrative intertwined with themes of climate change. The impact of human activities on nature is not unknown, however, movies like this encourage people to reflect on their relationship with the environment.
• Studio Ghibli’s classics, like My Neighbour Totoro, have long celebrated the beauty of nature, inspiring generations to cherish and protect it.

What changes with anime is the target audience which serves adults and children alike creating environmentally conscious generations. Beyond entertainment when a child engages with themes of climate justice through the stories of Elsa and Anna in movies like Frozen 2 they wander on the possible encounter with real problems in the real world.

Anime creators are fostering a deeper understanding of sustainability while keeping the magic of fiction alive. When nature instead of being a backdrop becomes a character it serves as a call to action to save it, preserve it and most importantly think about it. The subtle reminder that human actions can ripple out the entire ecosystem can create an opportunity for individuals to care.

Tech That Saves the Day (and the Planet!)

Let’s talk tech!

What is interesting about technology it comes with its problems and solutions. This is what makes visual effects (VFX) a double-edged sword. The final phase in film production, where the 3D virtual space is transformed into a series of 2D images to create a movie is called rendering. Rendering and post-production require immense computing power which leads to a high energy consumption. To tackle them innovations like cloud-based rendering and energy-efficient hardware are addressing these challenges.

The intensive computational tasks that require high energy consumption leverage renewable energy through cloud rendering services. This helps on two levels.

1. Reducing on-site energy consumption
2. The rendering process becomes more accessible and scalable

How do ARM processors contribute to the goal of sustainable filmmaking?

Advanced RISC Machine (ARM) Processors which were originally designed for mobile devices have replaced the traditional x86 processors. With their integration into cloud-based rendering, these processors have changed high-performance computing environments by:

• Delivering significant processing power with minimal energy consumption.
• Low carbon emissions as ARM processors need less cooling power.

When high-output studios adopt eco-friendly practices without compromising on quality they make sustainability realistic. TeamTO Studio in France stands out for reducing its carbon footprint by an impressive 63%. Their comprehensive approach includes:

• transitioning to renewable energy
• optimising workflows

Big names are making big changes!? Disney, for instance, has integrated renewable energy into its operations, while Netflix is on track to halve its carbon emissions by 2030.

Why Green Graphics Are Cool!

Why should we care about green filmmaking?

The long-term benefits of green filmmaking extend far beyond the industry itself. By setting a powerful example, the entertainment industry can inspire other sectors to adopt similar sustainable practices, creating a ripple effect of environmental consciousness across various fields. Imagine turning off the lights when you leave a room, but on a massive scale—this is the impact of green filmmaking. From reducing waste to adopting clean energy, these practices ensure a healthier planet for future generations. Moreover, sustainable methods often lead to cost savings, making them a win-win for both studios and the environment.

At SalesEra, we are committed to supporting this green revolution in filmmaking. Our media production services are designed to integrate eco-friendly practices without compromising on quality. Whether it's through the use of energy-efficient LED walls, virtual production techniques, or sustainable materials, we help bring your creative visions to life while minimizing environmental impact.

Join us in making a difference. Visit SalesEra Media Production Services to learn more about how we can help you achieve your sustainability goals in filmmaking. Together, we can create visual masterpieces that not only captivate audiences but also contribute to a greener, more sustainable future.

Lights, camera, sustainability—let's make magic happen! ????