Award Ceremony 

22. Juli - Die Schüsse von München

Green Production was part of the creative concept for this documentary series produced by Constantin Entertainment in 2021 for Sky Deutschland. The master location concept called for flexible sets at one location for multiple interviews.

"We paid particular attention to one point. International shoots were implemented by teams on location. Coordination with the director was done via video calls. As a result, there was not a single transatlantic flight by the crew."

Andreas Tuerpe, Production Manager, Constatin Entertainment

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Thanks to the resource-saving transport concept, the number of on-location shooting days was reduced by almost 30 percent. This meant fewer hotel nights for the team, less use of vehicles and no flights. The savings achieved through the master location concept and remote production amounted to a reduction of around 27 tons of carbon emissions.

© Constantin Dokumentation

Cicero - Zwei Leben, eine Bühne

During the production of this documentary feature which was shot at fifty different locations in Germany and abroad, Latemar Film in particular focused on the mobility turnaround. The aim was to cut down carbon emissions while the production travelled across four countries and ten federal states.

"We wanted to be as effective as possible in order to meet the highest environmental and sustainability criteria. Thanks to a meticulous overall planning in advance, as well as logistical combinations starting  from the first stage of development, more than eighty tons of carbon emissions were successfully avoided."

Katharina Rinderle, Producer

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The approach of the production included predictive analyses and clever planning of the shooting in separate units, which took place in different parts in the various regions. The pooling of shooting locations as well as casting team members in double functions led to the efficient work of the crew and the use of technology.

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The Swarm

Produced as an international co-production with six countries, the German TV broadcaster ZDF brings Frank Schätzing's bestselling novel to the screen in an eight-part series which will celebrate its premiere at the Berlinale Series. During the shooting that took place between the spring of 2021 and the end of 2022 in Italy and in the water studio in Belgium, the use of Set VFX Extensions made it possible to avoid material-intensive construction.

"Before the principle photography began, we discussed and subsequently determined with NDF and Itaglio Films the best possible eco-friendly structure for the entire project. Instead of shooting in Norway, Peru, Canada, Germany, Japan, France, and Switzerland, everything was shot in Italy and Belgium, which resulted in huge savings in transportation as well as commercial flights. Therefore we saved an additional 700 tons, if not more, of carbon emissions. So we cut the production’s carbon footprint almost by half."

Philip Gassmann, Green Film Expert and Green Consultant

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A "Transportation Captain" was tasked with reducing transportation as much as possible. Efficiency, synergies, and multiple-use dynamics were the main considerations. Train transportation was used to reach Italian locations outside of Rome.

© ZDF and Schwarm TV Production GmbH & Co. KG.

Irgendwas mit Medien

When developing this eight-part mockumentary series, UFA Serial Drama took the approach to avoid resource-wasting scenes at the script level. As a result, the vehicle fleet was reduced to a minimum and carbon emissions were cut by around eighty percent. Efficient transportation options and walking distance were selection criteria for the filming locations.

"If you want to produce sustainably, that means finding clever solutions in many places and thinking outside the box. You need to be really convinced to do that. From bicycles to reusable tableware."

Helga Löbel, Producer,UFA Serial Drama

"I'm very pleased that we successfully implemented the minimum ecological standards at the production of Irgendwas mit Medien for the first time so that we received the 'green motion' label. This was only possible because sustainability was such an important topic for every crew member that they adjusted the workflows. I hope that it won’t be a big deal anymore for future projects to comply with the minimum ecological standards, but rather become the standard."

Marc Waterkamp, Production Manager and Green Consultant, UFA Serial Drama

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Greater flexibility was a big advantage as the team was able to react more quickly. By reducing the fleet of vehicles, the carbon footprint for this UFA series production was reduced to 6.3 tons of carbon emissions.  An additional side effect caused the cost saving of renting and maintaining the vehicle fleet, as well as the fees for parking spaces.

© MDR / UFA Serial Drama / Sascha Hoecker

Le Pupille

During the production of the medium-length film drama, set in 1942, the Italian production company Tempesta avoided using diesel generators when they shoot in the historic city centre of Bologna. The production updated the electric cabling system at the main location so that most of the production services could be powered by the grid. For the second location, an abandoned church in the city centre, the crew rented a portable clean energy power station.

“The Voltstack reduced diesel consumption. It substituted the equivalent of a 7kW diesel generator on multiple shooting days, and it powered building tools as well as craft stations. It opened possibilities for new scheduling, efficiency in working hours, and a reduction of noise pollution in the city center. It reduced the prep/wrap time at the location by grips. The set design crew relied exclusively on Voltstack.”

