Sony has published a new whitepaper looking at the growing importance of sustainability in live production, and key opportunities for businesses to implement change.
The report states that sustainable practices are not one-size-fits-all, as each production has unique requirements. But the company has looked at opportunities for creating change that benefits business and the environment.
It identifies four key challenges faced by live production teams in terms of sustainability: quantifying environmental footprint, considering individual production needs, battling uncertainty around power supply, and managing latency.
There are a number of solutions already in play to meet these challenges, such as remote and centralised capabilities, says the report.
It also encourages companies to consider embracing modular solutions, which will provide operational benefits in the long term. Embracing modularity means that parts of the production process for which there are sustainable solutions can be changed, rather than should be, states the report.
Utilising remote and distributed systems will enable productions to run across multiple locations (a control room in London could be connected to a live production set in Manchester, for example), cutting the impact of logistics on its carbon footprint, it adds.
Offering staff the versatility to work on multiple productions in the same time period can help cut down the emissions associated with on-site presence, continues the report. In the meantime, a single processing location helps cut down on emissions from logistics.
“Live productions deliver some of the greatest events on earth to millions, but it will be the collective effort of the individual businesses within the industry that will move the dial on sustainability,” said Norbert Paquet, head of live production solutions, Sony Professional Solutions Europe.
“Meeting robust sustainability credentials, live production companies will not just ensure the future success of their business, but the future of the planet.”
The full whitepaper is available to download here.
