With Dr Oleg Fryazinov, Associate Professor at the National Centre for Computer Animation (NCCA), Bournemouth University

When it comes to the sustainability practices in the film and TV industry, the problem of the industry's greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions is often overlooked, while the UK aims to achieve net zero emissions by 2050. With the help of a mathematical model built on existing data, we evaluate the ecological footprint of traditional film production and explore sustainable alternative approaches. One such approach is virtual production technology, a digital filmmaking practice that integrates real-time computer-generated imagery (CGI) with physical sets and actors. Our mathematical model shows that virtual production practices drastically reduce GHG emissions compared to traditional movie production, thus contributing to the ongoing discussion on sustainability in the movie industry.

This research was conducted by Muhamad Bahri and Dr Oleg Fryazinov, with the latter presenting this work. The project was funded as a part of AHRC-funded project XR-Stories.