Behind the Silver Screen: Environmental Degradation in the Film Industry

Photo via Pixabay

It takes a lot to make a movie. Sitting in front of the silver screen, it becomes easy to forget about what happens behind the scenes to create the final Hollywood product. A star-studded cast, Oscar buzz, and visually pleasing cinematography are just a few things that an audience takes away after watching a movie. However, one thing many eager moviegoers fail to realize is the negative environmental impacts that filming a movie can cause. 

Of course, the environmental degradation that occurs on film sets varies with each film, but there are a few underlying factors that can cause harm and contribute to climate change. 

Movies require various cast and crew members. There are makeup artists, set designers, camerapeople, electricians, and many more departments that contribute to the production of a film. They all require transportation to get to a set, and that alone creates large carbon dioxide emissions, especially if the preferred mode of transportation is flight. If you consider factors such as flying cast members out for interviews and red carpet events, that adds to the carbon dioxide emissions associated with films. According to a 2006 UCLA study, the film and television industry in the United States alone produced 15 million tons of carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas that traps heat and therefore significantly contributes to global warming. That was 14 years ago, and the film industry has grown considerably since then. 

Sets can also generate food and plastic waste as catered goods are thrown out at the end of each day, not to mention the transportation required to cater food in the first place. Energy used to power lights, props, and other equipment, often sourced from generators, is wasted as well. 

There’s also the issue of what happens to props and sets on film. Where do they go? Some especially iconic set components and props may be sold off in auctions or end up in museums. Some of them pile up in storage warehouses to potentially be reused. Most of this material inevitably ends up in landfills. 

Another factor to consider is the countless instances of film sets leaving a significant trail of damage behind.  The magnificent sand dunes as seen in “Mad Max: Fury Road” caused extensive damage to the Namib desert, disrupting the ecosystem of what is known to be the oldest desert in the world. In 2017, the filming of “Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales” allegedly dumped toxic chemical waste into the waters of Queensland, Australia where film technicians, painters, and sculptors washed out various materials such as paint used for construction and special effects. 

These instances are not uncommon, and they point to a greater issue in the film industry: a lack of accountability. Many instances of film-related environmental degradation reflect the absence of assessments on environmental impacts, which makes it difficult to fully grasp the extent of damage. This in turn prevents effective mitigation. 

WHAT HAS BEEN DONE?

In more recent years, sustainability has been a growing industry sector that will only become more important as we continue to face the issue of climate change. Eco-consultants can now function as an integral part of film production, as they ensure green practices are being upheld on set. 

Now, many production companies are factoring in green decision making in the pre-production stages to divert waste resulting from materials such as props, clothes, and backdrops through extensive recycling efforts. Companies such as NBC Universal have even utilized recycled stormwater on set to reduce water waste and pushed for initiatives to use renewable solar energy. 

Hollywood’s most prominent production companies such as AmazonStudios, Netflix, and SonyPictures also established the Green Production Guide in 2010 to reduce the carbon footprint and environmental impact within the film industry. Even what seem like smaller initiatives such as eliminating bottled water consumption on set have made significant decreases in waste production and have saved money in the process. 

Nevertheless, if the film industry is to become more eco-friendly, there is still more research to be done. The environmental impacts of film components such as equipment have not been fully investigated, and even searching up the topic of the film industry’s harmful environmental effects entails a limited number of current information.

LOOKING FORWARD: A GREENER INDUSTRY

The need to address environmental factors of film production indicates the important role that movie producers and studios will need to take on to put mitigation efforts into place. If these mitigation efforts continue, there will be no need to sacrifice the art of filmmaking that makes films so engaging for audiences. If the environmental shortcomings of the film industry are considered moving forward, perhaps this will inspire new innovations that bridge the gap between art and environmental healing.