Ludovica Chiarini, Eco Supervisor

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Using the electric power station for seven days saved 176 litres of diesel. Resourceful scheduling in production meant more flexibility for the crew’s hours and more energy capacity in a more distributable timeframe. And it cut down the red tape for shooting in the historic church because there was neither noise, fumes, nor extensive cabling on set.

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Liebes Kind

When filming this streaming series, Constantin Television focused on saving resources on set design and short transport routes. The four main locations were close to the production office. The set construction consisted of wooden elements from a neighbouring film production, while another set was built by using the SpeedSet system, which is made of aluminium composite panels.

The company is using profiles and aluminum composite panels which are made of recycled aluminum. The individual elements of the plug-in system can be connected without using tools. As a result, the setup takes only a fraction of the time as a traditional wood construction."

Thomas Matysiak, Green Consultant

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A major advantage of using SpeedSet is that the production can calculate exactly what the costs will be for delivery, setup, rental time, and dismantling and pick-up. Due to this kind of set construction, there are no demolition and disposal costs. In addition, prefabricated elements such as sockets are supplied, which already carry a seal of approval so that no electrician is required for their installation.

© Wolfgang Ennenbach / Netflix

Lu von Loser

During the production of the second season of this eight-part dramedy series, Letterbox Film Production and Darling Point used the “Green Toolbox” web tool for information and communication with the team. The catering survey led to the result that the film crew went exclusively for vegetarian-vegan food.

"Due to the 'Green Toolbox' carbon emissions could be tracked and team members were sensitized, because all heads of departments and production drivers had to collect the carbon emissions for their respective department. When refueling, production drivers were able to scan the consumption via a QR code with their smartphone."

Christopher Albrodt, Production Manager

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Thanks to 25 Veggie Days vs. one Meat Day and the elimination of power current generators, the production significantly reduced its carbon emissions. The use of a power current was not required at this production. Instead of trailers for makeup, wardrobe and lounges, they used suitable premises nearby the shooting locations, and the lighting equipment consisted of LED lights. The "Green Toolbox" was developed by Roman Russo, winner of the 2022 Eisvogel – Prize for Sustainable Film Production. He also served as Green Consultant for the Lu von Loser production.

© Matteo Sant Unione/Roman Russo

Notruf Hafenkante

When Letterbox Filmproduktion shot the 17th season of the TV series in the period from spring to late fall 2022, the entire production base was powered by a 30 kW generator. Catering, makeup, wardrobe, as well as lounges, were powered by the mobile power storage unit so for the most part that the production didn’t need to use a conventional diesel generator on set.

"It was cost-saving that electricity is cheaper than diesel. However, renting the mobile power storage unit is more expensive than a conventional generator, because the lower consumption costs for the power supply don't cover the higher rental price. By eliminating noise and odor pollution, the working environment for employees has greatly improved."

Mareike Pielot, Green Consultant

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The use of the mobile power storage unit reduced the consumption of diesel fuel, resulting in a saving of around 14.2 tons of carbon emissions. It also had a positive impact on the carbon calculation that the power storage unit was charged with renewables. Furthermore, “Green Thursday" was launched to provide the crew with eco-friendly tips and hints.

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Tatort Köln: Pyramide

Bavaria Fiction used the "Green Toolbox" for the calculation and analysis in order to track relevant consumption and carbon emissions in the different departments in advance. This enabled the heads of departments to create their own carbon calculation assumption so that the estimated consumption in the different departments became visible at an early stage of pre-production.

"Using a tool like this creates awareness among team members. They can visualize their consumption immediately and the numbers become more tangible, resulting in more mindful and reflective actions. In addition, team members can see the positive results of the green production and can participate in the improvement of the green workflow."

Tobias Wolf, Sustainability Manager

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The use of this tool made it possible to address hotspots in the pre-production stage and to highlight potential cost savings. The savings of carbon emissions were already displayed. The Sustainability Manager of Bavaria Fiction could log into the system as an observer in order to get information about the current status and the carbon calculation of the project. The "Green Toolbox" was developed by Green Consultant Roman Russo, winner of the 2022 Eisvogel - Prize for Sustainable Film Production. As a freelancer, Green Consultant Roman Russo supervised the Bavaria Fiction production Tatort Köln: Pyramide.

© WDR/Thomas Kost

Exit Pangea (newcomer production)

Produced between early 2021 and the end of 2022 at the Film University Babelsberg Konrad Wolf, the filmmakers took a holistic approach to the development of this graduation film. The script was written as a chamber drama in order to reduce the number of filming locations to a minimum. As part of the visual concept the lighting mainly consisted of LED lights.

