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No Animals Were Harmed - All
About Animal Actors
By
Mary Ann SustANIMAL
ACTORS: Interview with Sandi
Buck, American Humane, Certified
Animal Safety Representative
Q: What is the American Humane
Film & TV Unit?
A: American Humane (AH) Film &
TV Unit is based in Los Angeles
and we monitor the use of
animals in media. American
Humane is a national
organization with headquarters
based in Denver, Colorado. I'm
one of the Certified Animal
Safety Representatives who go on
set and monitor the use of
animals in film and television.
We award the "No Animals Were
Harmed® in the Making of this
Movie" disclaimer seen at the
end of the credits in a movie. |
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Q: How did the American Film & TV Unit
start?
A: Back in 1926, AH set up a committee
to investigate abuses of animals in the
movie industry. At that time, horses
were the most at-risk animal actors.
But, then, as now, animals have no
inherent legal rights, so we couldn't
mandate the safety of the animal actors.
In 1939, for the film "Jesse James," a
horse and rider were sent hurling over a
70-foot cliff into a raging river for an
action shot. The stuntman was fine, but
the horse's back was broken in the fall
and it died. Outrage over this sparked a
new relationship between AH and some
motion picture directors and producers
and caused the Hays Office to include
humane treatment of animals in the
Motion Picture Code. The following year,
AH received authorization to monitor the
production of movies using animals. We
worked on set for quite a while after
that until the Hays Office was disbanded
in 1966, ending our jurisdiction and
excluding us from sets. This was a
pretty dismal time for animal actors who
were being used in some brutal ways.
Then, in the early 1980s, another
incident caused another public outcry
and American Humane was added to the
agreement with SAG that mandated that
union films contact us if they were
using animals. This agreement now
includes any filmed media form,
including television, commercials,
direct-to-video projects, and music
videos. A more detailed history is on
our website. Right now, we monitor about
900 films a year, maybe more. That's not
counting commercials.
Q: Did you say animal actors no have
legal rights?
A: That's correct. Animals have no
"legal" rights in the sense that humans
have. But because of our SAG agreement,
animal actors in SAG films have
"contractual" rights because the AH
office must be contacted by productions
using animals and an AH Film & TV Unit
representative be on set during the
filming.
Q: What about nonunion productions?
A: Nonunion productions are not
contractually bound to contact us, but
we find that a lot of people want us
there anyway. I've worked with several
productions that say - "We want you
here. We want that rating at the end of
our film and we want people to know what
we had you on set."
Q: So people on set are happy to see
you?
A: Generally yes, but sometimes no.
Actors always love seeing us there. They
look at the AH patches on my jacket and
come up to me constantly on set and say
- "Oh, you're here for the animals.
That's so great, I'm so happy you're
here." That's what we want. We want
people to look for us, to know we're
there, and why we're there. As for
production, it depends on their
perception of us and if they've worked
with us in the past. People we've worked
with before love having us there. The
ones who haven't worked with us before
sometimes think "oh, no, here comes the
animal police to patrol us," like I'm
going to stand there with my hands on my
hips telling them what they can and
can't do. It's not like that. We're not
there to criticize. We're there to work
with filmmakers, not against them. If we
see a problem, we'll address it and work
it out together. In Florida, for
instance, one of the big concerns is
heat. During one production, the
producer wanted a dog to walk back and
forth across the pavement. I told the
director there was a problem with this.
I already knew he didn't like having me
on set, but I told him anyway, "You take
off your shoes and walk across that
street." He went out to the street, put
his hand on the pavement, and said -
"Yeah, you're right." He wasn't trying
to harm the animal, he just wasn't
thinking about the animal, the heat, and
the pavement. That's part of the reason
we're on set. We don't expect filmmakers
to also be animal experts. Even
producers who personally don't care
about animals usually realize it makes
sense for them to have us there. Many
people say they won't watch a movie in
which they think or have heard that an
animal was injured or killed. People
look for the AH disclaimer at the end of
movies saying - "No Animals Were Harmed®
in the Making of this Film."
Q: How do filmmakers get a "No Harm"
disclaimer for their movies?
A: The process starts when production
contacts our Los Angeles office to let
us know that they plan to use animals.
We direct them to our Guidelines which
are available on the internet and we
request their script. We review the
script and arrange to come in and
observe the animal action to ensure that
the conditions in which the animals are
working and kept is safe and
comfortable. This doesn't cost the union
production anything - that's part of the
arrangement with the SAG office.
Q: What about nonunion productions? Can
they get this "No Animals were Harmed®"
disclaimer?
A: The process to get the disclaimer is
the same, only there's a $30 an hour fee
for the hours we're on set. The time we
spend in pre-production script
evaluation and then screening the films
and writing up reviews is included in
that $30 an hour on set fee.
