The use of energy saving lightening and LED technique was the key issue of a workshop that the Filmförderung Hamburg Schleswig-Holstein (FFHSH) organized for DOPs and gaffers in Hamburg. Philip Gassmann, filmmaker and expert for energy-saving light techniques gave an overview about alternate light concepts for studio and set as well as the newest developments in the field of LED. During the practical part of this hands-on workshop he demonstrated methods to measure color spectrums and CRI.
“The daylight is the light source which is underestimated the most nowadays”, states Gassmann. „The technocratic approach implicates that we want to control everything.” Of course it is easier to control a headlight than the daylight which changes when the clouds are moving. “Everything what is time-consuming or inconsistent scares us.” If we are looking at the historical development we see that the first film studios were glass studios in order to use the daylight in a perfect way. “The headlight was not invented yet”, recalls Gassmann. “Therefore technologies such as reflectors and clap systems were created to put the light in a certain direction.”
Nowadays this is not an issue anymore for the film industry. The light expert once hoped that the light saving cameras might have an impact on the way of dealing with light. But the teams are used to load a lot of equipment on the truck. On set, they often install big units of headlights in order to play it safe. “The gaffers shun to follow other methods. Therefore, certain technologies are never practiced.” Philip Gassmann follows the approach “think differently when you set up the light“. The point is not to replace an old headlight with a new one but to use the technological development in a creative way. “We need to learn to deal with a little bit of light and to find ways to generate good results this way.”
When it comes to exterior shots there are barely any LED headlights on the market right now which are really weather-proof. Therefore it is important to develop covers so that these headlights can also be used by rain in a safe way. Another problem is the intensity because during daylight shots the headlight must come up with power which can’t be generated by LED yet.
A development which was invented for building technology but also can be used at film sets are Heliostats. The idea is to bundle the direct sunlight and to throw the light on the same spot. “If this method will become technically further advanced, it will be possible to generate huge amounts of light intensity and to safe gigantic pots of energy.” Another solution are plastic screens which are redirecting the daylight in another direction. “There are also sensitive reflectors that can bundle or disperse the light finely graduated. These are ways to shape the light which require a different thinking process because the gaffer needs to deal with the light setting in a creative way.”
The goal of this workshop is to inspire gaffers and DOPS to start to experiment. “I can’t expect that they will switch to LED right away, that would be an overextension, says Gassmann. „I hope that they get more courage to try something new.” In the field of LED some products have been launched which were not completely mature and leaded to the impression in the industry that LED might not be the best alternative. But meanwhile, LEDs can cope with incandescent lamp and the classical movie light.
“The LED is easier to handle than the classical movie light because it doesn’t require an electronic control gear, it doesn’t get so hot, it can be dimmed in a better way and there are no problems with the color temperature. In this respect, LED only has advantages.” The next step is to ask the equipment rental houses to include LEDs in their product line. “This is the most important demand”, sums up Gassmann, “because there are only a very few equipment rental houses in Germany which are offering these kind of headlights.”
“The time for half-measures and climate denial is over. Unless we move quickly away from fossil fuels, we’re going to destroy the air we breathe, the water we drink, the health of our children, grandchildren and future generations. If we’re going to avoid the worst of the impacts, then we’ve just got to act boldly. And we must act immediately."
Robert Redford
Actor, Director, Producer, Environmentalist
"The media has a powerful role to play in the fight against climate change. Through films, television, and all media outlets, we must continue to deliver the message that solutions are out there and are happening now. We have to make it attractive for people to take action. Movies like Avatar, The Day After Tomorrow, and documentaries like Years of Living Dangerously, which I was proud to be a part of, have been very popular, reaching and inspiring millions of people. And I believe films in particular can really inspire and make people want to take action. It’s great to see some of my film-industry friends working with climate related organizations to push forward those messages."
„It‘s high time to reorganize film production in Germany in a ‚greener‘ and more sustainable way. So far, I am flabbergasted by how much our industry works in environmentally harmful ways.To this very day, it starts with until today one-sided print-outs of scripts, and then it continues with plastic bottles in production offices and lots of plastic waste with every catered meal, and it doesn‘t stop with the limousines that pull up to a red carpet.