"We wanted to use as little materials as possible without compromising the atmosphere of the film. The exchange between production and director/script enabled a process of collaborative decision making,  which was creatively satisfying. After all, it strengthened our collaboration even if we had to give up a few things."

Sarah Dreyer, Producer

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It was pretty easy for the crew to act eco-friendly because no single-use products were made available on set. Instead, the crew members were provided with water cans, glasses as ashtrays, rescued food, and sandwiches with organic chocolate cream instead of candy bars wrapped in plastic. A cargo bike served for transportation within Potsdam. Most of the crew members came to the set by using public transport. All measures as well as the code of conduct for shooting at the lake were explained to the team as an introduction to a positive mindset rather than a prohibition mentality.

© Lewin Harnisch

Cotton Candy (newcomer production)

Shot in Bangladesh during one day, this International Academy of Film and Media (IAFM) production used a minimal setting arrangement. The only prop that was rented for the film was a cotton candy machine.

“I wanted to keep the production as organic and natural to our day-to-day life as possible. The green filming approach of the production helped to strengthen that. We didn’t use any makeup for the cast and the film set was an actual home. We managed to produce no waste throughout the shooting.”

Tayran Razzak, Director of Cotton Candy

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In addition to the exceptional waste management strategy, the production used locally sourced food and eco-friendly resources.

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Isolation (newcomer production)

Produced as a short film at the International Academy of Film and Media (IAFM) in Bangladesh, the story was developed as a chamber drama, in which two adult characters withdraw from the public world and seek extreme degrees of isolation in their own way. Due to the fact that the film was shot only at one location, mobility, transport, and also the need for accommodation were limited to a minimum.

“For the location of this film, we initially chose a residential home and created a story that revolved around the existing props and sets. As a result, we minimized production costs and avoided using new materials.”

P. S. S. Gupta, Director of Isolation

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The film crew also used the location of the film production as accommodation.  The approach of the mobility concept was to reduce transport and to use low-emission vehicles such as battery-powered rickshaws, electric scooters, and bicycles.

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Riyan (newcomer production)

Shot on one single day, from 6.30 am to 5 pm, the short film was produced at the International Academy of Film and Media (IAFM) in Bangladesh. The aim was to reduce the energy consumption of this film production, which was possible due to the cinematographic and lighting concept.

“As part of the green film shooting process, we decided to use only available light. This was an experiment for my team. I'm glad that we could shoot the film with natural light sources.”

Manos Mehedee, Director of Riyan

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The production also reduced energy consumption due to efficient organization. At the preproduction stage, all meetings were taking place online. In total, the production avoided about 400 kilometres of travelling.

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A Tale of a Haunted Soul (newcomer production)

Lensed with the Sony A7III camera, the film was completely shot with available light during the daytime. The use of natural light was the basis for the story, which has been developed at the International Academy of Film and Media (IAFM) in Bangladesh. As a location, the filmmaker chose a natural setting surrounded by greenery.

“In the context of the story set-up, we chose the green Hill Tracts area. In this natural location, my key prop of the film was a rickshaw, which is an eco-friendly vehicle. The decision to work with the daylight complied with our green filming approach.”

Towhid Riyadh, Director of A Tale of a Haunted Soul

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Due to the minimalistic concept of the film, the production was very effective in reducing its energy consumption. The film was completely shot outdoors with available light and didn’t require any further light sources. Furthermore, the costumes were contributed by the actors.

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Tatort Dortmund – Gier und Angst

Unafilm produced this Tatort Dortmund episode in spring 2021, systematically identifying and specifically implementing environment-related measures.

“The measures implemented by the production in cooperation with the Green Consultant have noticeably led to greater attentiveness to environmental aspects and intensive cooperation within the team.” Titus Kreyenberg, Producer

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SaFahri – eine Reise zu den Elementen

This five-part documentary series was produced by Bon Voyage Films for Sky Deutschland between late 2020 and mid 2021. The shooting took place at a large number of locations, some of them in quite remote natural areas.

“The film direction and camera team considered in advance during the pre-production phase how to travel and shoot with the most energy-efficient technology and lightweight luggage possible. We didn't want to set up any elaborate technology in forests, moors and landscape conservation areas, which would have threatened the very things we wanted to film there.” Letizia Lange, Producer

“From the North Sea to the Bavarian Forest and from the North German Moor to the Swiss Alps: even the journeys to the filming locations were as consequently environmentally friendly as possible. Fahri Yardim alone travelled over 5500 kilometres by train.” Christian Asanger, VP Entertainment Sky

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Die stillen Trabanten

This cinema film was produced in mid-2021 by Sommerhaus Filmproduktion GmbH. The movie is an adaptation of the short story collection of the same name by Clemens Meyer, directed by Thomas Stuber. Its premiere is planned by Warner Bros for the year 2022.

