Environmental Impact of Filmmaking Project

11/02/2025

A new Environmental Impact of Filmmaking Project blog post is out now from guest author Joseph Archer of Silicon Gothic Films - he writes about ongoing problems of scale and waste in the UK film industry:
https://eifproject.com/filmmakers-have-a-fe**sh-for.../

(and do check out Silicon Gothic via links in the article. They're doing some cool work to try to change things)

By Joseph Archer

20/12/2024

The last post from the Environmental Impact of Filmmaking project for 2024: a short-read version of our lightsaber study. We compared the carbon footprint of Obi-Wan Kenobi's 1977 lightsaber with a toy version sold in 2023, and offer some thoughts on what we can all do to change things for the better.

A new study from the Environmental Impact of Filmmaking project reveals the enormous carbon footprint of mass-producing toys based on iconic film props. Discussing project findings about lightsabers from the Star Wars franchise, principal investigator Dr Rebecca Harrison urges film fans to go green....

12/12/2024

You may have spotted the EIF project in the news recently, with coverage of our location shoots case study appearing across BBC News sites and in local press. Now we have initial findings from our third case study to share on lightsabers!

https://eifproject.com/lightsabers/

Find out about the history of the original prop, including interviews with film crew, and learn what we all need to differently to change the environmentally harmful practices around licensing IP for merch. From filmmakers to fans, we can all do our bit.

How do lightsabers impact on the environment? We investigate their journey from hero prop to toy and offer eco-friendly advice for industry and fans.

30/10/2024

The second of our four case is now out in the world. We did a deep-dive into the history of the iconic 'Throne Room' dress from The Phantom Menace to learn about its design and fabrication history, influence on fashion, and its environmental impact.

https://eifproject.com/throne-room-dress/

We found that over the dress's life cycle, the production team probably generated emissions equivalent to 9374 kg of carbon dioxide – it would take 45 healthy, full-grown trees 10 years to fully ‘offset’ these emissions.

You can read the summary, full case study, and what project lead Rebecca Harrison has to say about corporate accountability in the film industry on our website.

Rebecca Harrison with Siti Syuhaida Mohamed Yunus

24/10/2024

The EIF project's Star Wars location survey is in the press today - we have coverage from BBC Lancashire and Jedi News. Click through for links to the surveys, and more info about how the project aims to support communities and wildlife during UK-based location shoots.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c14lzx70zr8o

https://www.jedinews.com/film-music-tv/articles/andors-cleveleys-beach-part-of-filming-impact-research/

The beach was used as a location for an episode of the Disney+ Star Wars series Andor in 2021.

02/09/2024

A new blog post from EIF lead Rebecca Harrison on the impacts of Star Wars location shoots and how people can get involved in the project: https://eifproject.com/from-a-galaxy-near-you-star-wars-on-location/

If you have experience of living or working near a Star Wars location, making decisions about where they filmed, or visiting one of the sites, please share your thoughts with us via the survey (link in blog or at eifproject.com/get-involved).

04/08/2024

Over the past two months I've been visiting locations in Scotland and England that have been used to shoot Star Wars productions. I'm filming, taking notes, and running a survey for people in each area.

For more info about the project or to take the survey (which is open to anyone who's been affected by/involved in a Star Wars location shoot in any capacity) see www.eifproject.com/get-involved.

From woodland to power stations, I'm mapping the UK landscapes and infrastructures that appear in the franchise, and trying to understand how filming impacts on different environments. Accounting for nature (trees, plants, wildlife), and day to day life (walking routes, traffic, economic activity), I'm interested in people's experiences of Star Wars shoots.

(Photos are from: Winspit Quarry at Worth Matravers, Middle Peak Quarry near Wirksworth, Greenham Common, and Cruachan - the 'Hollow Mountain'. Not pictured are Whippendell Woods, Little Marlow, and Ivinghoe Beacon. Still to visit are Cleveleys, Bannau Brycheiniog/Brecon Beacons, and Coryton Oil Refinery).

22/02/2024

Interested in how green screen technology used by film productions could be... even greener? A new blog post by the EIF project's Siti Syuhaida Mohamed Yunus explains how we could make green-screen shooting more environmentally sustainable

Explore the dynamic world of sustainable filmmaking. From script to screen, discover the art, technology, and business shaping the evolving film industry landscape

22/09/2023

Thanks to everyone who attended our launch event two weeks ago - it was wonderful to meet so many people involved in making the screen industries more environmentally sustainable.

If you'd like a bite-size explanation of the EIF project's aims, initial findings about R2D2, and our first online calculator tool (which allows you to compare carbon emissions of a range of prop and costume materials vs CGI), we featured on ITV Anglia's news bulletin last night. Cut to 23mins in for an introduction to the project! https://www.itv.com/news/anglia/2018-05-04/catch-up-watch-the-most-recent-edition-of-itv-news-anglia (available til 6pm on Fri 22 Sept).

And if you'd like more details about the case study or to use the tool (you can also access the data compiled by Dr Siti Syuhaida Mohamed Yunus, the project research associate) it's available at https://eifproject.com/artoo-detoo/

10/08/2023

Our launch event - which will showcase our fancy new website and the first of our calculator tools for costume and art dept professionals - will take place in London on September 7. If you'd like to come along, please rsvp using the Eventbrite link below.

Join us for an introduction to the EIF project with Q&A and drinks reception

22/06/2023

Ahead of our launch event (hopefully taking place this September!) we'll be talking to visitors at the OU's Open Societal Challenges day on July 11. If nothing else it's a chance to show off these posters, which - bearing in mind my limited design skills - I'm very happy with. We'll also be giving people previews of our fancy new website and some of our initial findings.

20/01/2023

Welcome to the EIF project page. Based at The Open University in the UK, we're exploring the lifecycles of props and costumes made for the Star Wars franchise to uncover their environmental impacts. Looking to the past to ensure a better future, we're interested in everything from bespoke fabrication techniques to the reuse of scrap materials. Our findings will underpin resources for filmmakers that support and encourage sustainable production practices.

If you're interested in contributing to the project through a focus group, interview, or by joining the EIF research network, or if you have a press inquiry, please send us a message. You'll also find contact details on our OU website: https://fass.open.ac.uk/research/projects/EIF

As the project develops, we'll share details here of our case studies, new website, and launch event.

Lightsabers. Stormtrooper helmets. Rey costumes. Whether you casually browse social media having never seen a Star Wars movie or are a dedicated fan, the chances are you’re familiar with its visual identity. But where, exactly, do these ubiquitous props and costumes come from, and what happens to ...