Acknowledging that the sustainability of our planet is an incredibly important, time-sensitive issue and that commercial production contributes to the problem is really the first step.
While green production has been a growing area within the long form video production community (i.e. network series and film) for quite some time, the issue is only now coming to the forefront within the commercial production community.
The truth is, until recently, not many of us thought about the impact of a 3-day shoot on the environment, given its short form nature. However, when you really think about it, the amount of waste that can be created is enormous.
Commercial shoots are built on the premise of one and done and onto the next one. They are driven by convenience and efficiency which leads to a mentality of single use; single use sets, single use props and even single use plastic water bottles….all leading to an incredible amount of unnecessary landfill waste.
And this only begins to scratch the surface of the environmental impact as it does not take into account things like energy sources, e-waste, the amount of travel and overall carbon emissions.
This cause needs a champion and who better than the marketer.
While different production houses and agencies have become staunch advocates of sustainable production, it is really up to brands, and in particular the marketer, to lead this charge.
They initiate the projects, dictate the requirements and, of course, control the budgets.
Beyond that, there should be a desire and willingness for every marketer to take the lead on an initiative like this. It is not only the right thing to do, but at some point, it will become a reflection on the brand they work so hard to build and protect.
Rome wasn’t built in a day.
Sustainability can be a fairly meaty subject area.
There is an abundance of information available online that speaks to what the problem is and how to best tackle it; some of which is helpful and some of which is confusing. It is the task of weeding through and making sense of the volume of material that becomes the challenge and may be the root cause of inaction.
The key for marketers is not to get overwhelmed.
They should not feel pressure to solve global warming overnight nor should they feel compelled to spend 6 months putting together a holistic plan in place that checks every box before starting.
Every little bit counts ...so the important thing is to get started
To start, marketers might want to think about some immediate action items that can be put in place quite easily. These can include simple things like:
Ensuring a recycling program is available on set
Eliminating single use plastic bottles
Putting policies in place that minimize unnecessary travel
As you learn more, you can build on these areas and start to implement a more robust plan that aligns with your overall corporate sustainability goals, addresses any ongoing cost considerations and begins to measure the impact of your effort.
Ready to begin? Here is how we can help.
Haynes-Vozza is a production consultant firm that specializes in video production. We leverage a unique blend of production, procurement and marketing expertise to help clients get the most of their video production dollars.
We help companies develop and launch sustainable commercial production initiatives by walking them through all the key components that need to be considered when designing such a program. Once clear initial objectives are established, we will then leverage available resources and the power of the bid spec to implement a program that is fully integrated into current processes so that it can consistently deliver on expectations.
Intrigued? Learn more about our Sustainable Production Design Program.