Producers, ever wondered why you should work with an animal talent agency?
TV and film production teams are often challenged with casting animals to fulfil specific roles in their media project. Whether it’s a regular role in a TV series, or a leading role in a feature film, animals form an integral part of the recruitment process.
Animals are everywhere and in the heady days of social media, we can find good looking pets all over our computer screens and phones, so why would you bother paying extra to work with an animal agent?
Here’s a list of five reasons why working with an animal talent agency is worth the money in the long run:
1) Expertise in Animal Handling:
Animal agents typically have extensive experience in handling various types of animals, including training, managing, and ensuring their well-being on set. Agents and handlers have a wealth of knowledge in their field and often specific species. They truly know how best to work with the selected animal. They know the quirks, the characteristics, behavioural traits, the health and safety aspects associated with the species and are fully versed in how to get the best out of the animal. Their expertise can be invaluable in ensuring that the animals perform as desired and that the production goes smoothly without any mishaps or concerns.
2. Access to Trained Animals:
Animal agents often represent a roster of trained animals that are suitable for different roles and scenarios in film, television, advertising, and other media productions. This access saves producers time and resources that would otherwise be spent searching for and training animals independently. Animal agents only work with animals they know can cope with the on set experience, including large numbers of crew, studio lighting and recording equipment. Good agents will only work with specially trained animals that have been acclimatised to the studio environment and have a wealth of skills in their armoury.
3. Compliance with Regulations and Standards:
Animal agents are well-versed in the regulations and standards governing the use of animals in entertainment productions, ensuring that all legal and ethical requirements are met. In England, this means abiding by The Animal Welfare (Licensing of Activities Involving Animals) (England) Regulations 2018 and RSPCA’s Five Freedoms. This includes obtaining necessary permits, adhering to industry guidelines, and ensuring the humane treatment of animals throughout the production process.
Some animals require extra permissions, such as those included in the Dangerous Wild Animals list, and special attention should be given to the permits required to transport some species such as birds, farm animals and more. Following these rules means that animals can be traced at all times to help prevent and contain disease. This is particularly important for invasive species.
The truth is, you probably don’t know or care about this stuff because it’s not relevant to your work, so let the animal agency deal with it for you and take the pressure off!
4). Mitigation of Risks and Liabilities:
Working with professionally trained animals reduces the risk of accidents or incidents involving animals on set, which can lead to costly delays, legal issues, and reputational damage for the production. Trained animals help get the job done quicker and help avoid the situation of the animal not behaving as you’d like on set. They have been specifically trained to work in a filming environment.
A good animal talent agent will provide you with remote rehearsal reviews via video and images, so you can see the progress of the training for the role. This helps you prove that the animal is capable of the skills required, enabling you to plan for scheduling and timings required on set. Animal agents also prioritise safety protocols and have Public Liability Insurance coverage to mitigate risks and liabilities associated with animal involvement in productions. This includes the specific licencing requirements as mentioned above.
5. Enhances Creativity and Authenticity: Animals can add depth, realism, and charm to productions, enhancing storytelling and engaging audiences on an emotional level. Animal agents collaborate with producers to brainstorm creative ideas for incorporating animals into scenes and help ensure that their presence enhances the overall production value. By relying upon the agent and handler’s knowledge of the species, you can get realistic results. Working together in this way ensures that you work within the animal’s capabilities and get the scene you want.
As you can see, collaborating with an animal agent offers producers access to expertise, trained animals, compliance assurance, risk mitigation, and creative enhancement. This ultimately ensures the success of your production and realisation of your creative idea.
At The Animal Talent, we have a team of experienced agency bookers, licensed handlers, animal behaviourists and vets that can help with your vision for any size of production. Our capability in this field means that we can source, handle and comply with regulations associated with working with any species you require. At The Animal Talent, we are:
- Insured
- DBS checked
- The only female agents holding the Dangerous Wild Animal license as well as The Animal Welfare license.
- Animal First Aiders
We have worked on feature films, TV series, commercials, social media adverts, music videos, live events and theatre production. Some of our happy clients include:
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- Hermes
- Vogue
- Paramount Pictures
- BBC
- Reuters
Contact our friendly team today to learn more about working with animals and together we can figure out how best to assist you with your production.
