The Environmental
Impact of
Filmmaking
Using Star Wars to Improve Sector Sustainability Practices
The EIF project supports sustainable filmmaking & television production by bringing together academics, practitioners, and experts to explore the environmental impact of props and costumes made for the Star Wars franchise.
About the EIF project
Lightsabers. Stormtrooper helmets. Rey costumes. Since production for A
New Hope began in 1976, the Star Wars franchise has produced a vast array of recognisable props and costumes – many of which have been designed and made by creative talent in the UK.
The fantastical places that feature in Star Wars may be familiar, too. From
Ben Cruachan (Andor), via Bannau Brycheiniog/Brecon Beacons (Ahsoka), to Whippendell Woods (The Phantom Menace), three of the four UK nations are home to filming sites that appear onscreen.
Indeed, UK industries and geographies have facilitated many important production elements in Star Wars. Yet the saga’s reliance on UK materials
and infrastructure, its impact on working practices, and its relationship with different locations and communities are not well understood.
The EIF project, then, examines the environmental impacts of Star Wars in the UK, as well as the franchise’s global contexts. Currently, the project has two strands: one on props and costumes, and one on location shoots.
The first three case studies trace prop and costume life cycles, from the
extraction of raw materials to disposal and archiving. We look at Artoo Detoo, the Throne Room dress, and lightsabers. We’ve also made calculators that you can use to test your own practices. The first helps you assess whether a practical or digital make is more sustainable. The second helps you determine how to minimise the impact of merchandise.
Our fourth case study interrogates the impact of location shoots on
environments and nearby communities, including at Greenham Common, Winspit Quarry, and Ivinghoe Beacon. The case study involves field trips, videography, and a survey for anyone who’s lived or worked near a shoot.
The research conducted for the project feeds into a broader study about environmental, militaristic, and socioeconomic histories of Star Wars across the four nations, which will appear in a forthcoming book.
The EIF Project’s main goal is to help filmmakers – and, importantly, studio bosses and funders – adopt more eco-friendly production practices. We’re also documenting both practitioners’ experiences of, and public views on, industry sustainability to create an online archive that will provide future researchers with a valuable resource.
Through these activities, the EIF project will ensure that we learn from the past to make better choices in future, and record how the screen
industries are adapting to a changing world. You’ll find links to all of our
publications, educational materials, and events at EIF Resources.
OUR
People
Based at The Open University in the UK, the EIF project is led by Dr Rebecca Harrison, a Lecturer in Film & Media production with expertise in histories of cinema and technology. She’s joined by Dr Siti Syuhaida Mohamed Yunus, an experienced Environmental Scientist who specialises in environmental analysis and metrics.
Get Involved
Want to contribute to the EIF project? Find out how you can support more sustainable screen media production through practitioner interviews, a research network, and public survey.
01
Artoo Detoo
02
Throne Room Dress
Queen Amidala’s iconic red dress in The Phantom Menace (1999) represented high fashion in Star Wars. In this study, we trace the environmental impacts of materials used to create the garment, and suggest how practitioners might source sustainable alternatives fit for royalty today.
03
Lightsabers
The team that created the original lightsabers for A New Hope back in 1976 relied on scrap items that would otherwise have been discarded. Today, meanwhile, there are thousands of replica ‘laser swords’ available to buy in shops. We review the lifecycles of two lightsabers to think about the value of reused materials, and how props proliferate beyond the screen.
04
Locations
From former military sites, via disused quarries, to National Trust property, locations across the UK stand in for many fantastical sites in Star Wars. In our fourth case study, we ask local communities how these shoots impact nature and day-to-day life in their areas, and consider how filmmakers can adopt more environmentally friendly practices.
01
Artoo Detoo
02
Throne Room Dress
Queen Amidala’s iconic red dress in The Phantom Menace (1999) represented high fashion in Star Wars. In this study, we trace the environmental impacts of materials used to create the garment, and suggest how practitioners might source sustainable alternatives fit for royalty today.
03
Lightsabers
The team that created the original lightsabers for A New Hope back in 1976 relied on scrap items that would otherwise have been discarded. Today, meanwhile, there are thousands of replica ‘laser swords’ available to buy in shops. We review the lifecycles of two lightsabers to think about the value of reused materials, and how props proliferate beyond the screen.
04
The Child, Grogu
The star of Star Wars’ recent turn toward live-action television, the so-called Baby Yoda captured the hearts of The Mandalorian fans. In our final case study, we explore the materials and fabrication techniques used to make the puppet Grogu, and some of his animatronic cousins, like the Porgs.
Get in touch
Alternatively, you can write to the project lead here. We’ll get back to you as soon as possible.