SUSTAINABILITY VIRTUAL PRODUCTION
upon huge render farms working 24/7, requiring significant energy supplies. Some reports suggest there could be as much as a 30% reduction in shooting final-pixel VP versus green screen and post-production workflows. Research by Filmakademie Baden- Württemberg and IFC on behalf of Sony has shown that the carbon emissions savings of VP go beyond travel and accommodation. As much as a 60 to 80% reduction in energy consumption has been recorded within like-for-like productions comparing VP with offline- rendered productions. The largest savings result from spending less time on post-production, fewer shooting days and reduced waste. Using renewable energy can further reduce the carbon emissions of the energy consumed. According to AdGreen, the average commercial generates ten tonnes of carbon. Since the majority of the 100 productions hosted at Garden Studios have been commercials, Julie Hoegh, head of sustainability, comments that in-studio shooting has resulted in net carbon savings of roughly 600 to 800 tonnes. “This shows real potential.”
WE’RE SEEING slower traction in TV and film THAN IN ADS”
She says that the advertising side of the industry is pushing VP more than any other. This is, in part, because the entirety of a commercial can be shot in volume and also because of AdGreen’s initiative to help productions be less wasteful. “Sustainability is now taken as a serious consideration for ad productions,” she notes. “We’re seeing slower traction in TV and film, likely due to issues with the scale of their production, and because cost and efficiency are being prioritised.” MEASURING UP THE ISSUE There are still some unknowns around the sustainability of VP. For example, no one has yet undertaken a life cycle analysis of LED volumes. “We also don’t
fully understand the carbon impact of extensive data storage, rendering and cloud computing,” says Hoegh. “Furthermore, the lifespan of LED walls and the ability to update existing walls will be crucial in maintaining the sustainability of VP, as well as how frequently they are being used.” The use of VP aims to reduce the amount of crew travelling to a given location. Definition wondered whether an equivalent number of crew members would still be required on-site and if this would impact sustainability. “Imagine filming a large crowd scene set in ancient Egypt,” responds Lumsden. “A traditional shoot would require a large number of people on location. In contrast, the number of people required for the ICVFX version of this would be
LIFE IN MARS MARS Volume has seen an increase in virtual production as travel is scaled back
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