As part of a drive towards creating a more sustainable production sector, Screen Skills Ireland will host a one-day event ‘Responsible Production for the Screen Sector in Ireland’ in Dublin tomorrow, 9th October 2019.
This event will focus on the importance of continuing to improve the culture of the screen sector in Ireland, in order to foster responsible production activity and create more positive and inclusive work environments. The event will discuss key issues facing the industry currently, including skills development, inclusion and sustainable green film making.
This event follows up on Screen Ireland’s announcement earlier this year of its intention to develop funding criteria for productions based on the following six guiding principles of equality, diversity and inclusion, career & skills development, dignity in the workplace, and climate and sustainability.
The BAFTA Albert Carbon Calculator, already used by industry in the UK, will also be formally announced at the event by Screen Greening. The Albert Carbon Calculator allows producers to understand a productions’ environmental impact. By providing some basic information about studio, work, travel, accommodation, locations, materials use and disposal, and post-production; the calculator reveals the extent of the carbon emissions on any given production.
The event will also include discussion on the new requirements linked to the Section 481 tax credit for productions, which requires applicants to propose skills development plans as well as diversity, inclusion, gender, and sustainability initiatives to avail of the credit.
Speaking about the event, Gareth Lee, Manager at Screen Skills Ireland, said, “Responsible Production will provide a much-needed forum to discuss some of the most important issues currently facing the screen industry, including skills development, inclusion, diversity, gender, positive workplaces, and sustainability/green film making. We are delighted to host a number of expert speakers to offer important contributions to the ongoing conversations around these issues, as well as showcase concrete steps that are being taken in the area of responsible production, such as the introduction of the new Section 481 skills requirements and the launch of the Albert Carbon calculator.”
The introduction and development of responsible screen production strategies has cross industry support. The Screen Greening Coalition, which comprises the Broadcasting Authority of Ireland (BAI), RTÉ, Screen Ireland, Screen Producers Ireland, TG4 and Virgin Media Television, formed to fund and introduce the BAFTA ALBERT Carbon Calculator for the Irish screen industries.