They say never to work with children or animals, but sometimes it’s got to be done.
In this blog we’ll be looking at making videos involving animals and some of the big
questions which inevitably crop up. Filming animals ethically is a big responsibility,
and it’s one we take very seriously at Flagship Films, so here’s our take on getting
the right balance between filming, animal wellbeing and showing a genuine insight
into the animal’s life.
Let’s start with the legal side
Quite rightly, there are stringent laws in place to protect animals being used for
filming. In the UK, they are protected by a quartet of legislation; the Animal Welfare
Act, the Wildlife and Countryside Act, the Performing Animals (Regulation) Act and
the Cinematograph Films (Animals) Act. Between them, they prohibit cruelty and the
dissemination of films in which it takes place, protect wild species including birds’
nests and eggs, require registration with the local council for any animals being
trained for public performance and generally place a legal duty on anyone
responsible for an animal to ensure it isn’t suffering in any way.
Types of animal filming
There are different ways to film with animals. An animal can star in a film or a
documentary, or in its natural habitat wherever in the world that happens to be; David
Attenborough’s Planet Earth series is arguably the pinnacle of painstaking film work
in this category. Each type of shoot has its challenges, but the welfare of the animals
involved must always be the number one priority.
Ensuring wild animal behaviour is natural
When filming a documentary about animals in their natural habitat, it’s vital not to
cause harm or anxiety to them, or do anything which might make them less likely to
reproduce or which would increase their chances of being preyed upon. This
includes intentionally doing something to make an animal produce specific
behaviours for the camera or passing off a trained animal as a wild one. Setting up
shots like this is unethical as it’s not a faithful representation of their life and is a
deliberate misleading of the eventual audience of the video.
Filming in the wild can be both intensely frustrating and immensely rewarding. A take
involving a human could take a minute if all goes well. With wild animals, you need
infinite patience – and before you even start filming them, you need to find them!
The big dilemma – intervening in nature
It’s pretty much a given that film makers shouldn’t interfere with nature – however
red in tooth and claw it is. Viewers may want an antelope to escape from a lion, but
that could mean the lion going hungry and it’s not up to bystanders to determine the
outcome – only capture it with complete realism. However, there are always
dilemmas, such as in the making of David Attenborough’s Dynasties series when the
film crew were following a penguin colony which ended up stuck in a ravine with no
means of escape. The penguins were beginning to die. The crew didn’t rescue them,
but they did dig some steps in the snow which enabled them to waddle to safety.
Nothing is ever straightforward when it comes to filming animals.
Don’t forget the humans!
Filming with animals can create issues with the crew too – for example there may be
allergies to take into consideration, or possibly even phobias. There will need to be a
risk assessment to cover possible bites, scratches, stings or other injuries arising
from contact. Large or small, furry, scaly or feathery – one thing animals all have in
common is unpredictability.
To sum up . . .
Whatever the type of filming you’re doing, it goes without saying that the animal’s
wellbeing must be front and centre to everything you do, and you must work with
complete honesty and transparency about how you capture your shots.
And, of course, you need a video production company which not only has proven
experience of working with animals, but creates stunningly creative visuals and tells
a captivating story! A big ask?
Look no further – why not contact us?