Cinema is an art that has been around since the late 1800s, and movies are undeniably an essential part of society and culture. Their global popularity has made film a billion dollar industry for decades. In 2019, the global entertainment market reached over 100 billion dollars. Modern films have reflected this high budget by showcasing advanced editing technologies, intricate sets, and high energy usage. While having adequate resources for the arts is certainly positive, but the environmental impacts of film production are hard to ignore.
Films, especially recent ones, require an enormous amount of energy to be produced. Professional cameras, lights, and other equipment are often powered by diesel generators, which make a significant contribution to carbon emissions and air pollution. Additionally, trailers and RVs traditionally used for filming rely heavily on diesel fuel. Around 30 percent of fuel goes just to power massive generators for transportation, charging, and heating during winter filming.
Airplanes also contribute to the carbon emissions made by film production; planes are essential for transporting producers, actors, crew members and sets to filming locations, and even for transport from one filming location to another if needed. Global CO2 emissions from aviation have quadrupled since the 1960s as planes are used increasingly often. In all they have contributed to four percent of the global temperature rise since pre-industrial times, with film related air travel contributing to a rising portion of total usage. Air travel pollution is an unfortunate case for movie production because it’s difficult to cut down, yet it has destructive effects on the environment all the same.
In addition to carbon emissions, the film industry creates a massive amount of physical waste from discarded sets and props. One-of-a-kind, single-use sets are constructed using large amounts of resources, and they are taken apart and put in the landfill once filming concludes. Data from NPR revealed that the average TV show or movie in 2022 created about 240 tons of waste, with an estimated half of that amount coming from the disposal of props and sets.
A digital process called computer-generated imagery (CGI) has partially replaced traditional film sets in production, but CGI still requires a large amount of energy. It relies on powerful computers that operate for long periods of time to make visual effects, specifically finalizing the visual effects, which can take weeks or months to complete. Much of the electricity used comes from fossil fuels, creating carbon emissions. While CGI can reduce the need for sets and materials and mitigate as much physical waste, it does not eliminate the environmental effects.
It is important to acknowledge that the film industry’s carbon footprint is an issue, but that the situation isn’t hopeless. Some production studios have begun working to reduce carbon emissions. Organizations such as Earth Angel offer frameworks for lowering environmental impact. Additionally, Hollywood is working to convince directors to reuse old sets in new films, as well as preserving sets as an attraction for tourists. A goal of 100 percent sustainable film production may never be possible, but changes that lessen the film industry’s carbon footprint will be beneficial to the planet’s future.
