The Unreal S2

Production Company: Dyehouse Films – Unreal Films Series 2 DAC (Co. No. 785177)
Location: Ardgillan Castle, Balbriggan, County Dublin, Ireland
Format: TV Series – 4 × 24 minute episodes
Budget: €960,000
Timeline: Pre-production: 9 June 2025 | Production: 7 July – 8 August 2025
Stage: Post-production

The Unreal Series 2 is an ongoing children’s television series which is produced by Dyehouse Films for RTE with a view to continue Dyehouse’s goal of delivering entertaining, high-quality television while minimising environmental footprint. Building on the success of Series 1, the team sought to embed sustainability across every phase of production—from preparation, planning and procurement to on-set operations and post-production.

The key core sustainable objectives were to:

• Reduce carbon emissions through a single-location shoot at Ardgillan Castle, using a combination of house/grid power included in the location agreement and renewable-fuel generators, and electric-vehicle transport.
• Identify contractors with sustainable policy and practice.
• Minimise fuel usage by encouraging shared transport and usage of production electric vehicle for necessary trips.
• Operate paper-free using digital call sheets, contracts, and script distribution.
• Reuse and recycle materials via historical network contacts.
• Props reused and repurposed from all other series, borrowing and on-line buying and rental. Everything bought or hired were not held onto for future series and donated to charity shops.
• Wardrobe reused and repurposed from other series, borrowing and rental.
• Divert bespoke waste from landfill through piggybacking on all Ardgillan Castle’s  services.
• Lower food waste through accurate pre order only meal planning and using on site local catering ( Brambles ) to minimise fuel usage.
• Reduce single-use plastics ensuring all catering containers were compostable (see engagement with contractors eg GLON ), providing crew with reusable drinkware and utensils and encouraging

The sustainability aims for The Unreal Series 2 are derived from core organisational values, evolving industry standards and developments, and ensuring accountability to Screen Ireland.

• Company commitment: Dyehouse Films has maintained a formal environmental policy since 2019, operating a fully electric company car, maintaining paperless workflows, and offsetting annual emissions.
• Continuous improvement: Building on Series 1, the team retained proven measures—local sourcing, carpooling, circular props and costume reuse—while extending practices to energy management and data tracking.
• Certification and expertise: Producer Nuala Carr holds BAFTA albert Certification and completed the ALBERTx Climate and AimHi Earth Masterclasses. An Albert-certified Sustainability Advisor, with expertise in Environmental Law and Human Rights, Elizabeth Kelly Garrahy LLM was appointed to coordinate data collection, supplier vetting, and departmental compliance.

• Funding and innovation: The production qualified for Screen Ireland’s Sustainability Advisor and Innovation Grant which was used to engage Elizabeth Kelly Garrahy.
• Creative alignment: Sustainability policy was not only operational but editorial; environmental awareness informed visual decisions and narrative tone, strengthening authenticity for audiences (please refer to the PEACH report feedback attached). The family car in the show is an electric vehicle. ( And was used as a prop ! ) Effort was made to script highlight the issues single use plastic causes to the planet. Example:

Suddenly we hear Katie SCREAM! Everyone turns in alarm.

Cut to Katie at the wardrobe, holding up tiny bottles of

shampoo and shower gel.

KATIE

The amount of single-use plastic

in this hotel is absolutely horrifying!

Frameworks and Standards

The production aligned with recognised long standing international standards and implemented the following methodology:

• BAFTA Albert Climate Action Blueprint – baseline sustainability standard for screen productions and the Studio Sustainability Standard – guiding departmental practice and procurement. * Even though the production did not seek an Albert certification, Albert standards were applied throughout and the template used for measurement was a combination of Albert and the following:
• European Green Deal - The broad EU policy objective to achieve climate neutrality by 2050, which extends to the audiovisual sector.
• The Producers Guild of America PEACH & PEAR Environmental Accounting System – founded more than fifteen years ago, this system offers a clear and accessible toolkit to calculate carbon emissions and provide a template and guidance for a fully completed emissions report by measuring environmental impact across energy, transport, accommodation, materials, and waste or donations, and other environmentally harmful purchases like water and paper. The Producers Guild of America has been a leading advocate for sustainability in the entertainment industry and in 2010 collaborated with studio partners (now known as the Sustainable Entertainment Alliance) to create the Green Production Guide - the toolkit designed to reduce the film, television and streaming industry's carbon footprint and environmental impact. * A Peach and Pear report is being finalised.
• Media and Audiovisual Action Plan (MAAP) - includes specific actions to foster a greener and more sustainable European film and media industry.
• Interreg Europe: Projects like Green Screen and the Eureca eco-calculator which we are familiar with, are key examples of initiatives to develop and share best practices and tools for measuring a production's carbon footprint and other environmental impacts, such as water usage and waste.
• Internal Dyehouse Films Policy – company-wide rules on plastics, paperless operations, fuel and energy use.
• Circular Economy Partnerships – Props 360, Rediscovery Centre, charity shops, and Circular Costume Ireland enabled reuse and local resource efficiency.
• Culture building: regular reminders, and recognition of sustainable choices strengthened morale and accountability, supported by the distribution of the Green memos and the engagement of the Sustainability Advisor, who worked with the production in the creation of sustainability goals and a sustainability plan.