Q: Can student and independent
filmmakers get your disclaimer?
A: Definitely, if they meet the
guidelines for it. If they have
questions, all they need to do is call
our LA office and ask. Our LA office is
happy to help young and aspiring
filmmakers with guidance and information
on safely using animals in their films.
If they're in the process of writing a
script, they can call us and ask if
certain scenes are feasible and for
advice on how to get the scenes and
action they want. Productions who can't
get an AH representative on set because
of cost or scheduling conflicts can
write down what it is they plan to do,
document the filming of the animal
action with a little video, a behind the
scenes - this is how we did it, kind of
thing - and send it in. We review it and
though we can't say we were actually
there, we can say that through our
review, it looks like the production
followed the Guidelines. That rating is
called: "Not Monitored: Production
Compliant."
Q: How many ratings are there?
A: We have several ratings which range
from our highest "Monitored:
Outstanding" and receiving the "No
Animals Were Harmed"® disclaimer which
appears in the end credits of the film,
to "Not Monitored," to our lowest rating
which is "Monitored Unacceptable" -
where our guidelines and animal safety
were disregarded and or negligence
caused the injury or death of an animal.
Striving for a good rating helps ensure
that the production will go well. If a
production is half way through shooting
and an animal that is key to the movie
gets spooked and gets loose or injured,
it's like losing a lead human actor.
What's the producer going to do?
Re-shoot the animal scenes with another
animal actor? Rewrite the script? Scrap
the movie? Professional trainers have
several different dogs with different
talents that look alike. One's a really
good barking dog, one's a really good
jumping dog, another does something
else. That helps in the event one dog
gets sick or injured, it won't halt
filming. A lot of the worst scenarios
can be avoided with planning. I look for
potential problems and to keep
everything as safe as possible for
everyone. There can always be accidents,
there's no way to prevent that. That
happens in life. You can work to make
things as safe as possible, but there
can still be accidents. We understand
that. The bottom line is at that any
time filmmakers plan to use animals,
even their own pets, they should contact
our LA office.
Whether or not one of us comes out to
your set, they should refer to our
Guidelines For the Safe Use of Animals
in Filmed Media so they know what they
need to prepare for, to say to
themselves - this is what I need to
prepare for if I'm going to use an
animal on my production. Am I prepared
to do what I need to do to make sure
that everything is safe for my animal?
Having us involved benefits the
production in that if there's ever any
question as to how a stunt was done the
filmmaker can say - call AH. Filmmakers
with the reputation of abusing animals
for the sake of producing a film or
commercial won't get hired and people
won't want to watch their movies. We are
the only organization authorized to make
and uphold these standards and people
look for it. When people see animals in
films, they look to see that no animals
were harmed. If they have any questions
on how things were done, they can go to
our website and read about it. They can
see that this stunt that looks
absolutely horrible was actually done
with computer graphics, a real animal
wasn't even involved.
Q: Are personal pets allowed to be in
movies?
A: Our Guidelines recommend that
filmmakers use professional animal
actors obtained through trainers, but we
know that filmmakers, especially small
independent and student filmmakers are
going to use their own pets or the pets
of friends and family in their movies.
We understand that, that's a reality in
this business. But even if it's no more
than filming their own pet cat or dog
sitting in a chair or walking across the
room, filmmakers should get in the habit
of contacting our office. When producers
choose dogs, for instance, they should
look for dogs with outgoing
personalities, dogs that aren't afraid
of people. Fear can cause a disaster.
The dog can bite someone out of fear if
they get in a situation in which they're
not comfortable. If more than one dog is
to be used on set, the dogs should be
used to being around other dogs. If one
dog shows aggression toward another dog
on set, the aggressive dog must be
removed. Dogs that live together and are
accustomed to being with each other are
good choices.
Q: You mentioned education as being part
of the goal of AH. Would you talk some
about that?
A: We'd like to work more with film
schools developing programs where as
part of the curriculum, students take a
course or attend a seminar held by an AH
representative about using animals in
film. If the school can't put us into
their program yet, just having our
Guidelines available at the school or
distributed to students will help
educate them. The earlier we reach the
students, the better. These filmmakers
will grow in their careers and will
eventually be involved in large
productions where they might end up
working on films with large animals.
That's the point where you really worry
about safety, so the earlier we can
educate students, the better.
Q: What can you advise students or
aspiring filmmakers wanting to use pets?
Your Guidelines can look daunting.
A: If filmmakers choose to use a pet
instead of trained animal, we have no
control over that but we still recommend
they review and adhere to our
Guidelines. If the Guidelines seem
overwhelming, call our LA office with
questions, say - "All I want is for my
dog to sit in a chair or walk across the
room while we're doing our filming, what
are the guidelines?" Most of it is just
common sense. Know that the animal
you're using is friendly and completely
safe to be around people and other
animals. You don't want an animal on set
that's aggressive, skittish, or snaps.
