How to Make a Green Movie

At the recently held “Hollywood Goes Green” conference in Los Angeles, Calif., the results of Focus Features’ pilot study on “greening” pre-production and production stages of its upcoming comedy, Away We Go, were released.

The film reduced its carbon emissions and environmental impact during production earlier this year. As one of the first films to measure its carbon footprint, the pilot project used sustainability guidelines across four key areas:

1. Energy – Biodiesel fuels, made from reclaimed fry grease and soy, were used in vehicles and generators
2. Transportation – Hybrids were used whenever possible and the number of shoot locations and truck idling time was reduced
3. Construction/Set Materials – Low-VOC (volatile organic compounds) paints were used, and set materials were donated to organizations that could make future use of them.
4. Waste – Reusable aluminum water bottles were distributed to cast and crew and contractors were hired with experience in recycling and removing separate waste streams

“Working together, we had the chance to open new doors, reach even more ambitious environmental goals and push the bar higher for the whole industry,” said Mary Jo Winkler, executive producer of the film.

Some key achievements from the film’s production:

• An estimated 49 percent of all waste was diverted from landfills.
• Hybrid rental cars were driven 45 percent of the total rental car miles driven during the production.
• By using aluminum water bottles and providing refilling stations on all locations, the crew was able to avoid sending over 14,000 plastic water bottles to landfills.
• The craft services team purchased organic food from local purveyors throughout the shoot.
• Plastic plates, cups and utensils were replaced with sugar and corn-based dinnerware, keeping hundreds of pounds of plastic and Styrofoam out of landfills.
• The sound department used both recyclable and rechargeable batteries whenever possible and made
  special efforts to dispose of other batteries properly.

According to the report, the carbon emissions level from the movie production was calculated to be approximately 975 metric tonnes of CO₂.

“I fully intend to take what we learned onto my next film and every film going forward, in the hope that this
experience will inspire other filmmakers and also our partners, vendors and audiences as well,” said Winkler. “We all hope that they will take what they learn from the experience, follow our lead and set the bar even higher in the years ahead.”

Green Media Solutions and Earthmark, with the support of Green Is Universal, also supported the green initiatives, with results verfied by scientists from Terra Choice Environmental of Ottawa, Canada.