Daily green memos, HOD and department briefings, and waste audits helped to maintain measurements and reminders throughout production.

Sustainability Strategy and Framework

The sustainability framework combined three layers:

1. Strategic plan – the plan by the Sustainability Advisor in conjunction with the Producers.
2. Operational implementation – HOD driven, department-specific sustainability plans aligned to key sustainability pillars and practices.
3. Measurement and certification – carbon accounting using the Green Production Guide Toolkit and specifically the PEAR and PEACH dashboards, also consistent with BAFTA albert methodology.

This approach ensured environmental performance was planned, measured, and clearly reportable. All the above areas of metric measurement and sustainable practices reach across a wide area of departments and avoid crossover and repetition under each of the pillar headings. We focused on crew behavioural change, conduct management and daily sustainable activities with each specific department. We have grouped activities, conduct and outcomes into a list of positive outcomes and practical achievements and have highlighted areas which have room for improvement with a rationale and reason as to why more sustainable measures could not have been practiced due to limitations in Ireland. We attach the Peach and Pear report and sustainability plan designed and written with the production office.

The producers are grateful to Screen Ireland for the grant to bring the Sustainability Advisor onto the production.

Implementation by Pillar headings

A. Energy use and carbon outcomes

• Single-location efficiency: Shooting entirely at Ardgillen Castle eliminated daily transport between sets, significantly reducing emissions. The location was also close to Dublin city so crew car commutes were reduced. Additionally three crew stayed locally to reduce commute. *The production office was on set.
• Grid electricity: Where possible grid electricity was provided. Lighting and heating requirements were minimised by filming in the Summer.
• Renewable fuel: Generators HVO not possible after lengthy research due to reasons outlined in Outcomes.
• Electric vehicle: The company’s Kia E-Niro 64 kWh EV covered approximately 2,368 km (37 return trips Dublin–Balbriggan), consuming ~367 kWh of electricity and was exclusively charged overnight at a private home from Ireland’s wind grid.

• Fuel consumption:
  • Generator – 455 L diesel
  • All vehicles – 859.4 L diesel
  • Cars – 78.8 L petrol
• Energy efficiency: Production offices used LED lighting, thermostatic control, and nightly shutdown protocols and other environmental office practices such as paper-free, digital distribution.

B. Waste and circularity

• Reuse of all sets, props, and costumes from Series 1. Any set-dressing, props or construction material that were not needed to be kept by production or the location, were returned to the suppliers they were hired from. The few costumes that were not kept by production or hired / bought and returned to suppliers were donated to a local charity shops, from which items were also hired / purchased.
• Collaboration for materials and props with Props 360, AMPM, Rediscovery Centre, and Circular Costume Ireland for circular sourcing.
• Reduction of disposable plastics; introduction of reusable water stations. Crew and cast used their own reusable bottles however due to the high summer temperatures during shoot we couldn’t completely stop single-use bottles being purchased off set by crew. Production purchased 15 x 5 litre water bottles that were fitted with pumps and re-used throughout to fill individuals' reusable bottles.
• Digital workflows: scripts, contracts, and call sheets managed through DocuSign and cloud platforms. Despite the aim to be paper free the production had to use 10 reams of A4 paper which was consequently recycled, and 8 reams of A5 paper were used and consequently recycled.
• Waste segregation: dedicated labelled bins for recyclables, compostables, and general waste.
• Composting: all food waste was processed via on-site bins and adhered to Glon Waste’s regulated system.
• Food Pre Order System: Precise numbers of meat, vegetarian and vegan meals were ordered to avoid waste. If additional meals needed to be ordered, vegetarian meals were requested.

C. Transport and logistics

• A centralised base: All sets and facilities located within walking distance at Ardgillan Castle.
• Carpooling: maintained crew efficiency and reduced single-vehicle travel.
• Transportation was provided to and from the train station.
• Cast were transported together daily to avoid multiple vehicles being used.
• EV use: exclusive electric vehicle operation for scouting, office, cast transfer and errands eliminated petrol emissions from production travel.

D. On-set operations and crew engagement

• Daily sustainability communication: Green Memos were circulated via email, WhatsApp  and noticeboards. Daily crew updates included a constant reminder about environmental policies.
• Departmental responsibility: each department nominated a sustainability champion to track compliance.
• Green catering: Local supplier to Ardgillan Castle- Brambles provided meals in compostable containers; with menu planning minimised food waste with pre ordered meals and vegetarian options.
• Costume management: Approximately 2% of costumes were dry cleaned. Sonett laundry detergent, a certified Nature Care Product (NCP) was used throughout production.
• Hair and Make-up products: All hair products used were from the brand 'got2b' containing vegan and silicone free ingredients. All make-up products used were from the brand 'Sculpted By Aimee'. All ingredients are vegan and cruelty free. Bambaw products were used for application of make-up. Bambaw products are made from bamboo and 100% plastic free.

