Lights, Camera, Sustainability

A friend recently asked me “what does sustainability mean?”. With the Cambridge Dictionary* definition stating it is ‘the idea that goods and services should be produced in ways that do not use resources that cannot be replaced and that do not damage the environment’, I have come to realise that sustainability means something different to everyone. 

We all have different compromises we are willing to make. For some people being sustainable means not eating meat products, for others it’s about buying second hand clothes and not investing in fast fashion. And some focus on using less single use plastic and moving towards zero waste or refillable products. 

For the earth’s surface air and surface sea temperatures to remain below 1.5°C above 1850-1900 pre-industrial temperatures, we need lots of people doing a combination of all of these and more. We need to reduce, reuse, repair, refill, recycle. One thing that living sustainably does highlight, is that it’s ok to do something imperfectly and not letting the idea of perfection get in the way. 

This is what I love about sustainability conversations - it gives you the ability to stand up in a room and voice your experience without the risk of judgement. It’s being able to share those little life hacks to use less plastic, find an app to pass on unwanted items, or foster circular economies within your lifestyle! 

The fact that all of this is rooted in deep and complex science isn’t something that should put people off. In fact, it is the enabler to be able to bring this into everyday lives and the workplace. As the newly appointed production operations director at Hogarth, I have found it impossible to separate the way we work, and the sustainability targets government legislation continues to introduce. At a time where environmental consciousness is a critical element within any industry, advertising is stepping up to the plate to pioneer sustainable practices across all divisions. We owe it to the planet to react and innovate. To not fear failure or employing methodologies that don’t shift the needle by huge margins. 

The Ad Net Zero programme is an industry-wide drive to reduce the carbon impact of developing, producing and running advertising. They partner with We Are AdGreen who have developed a carbon footprint calculator developed specifically for the production and advertising sector. These resources mean that producers can now benchmark and track progress. This comes at a critical time where all agencies must commit to transparent data to support clients in reducing their scope 3 emissions. 

Thanks to data published by both bodies, it is no secret that the biggest carbon problem in production is the way we travel around the world to capture assets. Flying many miles to find the perfect location, a reliably sunny climate or the talent you wish to utilise has become common place. This coupled with elevated levels of resource consumption and waste generation has led to the production sector coming under scrutiny. However, where air miles are unavoidable, we shouldn’t disregard initiatives that contribute to change. 

Within my role, I have helped teams implement methodologies such as switching on set catering to vegetarian/chicken instead of beef. Encouraging teams to hire or buy second hand props and wardrobe items from companies such as The Styling Bank. Using metadata to tag raw footage for reuse, whilst storing assets on less carbon intensive cold storage servers. These production methodologies are not going to move the needle on production carbon emissions in huge degrees, but what if they are doing something more powerful? What if they are making 20 people on set think about the way they consume goods throughout their non-working lives too? Then, what if those 20 people are talking to their friends and family about it? Normalising activities like this is the start of a movement. A movement that I want to be part of. I am no longer afraid to talk about small steps I am making because if we made them on mass, it could be incredibly powerful. 

At Hogarth, I get to work with a team of people who are equally as passionate about sustainability. They teach you new things, they innovate and drive powerful conversations. I’m surrounded by creative professionals who are developing amazing tools and technology pieces that will, in time, help to change the landscape of asset production. We are on the precipice of amazing innovations such as virtual production, AI and automation, and these technology developments will be the critical pieces within the puzzle to reduce production travel emissions - if we are brave enough to embrace them. To lean in and see that creativity is about to get a rebirth, not die alongside emerging technologies. It is increasingly possible to minimise environmental harm and maximise creative output. 

Production experts have a unique opportunity to lead the charge towards a more sustainable future. By redefining production processes, fostering collaboration and innovation, measuring impact and accountability, and educating and empowering creatives, we can pave the way for a world where lights, camera, sustainability are not mutually exclusive, but synonymous with excellence in filmmaking.