Green Production Power

By extending the Green Protocol to cover a new animation program, launching its first Eco Manager Lab, and creating compensation and collaboration programs with creative industries, the Sardegna Film Commission is reinforcing its commitment to greening the audiovisual industry. “It’s a common interest as well as shared necessity to invest in making our industry sustainable”, says Nevina Satta, CEO of the Sardegna Film Commission.

 

The New Animation in Sardinia Program will kick off at the Cartoon Digital event, where the latest developments in digital animation and entertain- ment for second screens will be presented. For the first time, best practices in the audiovisual industry will debut at Cartoon Media, the net- work of European animation producers. “We’re making an important shift in emphasis with the MEDIA-funded training and networking initiatives for the animation sector”, says Satta.

 

In Sardinia, a wide range of film and TV produc- tions, including the award-winning drama Twin Flower by Laura Luchetti, has already followed the guidelines in the Green Protocol. “The success of Season 2 of Isola di Pietro helped us, as did Paramount Television’s choice to go green with Clooney’s TV series by using the studio’s own sustainability guidelines”, Satta points out.

 

The six-part series Catch-22 by Actor/Director George Clooney is based on Joseph Heller’s bestselling satirical World War II novel. The noted actor stars in the role of a U. S. Army bomber pilot stationed off the Mediterranean coast in 1944, who does not wantto kill thousands of people he has never met. He wants to be declared legally insane so that he doesn’t have to fly any further bombing missions. But here comes the catch, the “Catch-22” of the title refers to a military rule stating that a pilot can only apply to be exempted from these missions if he is insane. But applying in itself amply demonstrates that the pilot is not insane. Catch-22 was shot at a former airport in Olbia. “It was a great challenge for us because we had to repair and restore the former airport at Olbia.

 

We were able to host original planes from WW II in complex aerial chase and landing scenes. We had to make the nearby areas off limits because it was the beginning of the tourist season”, says Satta. “We planted a lot of grass and trees in the field to obtain a stronger wilder-ness effect. They were also a good measure to compensate for the emissions”.

 

Sustainable production in Sardinia has already made an impact on the infrastructure of the service sector. Hotels are applying green strategies to their advertising and promotion with offers featuring complimentary electric bikes for guests, recycling of pool water for gardens, as well as featuring strategic partnerships with local manufacturers, including furniture makers. Sustainability also headlines the menus of rest- aurants and food providers, who are exploring the possibility of offering a star chef the role of promoting local traditional cuisine. Moreover, the Green Protocol will be extended to include the creative industries: photography, video art, film, dance, and music.

 

Green practices are also at the heart of the first Eco-Manager Lab. “We’re going to train ten professionals who will be able to supervise the application of the Green Protocol as well as to expand the use of eco labels and carbon calculators”, Satta says in conclusion. “The Sardegna Compensation Program will cover the remaining carbon emissions.”

 

Photos: © Courtesy of Paramount Pictures/ Philipe Antonello/ Hulu, Ana Tramon/ Sardegna Film Commission

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