Our Low Carbon Footprint Production

The Brief

Dragonpass was preparing a global rebrand and needed a full bank of photography and video. The scope was clear:

• Nine product areas covering airport lounges, dining, fast track, fitness and more
• Three customer types: business travellers, leisure travellers and families
• Four priority regions: the United Kingdom, Latin America, the Middle East and East Asia
• Finished assets ready for web, app, CRM, sales and partner channels in time for a coordinated launch

Traditionally this would have meant crews and equipment moving between several continents. Our goal was to deliver the same international feel while avoiding flights, freight and waste.

How we delivered the brief

We filmed every scene at Recode XR Studio in Manchester, just two miles from our office. Local cast and an eight-person crew kept travel short, and the studio’s LED walls meant no single-use airport sets.

What a virtual production studio is

A virtual production studio is a sound-stage surrounded by high-resolution LED screens that run in real time with the camera. The screens act as living backdrops. Instead of shipping a crew to eleven airports, we played clean colour gradients that matched Dragonpass’ new brand. The gradients created a calm, premium atmosphere that let people and product take centre stage.

Style choice

• Simple framing and a restrained colour palette gave the work an Apple-inspired feel.
• Two reusable flats and a handful of rented hero props replaced the usual mountain of set dressing.
• Soft practical lighting completed the minimalist look.

Sustainable choices in practice

• Filming in Manchester: no flights and a consistent look across all scenes
• Local cast and crew: no long-distance travel or hotels, support for local talent
• Ninety-five per cent local, rented props: almost zero waste and no bulk purchasing
• LED lighting only: about seventy-five per cent less energy than tungsten or HMI
• Electric vehicle on camera: no exhaust emissions during filming
• Digital delivery: no DVDs, USBs or shipping materials
• Kit powered down during breaks: lower energy use throughout the shoot

Principal photography took two shoot days plus one pre-light day. Working locally kept the schedule tight and the budget focused on screen value rather than travel.

Carbon saved and how we worked it out

A conventional schedule would have sent 21 people (13 cast and 8 crew) plus five hundred kilograms of equipment to five international airports for one day each. The expected footprint is approximately ninety tonnes of CO₂, based on standard aviation and air-freight factors. By keeping the project in Manchester we avoided those flights completely, saving the equivalent of taking twenty average UK cars off the road for a year.

Deliverables and results

• 46 final assets covering nine product areas
• Business, leisure and family travellers represented across four regions
• Simple Apple-style visuals approved with minimal revisions and published on launch day
• Consistent creative used across web, app, CRM, sales and partner channels
• Approximately ninety tonnes of CO₂ saved through local production and virtual techniques

Client feedback

“They were unflappable, collaborative and never once said no. They helped bring our vision to life with care and creativity and were a real pleasure to work with throughout. I’m amazed by how much high-quality content we produced in just two days. The imagery and videos speak for themselves. The team nailed everything from casting to wardrobe, props and set. I couldn’t be happier with the result. Highly recommend.”
Lauren Parker, Head of Brand, Dragonpass

What this means for you

The Dragonpass campaign shows that international-grade content can be produced quickly, economically and responsibly. Local resources, low-carbon methods and efficient technology sit at the heart of our process. If your next brief needs worldwide scope without worldwide travel, talk to us and see what is possible.