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PRODUCTION TIPS

PRE-PRODUCTION

PRE-PRODUCTION

Plan ahead. Set achievable goals and targets for the whole production and for each department which can be reviewed at regular stages.Write and communicate a clear sustainability policy and communicate it with all stakeholders. Circulate a green memo to all cast and crew.

At the Studio/Office - Paper

  • Use a minimum of 30% recycled paper, but aim for 100% - there are many brands available.

  • Distribute call sheets electronically (most people view it on their smart phones).

At the Studio/Office - Energy Use

  • Adjust automated heating/AC/light sensors to fit your needs (to avoid them running unnecessarily).

  • Switch light bulbs to low energy in lamps (and main lights if possible), and use task lighting – you don’t need the whole office lit up if only a quarter is occupied.

  • Install light sensors

  • Predict your approximate energy consumption using Albert, and then try to reduce this.

At the Studio/Office - Products

  • Ask suppliers to reduce packaging or use paper instead of plastic packaging.

  • Buy second hand sofas and office furniture.

  • Use recycled or FSC envelopes, notebooks and stationery.

At the Studio/Office - Kitchen

  • No paper/plastic cutlery, plates or cups. And definitely NO polystyrene!

  • If ordering take away, ask if they can avoid using polystyrene containers.

  • Use reusable towels rather than paper towels.

  • Buy organic and Fairtrade where possible.

  • Use a coffee machine which will take reusable filters instead of individual pods.

  • Buy snacks in bulk to reduce packaging and take old boxes and bags when shopping.

  • Use natural cleaning products – dishwasher tablets, soaps, sprays etc.

At the Studio/Office - Waste

  • Set up a comprehensive recycling system.

  • Installed plumbed water coolers or large bottles instead of using disposable bottles.

  • Set up visible waste disposal stations throughout the spaces occupied. Include clear and easy-to-follow signage.

  • Make sure that there is a disposal point for batteries as well as your regular recycling (and composting).

  • Provide continuous feedback for crew and note their achievements. You may want to set up a green notice board at craft services noting the recycling rate for the month, any interesting green facts or stories. It can be motivational to have a green award system to encourage crew members to think a little bit greener.

Plan ahead. Set achievable goals and targets for the whole production and for each department which can be reviewed at regular stages.Write and communicate a clear sustainability policy and communicate it with all stakeholders. Circulate a green memo to all cast and crew.

PRODUCTION

Production/On Location - Waste

  • Source recycling contractors (and composting if possible) for all locations in advance.

  • Set up a comprehensive recycling system.

  • Make sure that all members of the Locations team (including dailies throughout the shoot) are thoroughly aware of the recycling procedures. Make sure that they have sufficient provisions (bins, lids, signs and bags) at each location and on their truck.

Production/On Location - Power

  • Get the right generator

  • Where you must use onsite generators, try to calculate the ‘right size’ load so that you are not wasting fuel and power unnecessarily.

  • Source generators which run on alternative power sources. Solar generators are the lowest impact option, followed by natural gas power and biodiesel.

  • Waste Vegetable Oil (WVO) generators

  • Solar generators

  • Small mobile solar solutions

  • Hydrogen fuel cell generators

  • Methanol fuel cell generators

  • Pedal power

  • Reduce the use of the onsite generators. Set up an hour in advance of shooting and shut down if you are breaking for lunch, or shooting elsewhere for more than 30 minutes

  • Use low energy/fuel efficient tower lights. Reduce usage by turning off lights during the day.

  • Regulate lights/AC/heating in trailers – turn off when unoccupied.

  • Ask to have the shooting power turned off before leaving the location.

Production

Production/On Location - Travel

  • Develop a sustainable travel plan for getting to and from locations.

  • Rent low impact, high-efficiency vehicles (such as ‘used cooking oil biodiesel’) as pick-up trucks for the Locations team.

  • Scout locations which are close to the studio and accessible via public transport.

  • Provide bicycles and pulley carts, or hire rickshaws for travelling within the location (instead of diesel-run gators if weather allows)

Production/On Location - Conservation

  • Comply with and respect any legislation which may exist for a location

  • Preserve and protect wildlife/biodiversity. Make sure that you leave an area as you found it.

  • Conserve water

Production/On Location - Practices

  • Take responsibility for relocating water coolers when moving between locations.

  • Share photos digitally and avoid printing.

  • Double side all Movement Orders (if you still distribute them).

  • Use low impact signage and protective materials (i.e. reusable mats, recycled card etc.).

  • Use environmentally friendly, non toxic cleaning products.

  • Use recycled toilet paper and environmentally friendly soaps.

TRANSPORT & ACCOMODATION

Plan ahead. Set achievable goals and targets for the whole production and for each department which can be reviewed at regular stages.Write and communicate a clear sustainability policy and communicate it with all stakeholders. Circulate a green memo to all cast and crew.

Transport - Practices

Transportation & Accomodation

  • Use Albert to calculate your baseline travel footprint, identify the largest carbon contributors and put in place a realistic travel policy.

