A Call to Action: BAD STAR’s Story of Becoming a B Corp
Sustainability continues to define the creative industries, despite the recent drop off in conversations about it. Today, we take a look at one prime example of the transformative shift adland has been going through – BAD STAR Studios, now proudly a B Corp.
Founded in 2019 with an ethos centered on reducing waste and embracing environmentally conscious practices, the studio has become a beacon for innovative, sustainable production in the creative space.
Achieving B Corp certification marks a pivotal moment in BAD STAR’s journey. This milestone underscores BAD STAR Studios’ unwavering commitment to not only producing exceptional content but also aligning its operations with values that prioritise people, the planet, and purpose.
Technology and virtual production play a pivotal role in reducing carbon footprints during this transition, as well as knowledge-sharing within the industry. BAD STAR Studios have successfully navigated the balance between cost-efficiency and environmental responsibility, while retaining meaningful client relationships and fostering systemic change by challenging traditional production practices.
Rebecca Skiffins, client services and operations director at the company, sat down with LBB’s Zoe Antonov to share insights into this small studio’s inspiring path to becoming a B-Corp. For BAD STAR, this is more than just a certification – it’s a call to action for an industry-wide evolution.
From the challenges of meeting rigorous certification criteria to the rewards of creating positive environmental and social impact, Rebecca reveals how sustainability has become integral to BAD STAR’s operations, reshaping creative planning and production execution.
LBB> What inspired BAD STAR Studios to pursue B Corp certification, and what does this achievement mean for your company?
Rebecca> BAD STAR Studios was founded in 2019 with a desire to conduct our creative productions in a less wasteful manner, so sustainable production has been a huge part of our ethos since day one.
Over the years we have invested a lot into honing our craft around sustainable practices. However, the decision to pursue B Corp certification wasn’t made lightly. We wanted to make sure that it wasn’t a checkbox exercise but a journey that reshaped how we thought about our business purpose and impact.
As a team, we are SO stoked to have achieved B Corp status. It’s been a transformative journey which has allowed us to reflect on our current practices, set ambitious goals for the future and reaffirm our commitment to a business model that values both people and the planet.
LBB> Can you walk us through the certification process? What were the most challenging and rewarding aspects of becoming a B Corp?
Rebecca> Working through the impact assessment is quite a feat, the certification process took BAD STAR Studios around eight months. You have to put time in to make sure everything’s in order before you start the review process.
First up, a B Lab analyst evaluates the company before verification, where the company uploads supporting documentation onto the BIA platform.
The company report is based on a points system requiring evaluation and documentation on every facet of our operations, the report is then independently assessed and verified by an analyst making sure that the company meets the robust standards for certification. A score of 80 or above qualifies for B Corp Certification, BAD STAR Studios achieved a score of 81.8.
The road to B Corp certification wasn’t without challenges. As a small independent company, carving out the time to meet rigorous standards while balancing business needs was a delicate balancing act, luckily we had the buy-in from our fantastic team to help push this through, and the journey was filled with moments of accomplishment for us all, especially the verification stage which provided an exciting opportunity to evidence all the positive impact our company has had to date.
LBB> What internal changes did you have to implement to meet the B Corp criteria, particularly in the areas of sustainability and social impact?
Rebecca> I think as we were founded as a sustainable production company we had already ticked a lot of boxes under the environmental section of the B Corp criteria. It’s obviously a lot easier to have these practices engrained from the ground up rather than companies trying to reverse engineer them into their operations.
However, we did discover areas where we fell short of B Corp ideal standards, but understanding where the biggest opportunities are for change within our business has helped us to overhaul our operations and implement new systems.
LBB> How has focusing on sustainability reshaped your approach to creative planning and execution for productions?
Rebecca> Our first priority is always to produce the highest creative quality, but we have embraced sustainable practices to help us deliver more efficiently. When a brief comes in we hold up a green lens to help us prepare our proposals and make suggestions about the best production approach to avoid and reduce waste and our carbon impact.
We’ve engrained sustainability into our operations so that the planning process runs smoothly into production. And no matter how big or small, all our projects are assessed and measured and an impact report delivered once projects are wrapped.
LBB> What role does technology play in enabling sustainable production at BAD STAR Studios? Are there specific tools or innovations that have been pivotal?
Rebecca> As a company we have really embraced virtual production techniques and we actually launched our own green screen virtual production studio based at our East London premises earlier this year. It’s been pivotal to our workflows, it’s minimised travel and reduced the need for set builds, while also upping our creative prowess.
We’ve been very fortunate as having those capabilities onsite allows us to utilise the tech whenever we want and push ourselves further creatively.
The VP studio has also helped to deepen our community ties, as we offer an opportunity to try some ground breaking new tech to under-represented youths wanting to break into the creative industries via our ‘Future Stars’ initiative.
LBB> How do you manage the balance between being environmentally conscious and maintaining cost-efficiency in production?
Rebecca> Being one step ahead of the production, and understanding where the biggest opportunities are is the first step, forming better processes for your operations to deliver more efficient and effective ways of working and surrounding yourselves with sustainability champions. Integrating sustainable practices into your organisation's workflow can really improve the performance of your business, it doesn’t have to be a costly exercise.
For example, we’ve found that cost-effectiveness is a key advantage of green screen virtual production, eliminating the need for physical sets and expensive location shoots. Additionally, virtual production can allow faster turnaround times enabling us to deliver content more efficiently.
LBB> Sustainable production is disrupting traditional practices. How has this influenced your relationships with clients and collaborators?
Rebecca> It’s all about knowledge sharing, we are all in this together and as an industry we need to do better, the state of the world requires us to be honest and transparent.
The lessons we’ve learned and the partnerships we’ve built on this journey are propelling us forward into an ambitious phase of impact-driven growth.
We recently won an award at an industry procurement conference, which opened up some interesting dialogue with brands from different sectors, this helped to put us on the map as market leaders in this space to guide with best practice on productions.
LBB> How do you communicate the value of sustainability to clients who might prioritize traditional cost-cutting measures over environmentally friendly practices?
Rebecca> At BAD STAR Studios, achieving B Corp status underscored our commitment to integrating sustainability into business strategies that deliver both environmental and financial value.
By aligning our operations with the rigorous standards of B Corp certification, we position ourselves as trusted partners who deliver sustainable, creative solutions that combine profitability with purpose.
We communicate to clients that sustainable practices often lead to long-term cost savings, such as through efficiency, resource optimisation, waste reduction, repurposing of assets; but ultimately we tailor solutions to meet client needs, offering sustainable options that align with their budgets and schedules.
LBB> Have you encountered resistance to sustainable production methods, either internally or externally, and how have you addressed it?
Rebecca> Luckily our team and the majority of our clients are fully onboard with the ethos of the company so we’ve received limited resistance. Generally once clients understand what we’re trying to do they are onboard, especially when we are able to demonstrate tangible results through clear metrics like reduced emissions.
We structure our project approaches so that it's clear from the treatment and our detailed proposals what we are doing differently.
LBB> As a B Corp, what role do you see BAD STAR Studios playing in influencing the broader production industry toward more sustainable practices?
Rebecca> At BAD STAR Studios, we challenge traditional norms and try to drive systemic change. Our B Corp certification reinforces our belief that sustainability sparks better working practices.
Beyond our operations, we strive to influence the broader industry by fostering collaboration and openly sharing knowledge. We believe that highlighting our successes and setbacks with our team, partners, clients and the wider industry is essential for meaningful transformation within the industry.