E. Biodiversity and location stewardship

Filming within Ardgillan Castle’s heritage parklands required sensitive environmental management with the crew adhering to “leave-no-trace” principles—avoiding vegetation damage and liaising with site wardens. All infrastructure requirements were provided on site at the Castle so there was no requirement for materials to build sets. A genny was still required as the electricity provided on site was not sufficient for shoot or not included as part of the location contract.

The Positives

One site shoot

In house recyclables used as part of the series

Pooled transport

Good network of public  transport to Ardgillen Castle

Sustainable local food contractor

Glon sustainable waste disposal

Production electric vehicle used to transport crew and cast and as a prop!

Content referred to horrors of single use plastic – see above

84% paper free, ( when needed production used recycled paper)

Water station implemented

LED lighting used

Shared services with Ardgillen Castle

Room for Improvement

HVO gen capacity offered was not sufficient for Gaffer needs , was not possible due to insufficient capacity and cost ( UK customs , delays ) and unavailability in Ireland.

Ardgillen Castle could not provide electricity, necessitating outside contractor use.

Unusually hot summer, water station ran out occasionally, some crew brought plastic bottles need culture change!

Carbon Footprint (PEAR Report)

Category     CO₂e (Metric Tonnes)

Total Production Footprint    4.62 MT CO₂e

Departmental Compliance (PEACH Dashboard)

Department - Best-Practice Compliance %

Production - 86.6 %

Accounting - 100 %

Art - 100 %

Assistant Directors - 80 %

Camera - 75 %

Average compliance across departments: ≈ 88–90 %, indicating strong integration of sustainability measures throughout production.

Energy and Fuel Summary

Source / Fuel Type / Quantity / Comment

Generator / HVO Diesel / 455 L / ~90 % CO₂ reduction vs. standard diesel

Vehicles / Diesel / 859.4 L / Reduced via carpooling/local lodging

Cars / Petrol / 78.8 L / Minimal use

EV Kia E-Niro / Electricity / 367 kWh / 2,368 km travel

The resulting 4.62 MT CO₂e total footprint represents a notably low emission intensity for a multi-episode scripted series of this scale.

Key Challenges

• Limited market availability of hydrogen or large-capacity battery generators in Ireland.
• Occasional cost/time pressures conflicting with low-carbon procurement.
• Supplier readiness varied; some required additional guidance to meet environmental criteria.

Lessons Learned

• Centralised locations yield the greatest carbon savings and should be prioritised for future projects.
• Dedicated sustainability oversight is essential—sustainability advisors ensure policy, oversee practice, and by consistently requesting measurements from HODs and Producers - facilitate accurate data capture and reinforce accountability because they ask the difficult questions.
• A competent liaison person permanently on set in the production office who is committed to sustainability and understands the reasons is essential to data transfer.
• The absolute cooperation and support of the HOD accountant and the accounts department is core to data gathering.
• Collaborative supply-chain engagement strengthens long-term improvement beyond a single production, fostering relationships,

Next Steps and Replication Potential and Suggestions

• Formalise partnerships with circular-economy suppliers for continuous reuse of assets.
• Expand crew training via Albert Academy and Screen Ireland modules.
• Explore digital-carbon audits to assess the footprint of data storage and editing workflows.

HVO generator offered did not have sufficient capacity for needs. (See HOD advices above)

The production sought higher spec generator but informed that no sufficient HVO generator available – with cost analysis. This was also due to long delays for waiting list for same and customs delay and attendant cost issues.

Ardgillen Castle energy used, but electricity was not part of the contract – limited and not sufficient for shoot.

We believe that we did our best and we believe that our other goals were met according to the initial policy and practice pre commencement.

Conclusion

Through careful planning, renewable energy adoption, and crew engagement, The Unreal Series 2 achieved measurable reductions in carbon emissions and waste generation. The footprint of 4.62 tonnes CO₂e demonstrates that sustainable production is achievable without compromising creative quality.

Various challenges were met, and where possible obstacles overcome.

Dyehouse Films continues to strive for optimum sustainable practices and has established a replicable model for low-carbon television production in Ireland—one that integrates environmental stewardship into both operational practice and storytelling purpose. While there were clear areas for improvement, we believe that our commitment is visible and through constant reinforcement of policy, that  a culture of awareness was created through and by the team, and collectively a huge effort for waste management and emissions were reduced.

Thanks to our network of charity shops, ethical contractors, crew and providers.

Key Partners and Contributors

• Screen Ireland – Advice, guidance and support from Screen Ireland and ; Screen Ireland Sustainability Advisor Grant & Innovation Grant Support, thank you!
• Ardgillen Castle – on site facilities, energy provider, and back up sustainability support.
• Additional Energy Suppliers
• Allgen
• Glon Waste – Regulated Waste Management and Reporting
• Props 360, Rediscovery Centre, Circular Costume Ireland, Dublin Vintage Factory – Circular sourcing partners
• Brambles Catering – Local caterer using compostable packaging
• Reforest Action – Annual carbon offset partner
• Sustainability Advisor: Albert-certified (International Law & Human Rights LLM)