Posted on 17th January 2020

Sick of It

It's not just Karl who's turning green

For production company Me & You, hiring a hybrid car for their latest production Sick of It, was a no brainer: London’s new Ultra Low Emission Zone came into effect just a few weeks after the production began and with Sick of It’s unit base in Ladbroke Grove and shooting locations throughout London, they needed a solution that worked for their schedule, their budget and the planet. Head of Production Faiza Tovey, who has used hybrids on previous shows, is such a convert that she now pushes for hybrids on every production regardless.

There are many benefits for opting for a hybrid production car. Perhaps the most appealing from a production point of view is the huge cost savings. Not only does a £30 tank of petrol last for a week rather than 3 days (giving a saving of £200 based on a 7 week production), but the actual hire of the car was cheaper as well. ShaToya Rose, the Production Assistant and main driver of the car was nervous about the car at first, having never driven an automatic, but was quickly converted, so much so that she plans on buying one for herself!

“

2 years ago there would have been grumbling and back lash at the actions we’re taking, but there has been a noticeable shift in attitudes and people are keen to do what they can to be more sustainable

”

— Donna Mabey, Line Producer

Opting for hybrid cars is a no brainer when shooting in London

The Toyota Yaris Hybrid used on Sick of It is a traditional hybrid so it does produce more emissions than the newer 100% electric vehicles, however it is still a much better choice economically and environmentally than a petrol or diesel car.

The obvious benefits of choosing a hybrid with smaller battery that is charged by the petrol engine is that there is no need to faff around with finding a place to plug in the vehicle to charge and you don’t need to wait a couple of hours for the car to be charged. Something that could be the decider on a busy production.

The ambition to reduce the productions carbon footprint has been adopted by each department. Costume have been using a paperless app ‘sync on set’ for continuity, saving huge amounts of paper, and also making life much easier for stand bys who don’t have to carry around multiple lever arch files! They have also made a considerable effort to source vintage clothing rather than buying new, and making purchases involving less packaging. There is also a vegetarian day for the catering which has been well received. Donna Mabey, Line Producer commented “2 years ago there would have been grumbling and back lash at the actions we’re taking, but there has been a noticeable shift in attitudes and people are keen to do what they can to be more sustainable.”