How to produce sustainably even in times of Corona by Els Rientjes

title image: Green Filming #2

Half a year later we can now evaluate the implementation of the new COVID measures. It is clear, that if the need is big enough, it is possible to quickly make significant changes. Apparently, we can do more than we think. So, isn’t it the time now to work more intensively on sustainability on set as well?

Some COVID adjustments are actually very similar to sustainability measures. We now have to wash our hands more often and better, so clean water on set is a must. And with water available, it is also easier to refill our water bottles. For example, a mobile washbasin, is now indispensable. And the extra person on set to ensure safety and hygiene is very much like the Sustainability Managers we advocate for. Meeting remotely via video conference has now become the new normal. We really don’t go to the office or visit a location with the whole team anymore, instead we share the information via the internet. This makes it easier to connect different Heads of Department in pre-production and find out together what the most efficient way of shooting is. Without intending to, we are slowly taken steps towards more sustainable production. And it also saves money, produces less CO2 and less need to throw away unused materials.

Post-production is now automatically involved at the beginning of projects. The post-production coordinator reads the scripts and involves the creatives of the post-production houses in the choices that can be made. It is busier on the digital highways of our productions and less busy on the road. We have no choice to spend more time on preparations. And so, we shoot more efficiently and therefore more sustainably.

In the fashion industry we are seeing major changes. It is no longer okay to just buy something new and throw away or destroy clothing. We recycle and invent new materials. We, filmmakers and broadcasters, also have to set an example. And we can do it together.
In these mad times, adaptable people have the greatest chances of surviving. That is why we have added all sustainable tips from the COVID protocol to our toolkit, as new opportunities. It probably all sounds very familiar. But sometimes we just need to see something from a new perspective. Times have changed. We really cannot and do not want to go back to the old ways. Good luck and apply it where possible. Let’s make these measures normal too!