(Pedro Pascal as The Mandalorian and crew member behind large LED screen, Star Wars, May 15, 2020, https://www.starwars.com/news/the-mandalorian-stagecraft-feature)

Virtual Production is revolutionizing the film industry by blending digital worlds with real-world elements/sets. A unique, trending approach of VP involves huge LED walls to create real backgrounds. These walls provide natural light and reflections. LED walls for sustainable film production boost performance and fix issues that green screens cannot (SP Studios para. 2). Beyond its capabilities, VP is a key player for green film making; as research reports  it can reduce carbon emissions by up to 50% compared to traditional filming methods (Ulster University para. 1). 

Major studios are leading this green transition. Disney pioneered the use of “StageCraft” LED volumes for The Mandalorian, replacing resource-heavy desert location shoots with digital environments (SP Studios para. 6). HBO followed suit with House of the Dragon, shifting complex sets into the digital realm (Cabello 3). Additionally,  UCLA highlights productions like Hulu’s How I Met Your Father, where shooting a Brooklyn Bridge scene in a Los Angeles VP studio produced only 9% of the emissions of a conventional cross-country shoot (Cabello 14).

While VP has been pivotal in eliminating massive air travel needs and reduced physical waste, a common argument against VP’s future in the industry questions its efforts in sustainability. As explained by Cabello, unlike other sectors that see a reduction, the computing sector is one of the only areas where carbon emissions consistently increase in virtual production more than conventional methods. For example, statistics infer that virtual production generates roughly 6,810 gCO2/min  to 11,308 gCO2/min given computers were running for 12 to 36 hours (Cabello 15).

To which we must ask a larger question: what are studios’ ailing to sacrifice in order to continue serving quality films? To what degree, as the audience, will we blindly tolerate/support studios’ harmful filmmaking practices?

Works Cited

Cabello, Esther, et al. “Virtual vs. Conventional Production for Film and Television: A Comparative Life Cycle Assessment.” UCLA Institute of the Environment and Sustainability, June 2023, https://www.ioes.ucla.edu/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/UCLA-IoES-Practicum-SPA-Virtual-Production-Final-Report-2023.pdf.

SP Studios. “How Virtual Production Enables Sustainable Filmmaking.” SP Studios, 24 Oct. 2025, https://www.spstudios.ca/post/how-virtual-production-enables-sustainable-filmmaking. 

Ulster University. “Green Screen: Pioneering Report Shows Virtual Production Has Potential to Play Pivotal Role to Achieving Net Zero Emissions Within the Screen Industries.” Ulster University, 30 Nov. 2023, https://www.ulster.ac.uk/news/2023/november/virtual-production-can-achieve-net-zero-emissions-in-screen-industries.