This week, Mad Dog 2020 Casting are shining the spotlight on sustainability within the industry. We are delighted to be supporting this year’s BAFTA Guru Live session Climate Crisis to Climate Action on Screen. The free, sustainability masterclass will take place on Monday 23rd November.
BAFTA Guru Live 2020
BAFTA’s annual Guru Live will be turning virtual this year, in a series of Zoom webinars available free to the public. Guru Live is a must-watch for those getting started in the industry, showcasing exclusive events with creatives working on the biggest and best UK productions. This year’s sustainability-focused session: Climate Crisis to Climate Action on Screen is a live Q&A with Lisa Holdsworth (writer, A Discovery of Witches, Call the Midwife) and Aaron Matthews (Head of industry Sustainability, Albert). In addition, the 5 pm session will discuss the sustainable steps the industry can take and how to bring the planet into today’s entertainment.
Guru Live is free to the public. However, you must sign up online before it goes live.
Click here to get your virtual seat in the Climate masterclass now.
Albert Sustainable Productions
Albert is the sustainable arm of BAFTA, championing sustainability and more eco-friendly practices in film and TV production. In a bid to reduce carbon footprint, the organisation has developed an online calculator. In conclusion, this tool calculates how productions are affecting the environment.
You may be watching Eastenders or Strictly Come Dancing and spot a footprint logo in the credits. This is an Albert Sustainable Production Certification. The honour is bestowed upon productions that go the extra mile in adapting to achieve a more sustainable, green outcome. Mad Dog 2020 Casting is proud to currently be working on some huge, high-end TV that are totally green sets and awarded with the Albert certification. We highly recommend you check out some of Albert’s sustainable case studies, to learn what extra measures your production could implement, here.
“Rather than focusing on single issues such as water bottles, it’s the bigger conversations around lighting and production and catering that will make the biggest impact.”
Aaron Matthews, Albert
Productions are stepping away from just adding token adjustments like re-usable water bottles on set. Studios are now contributing to the bigger picture to create a larger impact in the fight towards a greener future.
What Productions are doing Right Now
Here are some of the highlights that productions are implementing on UK productions today:
Doctor Who
The Tardis now uses low energy lighting. It’s South Wales studio employs around 60% fluorescent Kino Flo lamps with LED lighting being used more often too.
Peaky Blinders
A variety of sets from series 3 we re-used and redesigned for series 6. This smart move avoided using new materials and recycled the existing structures.
The Victim
The BBC One series used LED lighting on set to allow the crew to plug into local power sources. For instance, instead of using generators on set, they cut down energy and overall cost.
Poldark
This award-winning drama donated sets and costumes to organisations such as Scenery Salvage and Dresd. The companies repurpose and dismantle sets for less than it would cost to send to landfills, therefore reducing waste in the industry.
Sustainability at Mad Dog 2020 Casting
We are an organisation passionate about reducing waste, carbon footprint and working towards a greener future. There is always room to go the extra mile and here is what we’re doing to join in:
- Our Facebook carpool group encourages car sharing (when safe to do so)
- Every office has its own photo studio to enable shorter distances to travel to registrations
- Geographical segmentation of Artist databases to enable shorter travel distances
- Branded water bottles available to reduce on set single-use plastic
- We will be app-only by the end of 2020
- Bespoke Online Chit System that removes the use of Paper Chits on set
- All offices are paperless
- Payments are all managed electronically to avoid the use of paper invoices and correspondence.
Mad Dog 2020 Casting is delighted to be a recommended supplier by Albert, therefore recognised as going the extra mile to support a greener future.
Visit the Albert website here to learn how your production can join the wave of going green.
Discover more of our tips for going green behind the scenes here.