“This production, which has been realised according to sustainability standards, has shown that whenever production and crew give themselves the necessary time to develop innovative ideas, they often lead to an environmentally valuable goal without sacrificing creativity." Robert Hertel, Green Consultant

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Die Luft, die wir atmen

This in-house television production by Hessischer Rundfunk (HR) was produced between March 2020 and March 2021 according to the requirements of the “100 Green Productions” of the Green Shooting Working Group. It was one of the first finished films of the project.

The HR gained important experience in sustainable production through this pilot project on green shooting. Many creative solutions developed through the motivation of those involved, such as the pragmatic use of a local farmer's rainwater storage tank for the production of artificial snow. New, innovative techniques were also tested. The realization of the first green production of the HR was also the impetus for the establishment of a sustainability network that carries the “green spirit” further into the corporation and motivates the employees to commit to more sustainability in all areas.

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Les Incorrectes

The documentary “Les Incorrectes” (“The Unsuitables“), directed by Anne-Cécile Genre, brings the spotlight back on Alice Milliat and the beginnings of women's sport. Going back and forth between the past and the present, this documentary shows her extraordinary destiny and how today's improvements in gender equality can actually trace their roots back 100 years ago, to Milliat‘s fight for women to practice sport and compete in the Olympic Games.

“Les Incorrectes” was produced with the financial support of the Alice Milliat Foundation, the National Sports Agency (ANS) and is backed by the Comité National Olympique et Sportif Français (CNOSF). Since the beginning, eco-responsibility has been a strong commitment for Lucien TV and reducing environmental impact was a major concern from the planning stage.

"Environmental improvements are a process we strive to implement in every film we produce. In this way, we try to reduce the negative impact of our operations while maintaining a high level of quality. This process requires a high level of commitment and in particular more preparatory work in the early stages of production, but it is very satisfying." Julien Tricard, Producer and Founder of Media Club Green.

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Tempête

The film Tempête by Christian Duguay is based on the novel “Tempête au haras” by Chris Donner. The fictional feature film was produced in spring 2021 by Nolita Cinema on a total of 11 locations in France. The production was consciously planned and carried out according to ecological and social sustainability aspects.

"Faced with the socio-climatic challenges and aware of the need for change, Nolita has integrated the idea that a clear commitment to sustainable film production is a great chance to create new opportunities for film industry. Nolita believes that a sustainable and responsible transformation is essential to the sustainability of our business.” Valentine Gaffinel, Production Coordinator

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Metanoia

Metanoia is a low-budget production by newcomer filmmakers from Berlin which was produced independently of film academies and funded by the RISE project of the media education organisation JFF.

Producer Thea Herrmann and director Alina Podschun have made an explicit commitment to a green production approach and signed corresponding industry agreements. This clear commitment motivated the entire crew to support and implement environmentally related measures.

“We are very pleased that our team has been so ambitious and involved in implementing the numerous measures in the respective departments. We are especially happy about the enthusiastic feedback on vegan catering." Thea Herrmann, Producer

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Measures such as the avoidance of individual car journeys, a reduction in the number of filming locations, a fully vegan catering and many others were implemented. Overall, the CO₂ footprint of the production was significantly reduced, as shown by the corresponding analyses of a CO₂ calculator.

Alles Perfekt

The short film "Alles Perfekt", a low-budget production shot in mid-2020, is a student production with which Fabian Gataavizadeh successfully completed his directing studies at the Ruhrakademie in Schwerte. As part of the production, there was proactive preparation and planning of the shoot in terms of green practices.

“By informing the whole team about the green production methods at an early stage, we were able to work more sustainably in all areas. Without the work in the preparation phase, this would not have been possible on set.” Fabian Gataavizadeh, Producer

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Welcoming words and introduction to the Eisvogel award

Federal Minister for the Environment and Consumer Protection, Steffi Lemke (BMUV), welcomes the guests and emphasizes the urgency of sustainable action.

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Presentation of the nominated Productions

The "newcomers", that participated "out of competition" in this competition period, are acknowledged first: The moderator Nina Eichinger and the speaker of the competition jury Michael Beier (Heinz Sielmann Foundation) present the newcomer productions "Metanoia" (represented by Alina Podschun and Thea Herrmann) and "Alles Perfekt" (represented by Fabian Gataavizadeh and Josina Roesmann) with their certificates of recognition.

Further nominations 

Awarding of the Eisvogel 21/22

Federal Minister for the Environment and Consumer Protection, Steffi Lemke (BMUV), reads out the competition jury's justification for awarding the Eisvogel 2021/22 to the production "Tatort - Gier und Angst" by una TADO GmbH.

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