A lot of businesses are picking up the environmentally friendly mantle for many different reasons. Whether it’s a personal choice to make a change, or whether your industry demands it in order to keep the business attractive to prospective clients, making the switch to greener practices has to be admired.
One industry that has taken up the eco challenge with gusto is the film industry. Whether it’s on the screen or behind the scenes, the film industry is making big (and little) changes to help keep the planet a little greener.
Why Change in the Film and TV Industry is Needed
It may seem incredible, but according to the British Academy of Film, Television and Arts (BAFTA), around 13 tonnes of CO² is released for every single hour of television content. This is astonishingly the same as that emitted by a conventionally fuelled car travelling around the world twice (almost). With the size of the industry only getting bigger, it was clear that something had to be done.
It isn’t just the filming itself that has come into focus. The whole process, including suppliers, has come under the magnifying glass.
Have You Met Albert?
One group that is aiming to make a serious impact in the industry is Albert (a company, not a person). Founded in 2011, Albert’s aim is to support the global film and TV industry to reduce the environmental impacts of production and to create content that supports a vision for a sustainable future. How are they doing this? Well, through several different methods.
Firstly, the company offers tools for members of the industry to use in order to help them reach sustainable filming goals. There is also a lot of news shared on the Albert website discussing major productions that have gone the extra mile to be as sustainable as possible, and there is even certification awarded by Albert for productions that have been particularly excellent. You will also find free training via the site.
Another way that Albert is attempting to reach their goals is by bringing together suppliers who offer green solutions and then encourage the industry insiders to use them. After all, it’s much easier to find the environmentally friendly suppliers if they are all listed in one place.
Supplying the Demand
When you look at the suppliers page of the Albert website you will notice that you can narrow down the list of suppliers by country on the left hand side. The fact that the list of countries is so big is testament to the global reach of the company and how much good work they are doing.
There is quite an eye opener awaiting you when you see what the suppliers actually bring to the table. You will find some things that you would expect to find on such a supply list. Things like the physical film equipment that will directly be used in the production. There are also, however, other things such as waste management services, catering, tea and coffee supplies, logistics and even air conditioning suppliers. The list is long and it is very diverse.
Electric Vehicles in the Film and TV Industry
If you have read previous blog posts I have written about electric cars on the screen, whether in films and programs or on adverts, or my blog post about celebrities in electric cars, you will have seen that they have been around for some time and are becoming more prominent.
However, what about behind the scenes? Well, there are a lot of electric automobiles involved in many areas of TV and film production. Location scouts have to travel a lot, there is vast amounts of equipment that has to be shipped around, and the filming crews themselves have to be able to move between locations and to where they are staying during the filming.
Electric cars and vans are quickly becoming the primary method of getting about in an ever busy industry. You really get the feeling that everyone behind the scenes, and those on the screen themselves, really do care about the environment and that they will look at any methods at their disposal to make the change that is necessary.