Think about what you're going to do with
this animal while you're setting up
shots. How many times do you actually
need the real animal? Can you use a
stuffed animal if there's any concern
about using a real animal? You don't
want a real dog sitting under hot lights
while you're setting up. Go to a toy
store and get a stuffie look-alike of
whatever animal you're using. Make sure
the animal won't be in the way of a
moving dolly and that she won't be in
area in which she can get stepped on.
When she's not being used on set have a
suitable place for her to hang out, that
she's not running around loose. There
needs to be a safe area like a crate or
separate room for the animal. Make sure
the pet has breaks and gets to lie down
and rest or get something to eat and
drink. If the pet isn't kept in a crate,
make sure it's on a harness or leash so
that should she get spooked by a loud
noise or quick movement, she can't jump
down and run away. Plan ahead and
prepare for all possible scenarios.
That's critical. If an animal won't do
what you want, what are your options?
Have back up plans. How far should you
go to try to get an animal to do
something? If the animal won't or can't
do what you want him to do, forcing him
is inviting disaster. Even if the animal
normally does something, an animal is an
animal. You can never predict what it's
going to do or not do. It's like working
with a child. The producer has to be
prepared.
Q: Who is responsible for the safety of
a pet during filming?
A: The ultimate responsibility lies with
the owners as they will suffer the
anguish and grief if something happens
to their pet. I recommend that pets not
be passed around to people on set to
play with. That can be overstimulating
to animals, and if they're all excited,
they may not be able to perform the
action you want them to perform. Many
trainers make a general announcement on
set - don't touch animals while they're
working. Obviously, with the exotics,
people are pretty good about asking
before touching them but a lot of times,
with dogs and cats, people just walk up
and pet them without asking.
Q: Does AH have a problem with certain
action shots?
A: If filmmakers wonder if a certain
action shot can be obtained safely, call
and ask us. If a filmmaker wants a dog
to run off the end of the dock and jump
into a lake to get an exciting shot,
they should make the obvious choice.
Pick a Labrador Retriever who loves to
swim and run and jump off the dock and
has actually practiced this. They
shouldn't choose a little Chihuahua
that's never been in the water.
Q: How did you get into the field?
A: I grew up in Michigan in a very
animal-oriented family. We had the house
with the invisible sucker sign hanging
on the front of it - animals could see
the sign, but we couldn't. Animals
constantly showed up at our door and
people dumped their puppies and kittens
off in our barn. We had dogs, cats,
horses, guinea pigs, and hamsters, and
just about everything else. As a
teenager, I raised and trained a working
Seeing Eye dog. After that, I raised a
wonderful Doberman for obedience. After
college, I tried a few careers, but
didn't really care for any of them. In
the early 1990s, I moved to Key West,
Florida. That was about the time the
series "Key West" with Fisher Stevens
and Jennifer Tilly was being filmed as a
pilot. I accidentally met the medic on
set and we started talking. He learned
that I was a dive master with dive
master medical training and said they'd
been looking for someone else to work on
set when they went to series. He asked
if I was interested and I was. So, I
went and got EMT certification and
worked on that series as the medic when
the other medic wasn't available. After
the series ended, I worked fulltime as
an EMT paramedic and part time as
paramedic in film. I also volunteered
with my dog in the education department
at the Humane Society of Broward County.
We went around to schools and taught pet
education to the kids. Through that, I
began working as a surgical assistant
for the shelter. I was basically done
the same things for animals that I was
doing for humans. It was hard working
for the shelter, for obvious reasons,
but it was also very rewarding and I
loved it. One day I was watching a movie
through the credits and saw the "No
Animals Were Harmed® in the Making of
this Film" disclaimer and that a
representative was on set to monitor all
animal action. A light went off in my
head - "Hey, that's a job. If somebody
was on set that means it's an actual
job." I sent my resume to the recruiting
office in LA and got an interview. My
background with horses and dogs, and dog
training, and medical and film
experience worked well together for the
position. I then went through the AH
training which basically teaches film
and set etiquette, which I already knew
from my experience on set, and learning
report writing and the Guidelines. Right
now, I live in Virginia. As my husband
is in the military, we move around a
bit, but as my job requires a lot of
travel, I can do it from wherever we're
based. Though most of my work is in this
area, I've traveled all over the
country. I've been to Mexico, Canada,
Wyoming.
Q: What films have you worked on
locally?