For many years, people have sneered at me when I brought my own cup or I declined to eat cheap meat served on paper or plastic plates with plastic knives and forks. It would be great if the Green Shooting Card could change all that.“
Director (Ben X, Time of My Life)
„It’s absolutely great that filmmakers all over the world are trying to clean up their act, and are trying to film as sustainable as we possibly can. Still, I think we shouldn’t underestimate the incredible power of the moving image to also change the hearts and minds of people.
So, apart from trying to be more environmentally aware in our business, I think the big gain lies in how we might make everyone more environmentally aware. Yes, cinema can change the world.
I think filmmakers should start using the powerful weapon in our hands that is the camera.
Let’s not only try to do ‘less bad’. Let’s try to do right, and help drive the change that we all know needs to arrive.“
“We are living in a time in which we can’t afford to behave irresponsibly towards nature. The more important is it that film productions try to work as environmentally friendly as possible. A film team produces every day tons of garbage. I try to avoid using plastic cups on set, I bring my own cup, use ecofriendly cosmetics and avoid needless single rides.”
Photo ® Maddalena Arosio
Darren Aronofsky, Director, Noah / Jury President, 65th Berlin International Film Festival
“When we did Noah we knew we were making a film about the first steward of the earth, so we wanted to be good stewards ourselves. There’s so much waste on film sets. Because of groups like Earth Angel, we were able to change that a little bit.”
"As a TV and film producer I try to incorporate environmental storylines into my projects as much as possible. But it’s just as important, if not more, to ‚go green‘ behind the scenes! Therefore, I help run the Producers Guild of America’s Green Initiative.
We provide resources such as a Best Practices and a Carbon Calculator to help producers green their productions. We also partnered with all the major studios to create www.greenproductionguide.com which is a free green vendor database with over 2,000 vendors offering sustainable production solutions worldwide!"
‚Green screens excepted, we will do everything in our power to be as innovative as we can in order to make our production as green as possible.‘
Photo: (c) herbXfilm Dieter Mayr
Lars Jessen
Director (Fraktus, Dorfpunks, Am Tag als Bobby Ewing starb)
‘It is somewhat embarrassing that green filming is only now becoming an issue in our industry because there have long since been many possibilities to shoot more efficiently.
Technical innovations such as energy efficient lighting are as much a part of this as the awareness of every crew member.’
I do work with a company in the States called Sungevity that leases solar panels to homes. They figured out how to move forward environmentally and how to make it economically successful.
So that’s my small but steadfast global contribution. I think everybody doing a little bit is all that’s made any difference, ever.‘
Producer, Director and Visual Effects Supervisor (2001: A Space Odysee, Blade Runner)
"Trumbull Studios in Massachusetts is dedicated to being green as much as possible, including the use of LED lighting, solar power, and solar laptops. This is not just because our location has limited amperage and no three-phase, we believe we have a responsibility to our community and our planet to be a clean industry.
We are planning for digital photography in 3D 4K at 120 frames per second from remote and inaccessible locations that will not have available power. Solar is the way to go."
Dieter Kosslick, Director Berlin International Film Festival
„The Berlinale is already actively addressing the sustainability subject since years. We appreciate it very much that a growing number of filmmakers, among them this year‘s jury presiden Darren Aranofsky, is following green guidelines on set.“
Benoit Delhomme
Director of Photography (A Most Wanted Man)
‘I never have been told precisely what the rules are for shooting a green movie, but we are trying to do it. This is something new for me. Sometimes people overlight scenes at night. I don’t. If I can see with my own eyes, then it is enough for the film. In that sense I am a green DoP.’
Academy Award winner Jeremy Irons who stars in the Berlinale Competition entry The Night Train To Lisbon is a fan of source segregated recycling. „Especially in Germany you have done a lot for that. You are examplary in the matter of waste separation.“
The Hollywood actor travelled around the world to promote the environmntal documentary feature film Trashed by Candida Brady which deals with the global garbage problem: „We buy it, we bury it, we burn it and then we ignore it“, says Brady. „With Jeremy Irons as our guide, we discover what happens to the billion or so tons of waste that goes unaccounted for each year.“
Since the world premiere at the International Cannes Film Festival in 2012 Trashed picked up various nominations and awards at international festivals.