  • Monitor the amount of petrol/diesel used via the transport captain and accounts team for use in Albert at the end of production.

  • Recycle engine oil, antifreeze and tyres if necessary.

  • Enforce the no idling policy! Communicate the no idling policy to all, including daily minibus drivers and standby ambulances.

  • Conference call instead of travelling to meetings.

  • Consider technology which allows reporters/artists to contribute remotely.

  • Aim to reduce air travel where possible by using local crews at international locations.

  • Incentivise car sharing, or travelling via public transport, especially for office staff.

  • Distribute a ‘Green Driving Guide’ with tips to improve fuel economy and lower emissions.

  • Schedule enough time at each location to avoid return visits.

  • Reduce the need for shipping and freighting by sourcing things locally.

Transport - Vehicles

  • Maintain vehicles in optimum condition to keep them running at the highest efficiency.

  • Use hybrid or energy efficient vehicles for hire cars, taxis, executive cars and run-around vehicles.

  • Use solar powered golf carts and bicycles to get around on locations (including cast travelling from trailers to set).

  • Encourage the use of low carbon vehicles in your suppliers.

Transport - Trailers

  • Combine trailers where possible and use double ended trailers for cast in order to reduce the number of trailers needed.

  • Retrofit or request trailers with LED/CFL or other low energy lighting.

  • Solar panelled trailers are now available or you could supplement existing trailers with additional solar panels.

Accomodation

  • Use hotels with sustainability policies or ethical accreditations.

  • Choose hotels and apartments with public transport links and close to the studios/location.

  • Encourage house sharing when foreign crew are visiting (this can be beneficial to morale).

  • Use local crew who don’t require accommodation.

  • Make the accommodation coordinators aware of the hierarchy of environmental impacts; hotels are least preferable, small hotels/B&Bs are better. Environmentally speaking houses and apartments are best.

WASTE

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Plan ahead. Set achievable goals and targets for the whole production and for each department which can be reviewed at regular stages.Write and communicate a clear sustainability policy and communicate it with all stakeholders. Circulate a green memo to all cast and crew.

Waste Set-up​

  • Plan the disposal, storage and removal of your waste.

  • Make sure you provide and are provided with all the relevant paperwork.

  • Develop and implement a waste management plan which identifies the minimum possible amount of waste going to landfill.

  • Make sure that you have recycling vendors to cover all planned locations and studios.

  • Aim for a minimum of an 80% recycling rate.

  • Check out what the studio already offers in terms of waste disposal, if necessary bring in your own skips.

  • Comply with local waste regulations when you are out on location.

  • Request waste reports from your vendor so that you are able to track the amount of waste produced and provide feedback and praise to your crew.

  • Send a Green Memo out during prep and before each location.

  • Make sure that bins with lids and signage are set up in all holding areas/extras/make-up/warehouses.

  • Don’t forget to include ink cartridges and toner, batteries, waste electronic equipment (WEEE) and film ends (which can be sent for silver reclamation) in your waste management plan.

Waste

Waste - Implementation

  • Reduce usage first! Avoid all single use products and try not to over order.

  • Communicate the waste policy to everyone – all trades, all staff, crew and cast and make sure to set up recycling early to accommodate the construction workshops.

  • Assign a department to be responsible for the bins, setting up, transporting between locations and emptying (make sure that they communicate the system to any daily staff).

  • Put clear and easy to follow signs everywhere explaining what can and cannot go into the bins. Make sure that all bins have lids.

  • Make sure that there are sufficient bins of all of the relevant types for your recycling system placed everywhere. Including trailers, holding areas, craft services, catering, on set, hair and make-up etc.

  • Ensure that you have your system set up in the trailers too, this may need to be tweaked with single stream paper/smaller bins/simplified system to fit into all trailers/OB vans

  • Do not overlook sets, costumes, props etc, set up specialised recycling in their workshops such as hazardous waste for adhesives, paints, solvents. Fluorescent tubes and waste electronics, plaster and foam should be considered too.

Waste - Donation

  • Ensure that donation is stated as an option for asset disposal.

  • Make sure that things are easy to deconstruct making it easier to donate.

  • Look into donation opportunities at theatres, schools, acting schools, and charities.

  • Make sure that the organisation has the ability to collect. Support those which can.

  • Use specialist organisations for reclaiming sets/props/construction materials.

  • Have donation organisations set up well in advance of wrap to give them time to make arrangements.

MATERIALS

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Plan ahead. Set achievable goals and targets for the whole production and for each department which can be reviewed at regular stages.Write and communicate a clear sustainability policy and communicate it with all stakeholders. Circulate a green memo to all cast and crew.

Materials

Materials - Practices

  • Reduce the use of materials across the board.

  • Create a list of all materials and items needed for the production and identify any materials that can be sourced in an environmentally friendly fashion.

  • Print double sided, use shared drives, plan carefully to avoid excess materials and reuse or donate excess materials before throwing away

  • Paper and wood should be FSC certified and aim for at least 30% recycled in paper.

  • Use rags and reusable towels instead of paper towels.

  • Only buy what will be used and store things properly to allow for donating or reuse later.

