Roman Russo, Green Consultant for the Eisvogel award-winning “Tatort Dortmund – Gier und Angst”, gives an insight into his approach
What objectives were addressed in the planning and preparation phase in order to produce “Tatort Dortmund – Gier und Angst” as green as possible?
We went through all the options for this project. First of all, I talked to the production manager about what could be implemented. For the catering, that meant using reusable crockery and lunch boxes. I spoke to the catering company about how this could be implemented.
Hiring a CNG-powered truck was an issue early on. This requires a willingness to have the CNG truck explained to you, as refueling is something new. We didn’t need a hybrid generator as we only used mains electricity. In this regard, I had discussions with the motif recording manager. We also checked whether certain set constructions could be avoided in the area.
How were the most important measures identified? What was the focus on and why?
It was clear that there would be a lot of travel involved in this production, as filming also took place in Dortmund. As one of the main focuses was catering, I dealt with waste separation at an early stage. The municipal waste disposal companies are only able to handle a film production to a limited extent, as they see it as an event. That’s why I approached the suppliers at an early stage.
In addition, flights were avoided in this production and small roles were cast regionally.
How time-consuming was the implementation in terms of procurement?
During the first meeting, I was able to contribute my knowledge as a green consultant and suggest renting a CNG-powered truck, which we rented from Maier Bros. Hiring the landlines, on the other hand, proved to be difficult.
What was the internal communication strategy for the cast and crew with regard to the green measures?
There was a weekly newsletter that was sent to the whole team. In it, the cast and crew were informed that we were taking part in the “100 Green Productions” sustainability initiative with our crime scene and that I was supporting them as a green consultant with advice and tips on ecological planning. The agenda included topics such as the use of 100 percent recycled paper, digitally issued daily schedules and scripts. In the area of mobility, the aim was to travel by train, use hybrid vehicles and trucks with the Diesel-6 standard and do without generators on location. The aim was to switch to construction electricity everywhere and to use green electricity wherever possible. Care must be taken to ensure that PRCD plugs are available for the end device so that the more intensive use of fixed power does not increase the risk to occupational safety.
When it came to catering, it was clear that there would be no disposable crockery and that we would use reusable crockery instead. To put a stop to factory farming, we announced a veggie day and a day on which fish was served instead of meat. The food was sourced as regionally and seasonally as possible. Lunch boxes were offered to take away leftover food. The team was also asked to respect waste separation.
