Certified Animal Action Overview

No Animals Were Harmed™ monitored the animal action throughout production to help ensure every scene was carefully planned around the comfort and natural behavior of the animals involved. Trainers used gentle cues, familiar routines and positive reinforcement to encourage natural movement from lambs, dogs, chickens and a cat featured in the film. Many of the more intense or impossible moments, including sheep breaking into spaces, chasing sequences, collisions, and close interactions between animals, were created entirely through visual effects or CGI. Sets and filming areas were secured in advance, vehicles moved slowly under close supervision and trainers remained close to the animals during every setup. The result is a production where the illusion of adventure and chaos on screen was achieved through careful oversight, visual effects and animal-friendly filmmaking practices.

Detailed Animal Action Report

In the opening, establishing scene where we see a farm with a sheep running across the field, production filmed a sheep running from A to B. Prior to shooting, one trainer held the lamb, while the other held a bottle of milk. On action, the trainer released the lamb while the other trainer used verbal cues and the bottle to get the lamb to run towards her. Production also took photos of the actor pretending to feed the lamb, these scenes will be filled in with a VFX version of the lamb.

When the actor walks out of the trailer and sees a herd of sheep outside, the areas of the farm that the sheep were going to be filmed were secured with barriers. The sheep were filmed in this habitat for VFX guides as well. They also got shots of the sheep doing such actions as running through hurdles, getting sheared, and running.

The sheep that were filmed are used for VFX photography to be used for animations.

In the scene where the farmer feeds the sheep, they filmed a trainer feeding a lamb while sitting on a bale of hay. Prior to filming, the trainer walked into barn and sat on the hay. Another trainer carried the lamb and placed it on her lap and handed her a bottle of milk. They filmed her feeding the lamb, the visual itself will be used to animate the lamb for the final cut.

In the scene when the actor drives a flatbed truck up to farm with two dogs in the back, and they jump out when he parks and they walk towards the trailer, prior to shooting the scene, the dogs were placed in the back of the pickup truck, with their leads tied through holes in the side of the truck. Two trainers also lied down in the back of the truck, holding the leads. On action, the truck was driven along a track by the actor while the dogs sat in the back. Prior to the truck stopping and dogs jumping out, production added grip to the side of the truck to prevent dogs from slipping. On action, the truck was driven slowly and stopped at its mark. When the truck stopped, the trainer cued the dogs to jump out of truck and go to a mark.

In the scene where the sheep talk to each other across an open country road and suddenly a lone chicken walks across the road, a camera on a crane was set up in the middle of the road, facing towards some trees and the road. Prior to filming, the trainer carried the chicken to the set in her hands, while the other handler placed chicken feed on the other side of the road. On action, the trainer released the chicken who walked towards the other handler who enticed the chicken with a bowl filled with food. She also used a clicker to cue the chicken to walk towards her. The sheep in this scene were completely animated.

In the scene where the dogs chase the sheep in an open field, this sequence was filmed over several days. Prior to shooting, the dogs were led to set by their handlers. Two handlers placed themselves on the other side of the field while two other handlers brought the dogs to their marks. A tracking vehicle was also set up in position. On action, the crane camera was twenty feet away from the dogs. The vehicle passed the dogs before the dogs were released and the vehicle stayed at a constant speed slightly in front and to the side of the dogs in a straight line. The vehicle stayed thirty feet away from the dogs at all times. The dogs ran straight to their handlers. Although it’ll look like the dogs and sheep are interacting, only the dogs were present in this scene. The sheep had previously been scanned in the studio; any interaction between sheep and dogs is the result of visual effects.

In the scene where the sheep sneak underneath the slaughterhouse and then encounter a dog who snarls at them, the sheep in the scene were completely VFX. Prior to filming, they placed dolly tracks on set so the camera crew could follow the dogs. They filmed one dog at a time. The handler brought the dog to its mark while the other handler held the dog twenty feet away. On action, the handler released the dog who ran in a straight line towards the other handler. The camera followed the dog’s trajectory on the dolly. They filmed the other dog the same way.

In the scene where the sheep run through a flap in the door when entering the inn, production actually used a cat and made it look like a sheep in post-production.  Prior to filming, the cat was brought to the stage. One trainer held the cat at the other side of the door, while another trainer used a buzzer. As soon as the buzzer sounded, the cat was released from carrier and ran up six stairs. On another take, the cat flap was manually moved using the wire rig. On action, they pulled back the flap, and the cat ran through it.

In the scene where the actor jumps in his car and tries to escape and two sheep ram his car, the sheep in the scene are completely CGI. They placed a car on a rig and used something to smash the car. We also see a man walking a dog on a leash in the background. The dog wasn’t near the car when it was smashed.