Energy
For the technical departments Lighting, Camera, Sound and Grip developments happen very quickly. Across the board, you can say: manufacturers themselves are striving to make more efficient products, and this has an impact on green filmmaking.
Especially in the lighting department a lot of research has been done into what truly is environmentally friendly. Also in the professional sphere there are plenty of gaffers and DoP’s interested and experimenting with other forms of light.
Tips & Tricks
Light
- Most effectively you save in lighting by filming in the summer.
- Developments are accelerating. For artificial lighting there are sustainable options. One of these is LED. But even better, inquire with your lighting company about the latest developments. And ask for a test beforehand on the effects with your cameraman and lighting technician. Possibly in combination with a make-up test.
- Plasma and fluorescent lighting are also more sustainable options.
Energy
- Try to purchase energy from a sustainable source through an energy supplier that provides it, for example in the Netherlands; Pure Energie or Vanderbron.
- On location, try to connect to the grid or use electric generators and battery packs. We made a special interactive Film Harvest Map where you can find all the available public power points and sustainable power solutions for the Netherlands. Try to use regular generators as little as possible. If there is no way around it, then inquire about possibilities for generators on biodiesel. Read these reports on “green batteries” used in the event industry, but have been tested on film sets, such as the Firefly and the True Hybrid.
- Clean any oil spills immediately and prevent it from sinking into the soil.
To conclude
Discuss everything thoroughly with your heads of department and crew members. This way everyone can figure out for themselves how to work sustainably within their department, and how to communicate this clearly to the rest of their crew.
Do you have suggestions for interesting suppliers? Or good tips? We would like to hear them! Send an email to info@greenfilmmaking.com.