A: Susan Jackson, our representative
based in Richmond, and I have worked
independently and, in the case of large
films such as "Dreamer," we've worked
together. During the filming of
"Dreamer," producers wanted something
that looked like ointment to slather on
an animal and they didn't know what to
use. Susan suggested a solution of milk
and water. So they mixed the milk and
water and said - "oh, that's looks
really good." Another instance on
"Dreamer" was a barn scene. The crew
needed the barn cats out before they
could start filming. Susan came up with
and organized a plan to catch the cats
and send them off to be spayed and
neutered. By the time filming was done,
the cats could come back. It helped
everybody. These are simple solutions
that have helped producers get the
scenes they want. We don't expect
filmmakers to be animal experts; that's
why we're there. We've been in this
business a long time and have a lot of
training behind us. A lot can be done
with camera tricks, computer graphics,
stuffie stunt and photo doubles and some
creative solutions. Most recently I was
one of the Safety Reps on "Evan
Almighty." "Birds and Animals," a huge
animal company for the film business
supplied the animal talent. They have
offices in Florida, California, New
York, overseas and have all kinds of
animals and I've worked with them for
years since I started at AH seven years
ago. They're great to work with and have
excellent trainers who very concerned
about the safety and welfare of their
animals. Another huge part of our job is
perception. It's often the perception of
actors who aren't familiar with animal
training. For example, when I was on
"Evan Almighty" there was a scene with
all these different small animals. One
way to lure small animals like skunks,
rats, and porcupines from point A to
point B is with a buzzer. These little
animals can't be trained to come like
dog or even a cat. These little animals
are taught that when they walk across
the room to the buzzer, they get a food
reward. One of the actors watching this
came over and asked - "Are these animals
being shocked?" I said, no, and
explained the whole buzzer thing.
Without someone like myself being there
to ask, this actor could have walked off
set thinking that the animals on set
were being shocked. It was amazing to
watch the whole process on "Evan
Almighty." A huge ark was built in
Charlottesville, VA, and they had a
special camera that exactly replicated
every single move of the animals. Animal
were brought in one at a time, so if
there were forty animals in a scene,
they did that take forty different times
at least, each time with each different
animal. Sometimes there were pairs of
animals, sometimes there was only one -
the same animal walked across the room
twice. It was all put together by
computer to look like all these pairs of
animals were in the same room, even
though they weren't. That was a lot of
fun to work on.
I also do the "Puppy Bowl" in Silver
Spring, Maryland, at the Discovery
Channel which airs on the Animal Planet
at the same time as the Super Bowl. A
little stage is built that looks like a
football field and puppies go out there
and play. They have "Kitty Half Time"
and a "Tail Gate Party" for the dogs
that didn't get into the game. It's
hilarious. Initially, they were a little
wary of me, but now we have a great
relationship. It's nice when you walk
off the set and the people you met when
you first came in were looking at you
like - "here she comes," then say -
"thank you so much for being here, we
want you back next year."
American Humane was founded in 1877. It
is the oldest national organization
dedicated to protecting both children
and animals. Through a network of child
and animal protection agencies and
individuals, the American Humane
Association develops policies,
legislation, curricula and training
programs to protect children and animals
from abuse, neglect and exploitation.
The nonprofit membership organization,
headquartered in Denver, raises
awareness about The Link® between animal
abuse and other forms of violence, as
well as the benefits derived from the
human-animal bond. American Humane's
regional office in Los Angeles is the
authority behind the "No Animals Were
Harmed"® End Credit Disclaimer on film
and TV productions, and American
Humane's office in Washington is an
advocate for child and animal protection
at the federal and state levels.
American Humane is endorsed by the
Better Business Bureau's Wise Giving
Alliance and has been awarded the
Independent Charities Seal of
Excellence.
Animal actor "Angus," Actor Ken Kline's
black Labrador Retriever was cast as
"Dog with Man" in "Capitol Law," an ABC
Pilot filmed in Washington, D.C., and
also on "Shooter" as a quadedestrian in
Baltimore's Federal Hill. Ken met
American Humane Film & TV Unit
representative Sandi Buck on the set of
"Evan Almighty" in Richmond, Virginia,
where she was overseeing the use of wild
animals like bears, wolves, and mountain
lions on set. Angus decided stay to home
for that particular film.
Mary Ann Sust
For further information go to the
American Humane Website
(http://www.americanhumane.org)
and click on Film & TV Unit. You can
also call the Film Unit at
1-888-301-3541.
Also on the website is an archive of
films and their ratings - union and
nonunion, no budget, low budget, student
and independent films, the actors,
producers, crew, and trainers, and a
brief description of the film and how
the animal action shots were obtained. (http://www.ahafilm.info/movies/search.phtml)Article Source:
http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Mary_Ann_Sust
http://EzineArticles.com/?No-Animals-Were-Harmed---All-About-Animal-Actors&id=1589832 |
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