Creative Solutions for Sustainable Production with Clémentine Buren
As the industry confronts its environmental impact, production companies are under increasing pressure to adopt sustainable practices. Yet, the road to greener production is fraught with challenges — tight budgets, fierce competition, and a reluctance to break ingrained habits. Clémentine Buren, producer and sustainability manager at French production house LA\PAC is drawing from her 15 years of industry experience to approach sustainability with a balance of pragmatism and passion.
Clémentine offers a candid exploration of the industry's struggle to reduce its carbon footprint while navigating the realities of modern production demands. She acknowledges that while many companies have good intentions, they often lack the tools or knowledge to make meaningful changes. Her approach is rooted in empathy, dialogue, and incremental progress, underscoring that change must be both economical and effective. However, she is quick to dispel the myth that sustainability is prohibitively expensive, asserting that better planning can lead to long-term savings.
In this interview, Clémentine reveals an industry grappling with its environmental responsibilities while underscoring the potential for sustainable practices to be integrated into the creative process without sacrificing quality or innovation.
LBB> Can you tell us about your own personal journey when it comes to getting involved in sustainable production – how did you get started and where has that journey taken you?
Clémentine> I'm Clémentine Buren, I’m a producer and a sustainability manager for the French production group LA\PAC . I’m in charge of implementing LA\PAC’s CSR strategy and actions. And I support our clients (agencies & brands) in reducing their impact during the production process.
With over 15 years experience in the advertising market, I'm familiar with two worlds: production and agencies. I recognise the shortcomings, the habits, the automatisms but also by its DNA, the creativity and the agility of this industry.
I’m hopeful that my almost intimate relationship with this industry will benefit the commitment to sustainable transition.
From my point of view, sustainability is based on the principles of better consumption, better manufacturing and better living together. Ten years ago, these are the principles on which I developed my all-organic cosmetics company alongside my career in audiovisual production. There's only one step between my personal convictions and my professional missions.
LBB> What are the conversations that clients are having with you about their desire to reduce their carbon footprint and the environmental impact of their content production?
Clémentine> Everyone wants to do better but doesn't know where to start. I work with companies who want to change, and with clients who want to go further. Intentionality remains the starting point for a broader environmental transition. “The secret of action... is to get started”, wrote the philosopher Alain.
However, it's not easy, especially for agencies. The market is increasingly fierce, budgets are shrinking and timing is very tight.
Nevertheless, I open the conversation on how to deploy cost-effective, environmentally friendly productions. You must do it fast and well, and to do it well, you need time and money. Reducing the carbon footprint of a production is all about anticipation and preparation – to raise awareness on the one hand, but also to achieve economies of scale on the other.
When well-prepared, sustainable production costs only an average of 1% to 3% of the total budget. Come on guys, there is no excuse! Seriously, let’s be real! It is far more complicated and goes beyond the financial aspect. Bringing up a new way of doing business demands time for everybody to understand the WHY and the HOW. Once the stakes and the importance of reducing our impact have been digested, the money will be easier to release.
The key to success is awareness and dialogue!
LBB> Speaking generally, how do you tend to approach assessing and minimising the footprint of the productions you are involved in, and is this something that is built into your processes?
Clémentine> I consider the constraints and limitations of the client, production and tech crews, producers and directors, and propose achievable goals and simple solutions.
These are not so much about hindrances to overcome as habits to be changed. We all do our best. We have a paradoxical relationship with change. We like the idea of novelty, but the actual implementation of a change, an alteration in these habits, frequently gives rise to reluctance, hesitation or even fear... “We are only human, right?” We're not machines with an ON/OFF switch. And, yes, psychology must also be considered in the professional sphere. Good coaching towards better practices requires empathy, the desire to go further together and a non-judgmental analysis of the project. We don't judge anyone, we act! To produce is to make! We are makers of change by taking our differences into account. Yes, I know, it sounds very beauty pageant-like. Regardless, I believe in it.
LBB> What have you been finding are the most useful tools, resources and partners for reducing environmental impact/carbon footprint of productions?
Clémentine> Here's a list of useful tools, resources and partners to help me think, raise team awareness and implement actions:
Producer’s training, individual training
Raising awareness in the workplace, for example, and on location with a local eco-referent. We need to inject some human touch and fun into solving serious issues.
Integrating networks of experts. LA\PAC is a member of ECO PROD, GREEN THE BID, AD GREEN, 50/50 collective (French collective promoting equality, parity and diversity in the film and audiovisual industry).
