The Low Budget Advantage

Making movies is a heady experience no matter your experience or budget level. There are a thousand-and-one things on your to do list, and probably more than one fire to put out. And on top of all that,  you have to do it all sustainably??

Yup! (Sorry!) Sustainability can feel overwhelming and especially vexing because it’s (still mostly) voluntary. The good news is that sustainability isn’t an extra job.  It’s learning how to do all the jobs you already have to do anyways, but in a way that is more efficient, and better for people and the planet.

Sustainability is being embraced by the film industry like never before. Carbon footprints, electric vehicles, sustainability crew positions, and climate change categories at film festivals, have all become more commonplace. Canada’s broadcasters, funders and producers have made public commitments to prioritize climate action.

Audiences want to watch environmentally-focused content. Netflix reports that since 2022, over 80% of subscribers chose to watch at least one story on climate issues or climate solutions. The climate satire “Don’t Look Up” has maintained its position as one of the most watched movies on the platform since its release in 2022.

While the driving force behind the growth of sustainability in the entertainment industry is distressing (worsening climate change and environmental degradation), we find it hopeful to see that more and more of us are meeting the moment with big and small actions.

Sustainable practices, across all industries, is undeniable. Political and economic headwinds aren’t going to slow down our collective drive towards a better way of working.

On low-budget productions crews tend to be smaller, which means people often wear more than one creative, technical or logistical hat. Projects may have shorter shooting schedules, shoot in fewer locations, have (a lot) less gear, fly less, drive less, and may rely on community or stakeholder good will for donations, discounts, and low cost or volunteer labour to get things done.

Without even trying, low-budget productions are often greener than their big-budget cousins simply because they can’t afford more expensive options that often come with big carbon price tags. They naturally use and throw away less stuff because it’s cheaper to rent or buy used than it is to buy or make new things. We hear all the time from indie creators that once they look at their productions with a sustainability lens,  they realize they’re already making a ton of green choices!

‍But that doesn’t mean indie creators are off the hook. 

Sustainability is not a competition. There isn’t a prize for having the lowest emissions, or a trophy for ‘most improved.’  Environmental harms are not theoretical.  Every ton of carbon emitted into the air is a physical harm to our environment and our communities.

‍Your local landfill doesn’t need more plastic water bottles. Your job as an indie filmmaker is to lean in to your sustainability advantage.

The sustainability advantage is the freedom and agility that defines indie filmmaking. Having a lower budget isn't a disadvantage when it comes to sustainability. Indie filmmakers aren’t constrained by the rules of big-budget shows. You can try new things, do things differently, set your own rules, slow down, or put a different set of values at the heart of your production.

Many of the values and realities of indie filmmaking, like stretching a budget, renting vs buying new and keeping crews and locations to a minimum are also green values. This puts you a few steps ahead when it comes to sustainability because you are naturally going to want to do more with less, reduce consumption and keep that travel budget low!

We invite you to view indie style content creation as more than a career pit-stop along the road to Hollywood style shows. Indie filmmaking reflects a more sustainable, resilient style of working, rooted in innovation, efficiency, and more people-centred, community centred values and practices. As your career grows, hang on to those indie values as they will serve you well.