Sustainable Production: Why Its about Problem Solving, Not Shifting with Moritz Schreiner

Moritz Schreiner is managing director and owner of royal.film and Media Sue GmbH. He has been working as a freelance recording manager and production manager for more than 60 feature films and 180 commercial productions.

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?

Moritz> Sustainability has always driven us. The field of filmmaking/producing has got a huge potential to try and be as carbon neutral as possible. In addition to managing royal.film I’m also working as a green consultant. Therefore I have a lot of deep insights on how the industry is working and on the many ways to improve the sustainability in the film industry, starting with the art department and ending with the way the energy is used on set. 

We as a company are convinced that it’s the little things that can create big changes - that’s why we keep asking ourselves how we can create a more sustainable business. 

LBB> What are the conversations that clients are having with you about their desire to reduce the carbon footprint and environmental impact of their content production?

Moritz> It depends on the client, but in 2023 most of the clients have realised the importance of trying to be as sustainable as possible – not only in the process of producing and factoring, but also in every aspect of a company. So even if they don’t especially demand it, each and every one of them appreciates our approach to produce as sustainable as possible and is open to more sustainable ways of producing.

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?

Moritz> We’ve been working with Atmosfair since 2019 – a company that specialises on reducing the carbon footprint of its customers. On top of that there are various things we do: we start by reducing waste with the catering on shootings and finish by saving energy with our own technical equipment, e.g. energy saving bulbs. For every production and every department, we ask ourselves: which is the most environmentally-friendly but also most effective way to get the best results?

LBB> To what extent do you think the advertising and production world will retain and build on the lessons learned during the pandemic?

Moritz> Especially in Germany green production is becoming more and more important. The pandemic showed us that you can have amazing results even with smaller teams. What we learned in the process is that you need to see what resources you already have and work more efficiently with those. It also showed us that you might not need to travel as much as one thought - having online meetings instead of meeting the client in person, working with local crews instead of travelling with the whole team and much more.

LBB> What have you been finding are the most useful tools, resources and partners for reducing environmental impact/carbon footprint of productions?

Moritz> Research. You can always teach yourself new ways to work sustainably with more knowledge. Also, there are a lot of companies (just like Atmosfair) that can help you work more sustainably, if you’re in a position that won’t allow you to reduce your footprint in other ways. Our experience has shown us that there are always ways to be more sustainable in every aspect of your work.

LBB> How is sustainability being built into your training and development for members of the production team?

Moritz> We always teach our new colleagues about the importance of shooting as sustainable as possible. It’s important to explain WHY we’re working the way we do, so we’ll make a lasting impact on the staff. For example, if we’re not on shoots, we cook and eat together every day while using organic food. It’s not only trying to be more responsible by not ordering food, but also a good thing as cooking and eating together helps grow the team spirit.

LBB> At a recent Ad Net Zero event, Mark Read at WPP 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?

Moritz> Especially in commercials you often shoot more footage than you actually need in the end. That’s why communication and briefing your clients beforehand is very important. It always makes sense to go to a shooting with a precise plan on the pictures you really need for the film you are creating and the number of crew members you really need to realise the film. This is not only about budget but as much about sustainability. 

LBB> Because of remote production and the impact of transporting people and kit, I guess most sustainable production conversations are limited to live action, but what are the challenges and opportunities on the VFX and animation front?

Moritz> royal.film isn’t a classical post production-house since our main focus is creating life-action footage. For VFX and animation we often use out of house-services, so the main focus lies on working data economical-friendly. We’re also trying to store our data as carbon friendly as possible. That’s one of the reasons we use linear tape-open (LTO) storage as our main way of data storage.  

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)?

Moritz> Everyone working in the business should try to think in a holistic way. Taking care of one thing and ignoring another one will neither help the planet nor the industry. There’s potential everywhere to be more sustainable, so we shouldn’t reduce the solutions to just one aspect of the industry. It’s about problem solving, not shifting it elsewhere.

LBB> Looking more broadly than carbon footprint, what are the other ways that production can be more sustainable?

Moritz> Producing media (and also consuming it in the end) is pretty much comparable to all the choices you make in your own life as a customer. The best-case scenario for creating film is trying to produce it in a timeless, multifunctional way so you can use it as long and as often as possible. You should also try to produce it as regional as possible to support local businesses and freelancers.

LBB> To what extent is the social or community impact of a production an important part of the sustainability conversation?

Moritz> Sustainability is a topic that should concern us all, but especially if you’re producing in countries that don’t have the infrastructure to take care of that topic. That’s where the thought process of green producing should start and integrate those communities.

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?

Moritz> Last year we were working as a service production for a foreign film company who were shooting in Germany. During that cooperation we had the chance to teach them about the German recycling standards. They understood how important recycling is and also how the system in Germany works, which left a lasting impression on them.

LBB> What advice would you give to anyone working in production, whether for production company, agency or brand, who is struggling to get buy-in from their clients and colleagues on sustainable production?

Moritz> Green producing and sustainability is becoming more and more important these days – it’s always helpful to find a way to show clients the importance of producing sustainable without making it seem like it’s increasing costs (which is possible, with the right strategy). The best point to start is always where you are standing right now. Use your common sense to improve things, start small if necessary. Starting today is always better than starting tomorrow (Rome wasn’t built in a day, no need to be perfect from day one…)