What if behind every computer-generated image lay a much more concrete reality? Computing power, massive storage, servers running day and night... The magic of visual effects comes at an invisible cost: energy.
VFX: beauty that consumes energy
The 3D images we create for your projects inspire you, make you dream and transport you. But producing these worlds requires a significant amount of material and energy resources.
Every 3D rendering and every simulation requires enormous computing power.
According to the CNC (the French National Centre for Cinema and the Moving Image), VFX studios are among the most energy-intensive in the audiovisual sector. Electricity used by servers, workstations and 3D rendering accounts for nearly 45% of a digital studio's total consumption.
On average, a VFX studio consumes 66.6 kWh/m², compared to approximately 50 kWh/m² for the national average across all sectors.
These figures remind us that digital creativity also has its ecological footprint.
Towards more responsible rendering
Fortunately, there are concrete levers that can be used to reduce this impact without compromising or altering visual quality. The CNC's "Action!" plan, which supports the ecological transition of cinema and audiovisual media, has identified several of them:
- Perform rendering at night to take advantage of lower carbon electricity and smooth out energy consumption.
- Switch off or automate the shutdown of unused equipment, such as servers and monitors.
- Choose a cloud powered by renewable energy for storage and computing.
- Lighten and sort stored data, by deleting obsolete versions or archiving on LTO tapes.
- Extend the lifespan of equipment and prioritise refurbished items.
- Encourage sustainable transport or partial teleworking to reduce commuting.
At Tronatic Studio, we share this belief: every action counts.
We use our own rendering farm, which is fully automated, along with an automated hot air extraction system. We also plan our rendering as much as possible, optimise our scenes, recycle our machines and even use our servers as a source of heat to warm our premises. Rethinking our production habits is a way of taking concrete action, one pixel at a time!
Making the future greener
The future of VFX does not rest solely on computing power, but on intelligence in our creative processes.
Training teams in eco-design, promoting exchanges between studios, choosing responsible partners, etc., are all actions that enable digital creation to be part of a more sustainable approach.
Because yes, inspiring dreams should not come at the expense of our beautiful planet. What if tomorrow's renderings were as beautiful as they were ethical?
Sources:
CNC, Environmental audit of digital studios – Action Plan! for ecological and energy transition (2021).
CNC Observatory for Ecological Transition.