Culture for Climate Scotland are hosting a series of Sustainable Screen Supplier Open Days. Read on to find out more about the first event and book your place at the next one.
Progressive Broadcast Hire hosted the first Sustainable Screen Supplier Open Day at their Ibrox depot in August.
Progressive have a wide range of technical equipment available to hire from their depot, including foldable solar panel and NXTGENbps batteries to replace and support generators.
At the open day, Culture for Climate Scotland highlighted some of the practical ways we can make film and tv production more sustainable with Progressive Broadcast’s Managing Director Brian McCormick and Jono O’Reilly, Managing Director of NXTGENbps giving a presentation explaining the benefits and specifications of the equipment which is available to hire.
Traditionally, fuel generators have been used on sets when productions need reliable power away from the grid, however they are known to produce a loud engine noise which can interfere with sound recording, emit exhaust fumes and require regular maintenance.
In comparison, portable batteries like the NXTGENbps Power Station Bat and the NXTGENbps Goat Green Generator produce zero emissions so cleaner air for those working in the immediate area, they are silent so can be used indoors without compromising sound quality and they don’t require any fuel or oil changes – they can be charged directly via grid power or solar power. Battery systems can also be positioned closer to where the power is needed meaning the practicalities of the set-up can be much simpler.
The NXTGENbps Goat is a 5kW/4.8kWh portable power solution, expandable up to a maximum of 139.2kWh with the NXTGENbps Billy Goat 9.6kWh. It’s ideal for various applications including on-location lighting, video setups, production offices and catering. The Goat accepts various power sources such as Solar Capture, DC, and AC inputs; it can be charged via a Type 2 car charger and the battery can be used while charging, extending its kWh capacity.
The NXTGENbps Power Station Bat is a more compact battery, in 2.5kW format and 25kg. Built for flexibility, the Bat delivers 2.5kWh of capacity and 3.6kW peak output, with the option to daisy chain multiple bats together to increase kWh.
The NXTGENbps Swift is a portable, flight-safe battery generator offering 3.6kW of continuous power with a 2.2kWh capacity in a zero-emission, silent, and fully weatherproof unit. For extended runtime, up to four Swift units can be daisy-chained using the Swift Expansion unit, increasing total capacity up to 10.5kWh.
NXTGENbps Emperor is a high-capacity, portable battery generator with a 15.56kWh battery storage and 15kW peak power output, used for high-draw equipment such as lighting rigs, cameras, and production offices. For larger energy demands, up to 20 Emperor back-up units can be connected in parallel, expanding total capacity seamlessly.
The phrase of the day was: “It just seems like such a no-brainer” as there are so many benefits to using sustainable power on set. The question isn’t: “can batteries do the job?”, it’s actually “which battery is right for this job?”.
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If you couldn’t make the Supplier Open Day at Progressive Broadcast Hire but are interested in learning more about sustainable power solutions, visit their website.
The next Sustainable Supplier Open Day takes place on Thursday 8 October from 10am – 2pm at Re-set Scenery in Possilpark & Parkhouse. It’s a drop-in session so arrive anytime during this time slot for a introduction to the resources available.
Re-set have an extensive collection of reused or repurposed props and pieces which could be the perfect fit for your next film. Whether you need a yellow taxi for your New York City scene or a hand-drawn cart for your Victorian-era plotline, you might be able to find exactly what you need at Re-Set Scenery!
Register for the next Sustainable Supplier Open Day at Re-set Scenery here.
Find out more about Sustainable Screen here.
