Certified Animal Action Overview

No Animals Were Harmed™ proudly oversaw every moment of animal action in this film, ensuring the safety and well being of every creature, from bees in their hives, to curious crabs and a friendly dog. Bee experts were on set to make sure the hive scenes were both authentically rendered and safe, carefully training the actors, rehearsing movements and using protective gear so everyone remained calm and unharmed. When it came time for closeup shots, handlers gently guided a few bees with sugar water before returning them to their hives. The fish market’s live crabs wandered naturally under watchful care, and the dog scene was filmed with plenty of patience, treats and calm handling.

Detailed Animal Action Report

In the scenes where we see the lead actor checking his bee hives, and other scenes with the bee hives in the background, trainers/bee experts and were always on set for these scenes, working closely with our CASR’s on set. The trainers showed actors how to empty hives and safely remove frames. These scenes were heavily rehearsed before filming so every actor knew how to behave near the bees. Everyone on set was provided with a bee suit, hood and gloves prior to shooting. For the sequences where we see bees on flowers, prior to filming the handler approached the main hive and placed some sugar water onto her gloved hand, which attracted a few bees. She then carried these bees to the camera setup area. For the shot with the flower, she placed her glove near the flower which also had sugar water on it. They filmed the bee on flower for a few minutes before taking it back to the hive.

In the scene where the actor kills a man, and the bees fly everywhere with several shots of the bees crawling over the attacked individual, production set up a blue screen in front of the hives. Then they placed a mannequin on the ground. On action, the trainers lifted the frames from the hive then shook them to get bees to drop on mannequin’s head. Once the bees were on the specific areas, one of the trainers knelt down behind the blue screen and rotated the mannequin head using the manual handle. After shooting the scene, the trainers returned the frames to the hive and most bees instinctively returned back to the hives. All bees were accounted for.

In the scene where we see a fish market and a few live crabs walking in the vicinity, trainers brought crabs in a plastic box to set. The trainers then placed the crabs on their marks spread through the set. On action, the crabs moved naturally among the set. Production provided receipts for all dead fish to our office. After calling cut, the trainers placed the crabs back in their boxes and placed them in the vans which were cooled down to the correct temperature.

In the scene where the actress drives down the road and passes a man walking a dog, trainers brought the dog to the set and introduced him to the background actor who will be walking him. The actor gave the dog some biscuits to get acquainted. On action, the actress drove past them as the background actor walked the dog on the side of the road.