Calculating the carbon footprint forecast. It is an introductory tool. It's the basis on which we can put in place a fairer impact reduction strategy for future projects.
Referring to regulations and guidelines such as AFNOR ISO 26000 standard. This is the leading international standard for CSR.
LBB> How is sustainability being built into your training and development for members of the production team?
Clémentine> Training the sales force: producers and line producers on how to push sustainability during the bidding process. Training HOA's prior to any preparation, building, purchase etc. Upstream awareness-raising and prevention are key to the success of a sustainable production approach. It helps to explain the approach to teams, to get them involved, to anticipate problematic behaviour, to get to know teams better: their habits and actions already integrated, the obstacles to implementing the approach.
Not every action will win unanimous approval, but you also must challenge yourself as a sustainable manager. You must open up the debate and plant the seeds of common reflection, so that a consensus can germinate slowly but surely. Unfortunately, awareness alone is simply not enough.
LBB> At an Ad Net Zero event a few years ago, Mark Read at WPP once said that in total just 3% of the footage shot ends up on screen - does this signify huge wastage and the need for greater efficiencies in the production and craft or do you have other thoughts on this stat?
Clémentine>It both signifies waste and a need for greater efficiencies, Redundancy of rushes/files, PP security, contradictions with Insurance demands etc.
Responsibility is shared between the client, who wants to optimise the shoot, the images shot for editing choice, and the production. At production level, we are responsible for making our creative staff (director and DOP) aware of the impact of production/projects. As producers, we have a duty to inform. If no one informs us, how can we change certain behaviours? There's a sense of security in shooting more images than necessary. Post-production must also be a subject that is prepared upstream to limit the impact during shooting. Preparation with the production teams and the client is essential to optimise the shots and image quality. The fear of missing out is a human behaviour that must be circumvented by inspiring confidence and reassurance through our expertise as producers. A lack of sobriety can be found at every level of the advertising process.
LBB> In some ways it seems that when it comes to reducing carbon footprint, the advertising and marketing industry is focused almost exclusively on production (for good reason – there are obvious areas in production where clear, substantial and measurable progress can be made). What are your thoughts on this – is it a positive that production is able to take the lead or is there a risk that the industry will take the win and fail to look elsewhere (e.g. media)?
Clémentine>Thinking about how we can do our job better must involve all trades and all players. The advertising production industry has made significant progress in reducing carbon emissions. Nevertheless, we must not give up! It's a shared challenge that brings together advertisers, agencies, production and post-production. Sustainability is reflected in OFF-SCREEN operations tackled by productions and ON-SCREEN opportunities including sustainable messaging across scripts.
We need to engage in transparent dialogue, exchange ideas and take concrete action as a virtuous alliance. We're all in the same boat !
LBB> Can you share some examples of projects you’ve worked on where you feel that the carbon footprint and sustainability were tackled in interesting or effective ways?
Clémentine> I worked as a sustainable manager for LA\PAC in collaboration with PRECIOUS on the latest Maison Perrier campaign, shot between France and Hungary. The goal was to reduce and measure the carbon impact of the campaign and implement good practices on set following sustainable guidelines provided by the brand.
In France, I took care of the green management in three stages: before (preparation) / during (filming) / after (assessment). In Hungary, I worked together (remotely of course) with our local eco-production partner GREEN EYES PRODUCTION.
The success of this campaign sustainability-wise rest on the upstream preparation with a tangible action plan, HOD’s awareness, waste management and the data collection carried out by a local green crew. It allowed them to reduce impact and to provide more exhaustive quantitative and qualitative data analysis of the shoot to PRECIOUS who was in charge of carbon reporting.
LBB> What advice would you give to anyone working in production, whether for a production company, agency or brand, who is struggling to get buy-in from their clients and colleagues on sustainable production?
Clémentine> Be patient and be open to discussion! We have to keep questioning yourself as you face reality. Taking the time to have a conversation rather than going too fast. On the means, the resources, but also on the sum of things that we sometimes produce without being useful. There is a need to build trust, so that sustainability advocates and others respect each other rather than clash.
Sustainable production is an artistic direction. Advertising production is all about creativity, we must stay creative.
Clearly, it's not all black and white! All companies are imperfect. I help companies that want to do better.
Sustainability is an engine for development that helps build customer, team, crew, partners loyalty. Let's nurture talents, skills and hearts. Let's trust our collective intelligence to evolve. Transition is a team effort.
