ANIMAL 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.
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.