The Perfect Shoot
No.1 – Sustainability and Albert Certification
Reducing your carbon footprint on shoots is important because without taking positive climate action you are contributing to climate change, having a negative impact on biodiversity and using up the natural resources we have. That’s just three reasons why we encourage all our clients to combat climate change! By collaborating with us you are working towards a greener future. We offer certified carbon-neutral productions through an accreditation scheme called Albert ( whose logo you may have seen on the BBC or ITV ) which means that together we work on lowering our emissions during production and then offsetting the smaller amount of carbon that was created.
Our top tips for reducing your emissions on a shoot:
- Digital documents! Whether it’s consent forms or storyboards make everything digital.
- Bring your own lunch and water bottle.
- Try not to buy things specifically for a shoot, plan to reuse them or bring things you already have.
- Car share if you have to travel, or even better use public transport where you can.
- Avoid overshooting and make use of archive footage.
No.2 – People
Putting people at the heart of our stories is what we do, but taking that extra step to include a diverse array of people is what’s really important. Every film should include contributors from diverse backgrounds. Including everybody’s talent enriches the production. It’s important to remember that this isn’t about ticking boxes or looking good, but about recognising people for their skills, contribution and voice. Something you can do during the shoot and think about in pre-production is to use plain and simple language. No jargon or long-winded sentences. This makes your content much easier to understand for a general audience.
No.3 – Accessibility
During post-production, there are several things to consider when making your content more accessible. Adding captions is one way you can do this. Captions are subtitles which include descriptions of the soundscape. You can also add British Sign Language interpretation and audio description. Audio descriptions are accessibility aids for people who are blind or visually impaired.
Using these accessibility tools opens up your video to reach a bigger audience and makes it more accessible for all. Check out The Box on Screen for good examples.
So next time you are thinking about organising a shoot don’t solely focus on being prepared in terms of kit or making sure your lighting is good, but think about what matters. We hope you take on board all of our advice and make your shoot the very best it can be! Good luck.
If you want to see our video which includes our people and planet philosophy check-out our Youtube
Do you have a film idea? Contact us now and start creating your project
