Film production has a large carbon footprint. Research by the BFI estimates that a tentpole film production averages emissions of around 2800 tonnes of CO2. This is equivalent to the emission of more than 600 cars during an entire year. Some film producers estimate that lower budget independent films might still have emissions of between 200 and 500 tonnes of CO2.
Different studies have shown that there is a correlation between the budget of the film and the final emissions. The higher the budget, the higher the emissions. More budget means that more resources are consumed, such as fuel for transport, electricity for lights, wood for sets, or fabric for costumes. Increasing sustainability in Film production has become an important principle for BFI and other film institutions. BAFTA Albert was created specifically to provide tools that support filmmakers in measuring and reducing their carbon footprint.
For the research project Sustainable Materials in the Creative Industries, led by Dr Peter Oakley from the RCA, I explored how different filmmakers employed sustainable materials and approaches to reduce their carbon footprint. I encountered examples of film crews walking to locations, and films working mostly with natural light, or recycling costumes and props. This inspired me to work on a feature film with limited budget. From the outset, I sought to minimise the production’s environmental footprint by adopting many of the strategies and approaches identified in this research. This led to the practice-based film project Itu Ninu.
Itu Ninu is a feature science fiction film shot in Edinburgh in existing locations. We filmed exclusively with natural or available light, avoiding the use additional cinema lights. We filmed with a small camera, the Bolex D16 and vintage lenses from the fifties and sixties (Kern Paillard Switar lenses for 16mm cameras). This allowed us to keep the crew small and thus to reduce catering needs and therefore any packaging linked to catering. It also allowed us to walk or use public transport to reach locations. Props and costumes were sourced through charity shops. We tracked the footprint of the production through the Albert Carbon Calculator, and the entire film came out beneath 1 tonne of CO2. The chosen approach and materials also provided the film with its own specific visual aesthetic.
Obviously, this is an independent production with limited budget and most of the chosen approaches would be difficult to implement for an industry production. Nevertheless, the film screened at over 60 international film festivals. It also had a theatrical release in Mexico and screened for 12 weeks in the Mexican Cineteca Nacional, the most prestigious art house cinema in Mexico City.
The project highlights that it is possible to rethink film practice creatively from a point of view of degrowth and that significant reductions in environmental impact are possible in this way.
A recent review of the film can be found here
The film itself can be viewed here
Itandehui Jansen studied film directing at the Netherlands Film Academy in Amsterdam. She participated in different international training programs, such as the Berlinale Talents and the Torino Film Lab. Her films have screened at international festivals such as the IDFA (International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam), The Morelia International Film Festival, Washington D.C. Shorts, ZINEBI, and SLAMDANCE. She studied her PhD at the Academy of Creative and Performance Arts, Leiden University. She has taught at multiple universities, including the Utrecht University and the University of Edinburgh. At present she teaches Screenwriting and Directing at Screen Academy Scotland and is the programme lead for the MA Film.
