American U's Film School Creates Code of Best Practices for Sustainable Filmmaking
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Films, especially American blockbusters, are known for generating lots of dough and lots of waste. From the free food, to the creation of entire faux villages - all of the people, all of the costumes, all of the travel - it all adds up. The American University School of Communication Center for Social Media and Center For Environmental Filmmaking, already focused on greening the film industry has developed a Code of Best Practices for Sustainable Filmmaking to aid not only its budding filmmakers but also to provide a framework for anyone in the film industry to quantify their carbon footprint.The Best Practices Code is developed around four pillars: Calculation, Consumption, Travel and Compensation, with each pillar offers explanations, examples and alternative practices. Checklists and Calculators are also included in the Code to help those in charge of the film audit all aspects of production, with the hopes that filmmakers will begin to take their carbon footprint into account before cameras are rolling and extra waste is generated. Examples include purchasing electricity from renewable sources, requiring all staff to label and use their own silverware and plates, and finding funding from responsible sources.
The Code was created based around interviews of over 175 filmmakers and companies, and the Filmmakers for Conservation, the International Documentary Association, Real Screen, Women in Film and Video (D.C. Chapter), and the Producers Guild of America. The final code was then double checked for scientific validity by the Scientific Review Board and tested by filmmakers in the field to make sure that its actions are clear and workable. The Code is also supported by the World Wildlife Fund.
The Code of Best Practices in Sustainability Filmmaking is now available online for free.:Code of Best Practices for Sustainable Filmmaking :Coming soon: Sustainable FilmmakingMore on Environmental Films and FilmmakingThree Green-Themed Films Worth Seeing For YourselfSnagFilms Environmental Film FestivalCameron Diaz's Green Film ClubBiodegradable Films: They Do a Body Good