  • Source contacts for organisations willing to accept donations and have them ready for wrap.

  • Use biodegradable and recycled content materials.

  • Use rechargeable batteries, make sure that they are fully run down before recharging.

  • Ask suppliers for rented items made of sustainable materials. Even if they don’t have any the more we ask the more they are likely to stock such items.

Materials - Paint

  • Collect excess paint in allocated trays instead of washing it down the drain.

  • Use plant based paint strippers.

  • Use non petroleum based, non toxic, low VOC paints. Water soluble latex paints typically contain fewer VOCs, generate fewer odours, and eliminate the need to use paint thinners to clean surfaces.

Materials - Wood and Construction

  • Schedule design and shoot schedule to allow time for re-use of set walls

  • Incorporate salvaged materials

  • Build with deconstruction in mind, make things deconstructable and use screws instead of glue.

  • For flooring use sustainable or recycled products such as bamboo, cork or recycled content carpet.

  • More sustainable wood options are bamboo and farmed maple or birch.

  • Avoid using Luan (Far Eastern Plywood), check the chain of custody and traceability of your supplier to check that it has been sustainably sourced. (A lot of Far Eastern Ply is not).

  • Use wall skins made from recycled materials.

  • Consider using reused metal frames instead of timber.

  • Recycle all wood excess (including cut-offs and discards)

  • Re-use as much as possible and donate materials where possible.

Materials - Costumes

  • Re-use coat hangers and use cloth costume bags in place of disposable plastic ones.

  • Buy second hand clothing and accessories.

  • Buy organic cotton products or Fairtrade if possible. Support designers who work with more sustainable materials.

  • Wash on cold water cycles and avoid dry cleaning.

Materials - Set Dec./Art/Props

  • Choose recycled content materials or second hand items.

  • Avoid toxic and harmful products.

  • Use environmentally friendly cleaning products

  • Rent items instead of buying or making new.

  • Use water based glues and avoid using the toxic products.

  • Source locally and buy in bulk where possible to reduce packaging (i.e. gallon cans of instead of 5 litre plastic bottles).

Materials - Other Departments

  • Greens – use organic mulch and soil and use live cuttings instead of synthetic ones.

  • Grips – donate used lighting gels and unused bulbs (recycle CFL bulbs as hazardous waste).

  • Hair and Makeup – Use products with natural ingredients which are cruelty free.

  • Hair and Makeup - Use products with refillable containers or with less packaging.

  • SFX – Try to source the more environmentally friendly alternatives where possible for effects such as snow, dust and smoke. Dispose of all hazardous materials responsibly.

CATERING

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Plan ahead. Set achievable goals and targets for the whole production and for each department which can be reviewed at regular stages.Write and communicate a clear sustainability policy and communicate it with all stakeholders. Circulate a green memo to all cast and crew.

Catering - Waste and Compost

  • Eliminate disposable catering products and serviceware such as cups and food trays. Opt for re-usable crockery, paper, or compostables if you can dispose of them correctly.

  • Compost if possible. If at first it is too much, start with bins just for caterers prep and waste at the catering van.

  • Make sure that catering staff are on board and fully understand how to compost and recycle the correct materials. It may be beneficial to purchase smaller/different sized bins to be able to fit in narrow kitchens/on worktops.

  • Educate the kitchen runners so that they have a clear understanding of what can and can’t be composted, and which dumpsters the composting waste goes into, (they will be handling/emptying the bins day to day).

  • Make sure that there are sufficient stations of composting and recycling bins and signage everywhere so that crew know where and what to compost/recycle.

  • Make sure that the composting is also setup in all trailers and in the production office (anywhere with a kitchen).

  • et up separate bins for tins and cardboard around the back of the catering van to make it easier to separate out food from foil/packaging.

  • Used cooking oil will be collected for free by various companies within London/Surrey, use this service as this is the perfect resource for making biodiesel.

  • Flatten and recycle card – reuse first by taking old boxes back to the shops with you.

Catering - Products and Catering

  • Don’t purchase red list seafood

  • Try Meat free Mondays.

  • Provide water coolers in the catering and craft areas so people can refill their bottles.

  • Use low emission fuels in BBQs (propane or natural gas)

  • Use environmentally friendly cleaning products and reusable towels.

  • Use compostable bin liners (even if not composting on set).

  • Use reusable dinnerware and reusable water bottles and travel mugs.

  • If it is not possible to use reusable food serviceware, use biodegradable products

  • Absolutely no polystyrene should be used.

  • Donate unprepared food (fresh fruit and veg, cereals, unopened packaged snack food and tins) to a homeless charity. It is also worth noting this when fresh produce is used as set decoration e.g. in a market scene

  • Purchase local and seasonal produce.

  • Provide condiments in refillable bottles instead of single serve sachets.

  • Try to gauge an accurate headcount and don’t buy more than you need.

Catering

Catering - Craft Services

  • Avoid single use pods for coffee, instead opt for reusable filters.

  • Buy Fairtrade where possible (coffee, sugar, chocolate, fruit and veg).

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