Sunday, February 20, 2011

Movie Livestock Rentals Add Realism And Excitement

By Carolina Buckner


In the 'good old days' of film-making, the shoot-em-up western was the most popular genre. The men in white hats pursed the evildoers and shot them bloodlessly, usually in some desolate Southern California desert region of large boulders and prickly cacti. The audience cheered, and did not really question where the animals used in these scenes originated. They may have seemed natural, but most were movie livestock rentals.

Most of these ranch animals spent their lives on special ranches or livestock barns catering to the film industry. They are trained to be unafraid of common noises and the confusion of any particular shooting location. They have become accustomed to explosives and fire, and even the loudest guns. They might seem appropriately panicked in a stampede shot, but this is merely good training.

These specialized ranches can supply nearly any domestic, and sometimes even exotic, kind of animals needed. All are 'ready for their closeup' because they have been meticulously vetted and trained beforehand by professionals. Trainers and their four-legged stars are totally familiar with any special action requests before they even set foot on the set.

These special animals are not usually handled by the producers, and even the actors have experienced doubles when real action is required. There is usually a master horse trainer on set, guiding his animal stars through the necessary moves. The cast is not limited to horses, however, and some films require goats, sheep, and even chickens. All of them can be rented.

Although many actors did not grow up around large animals, some animal ranches will provide enough riding lessons to make them appear natural on screen. The animals themselves are able to control certain situations, which can can be of help the human actors. Computer graphics provide background vistas in many of today's films, but even this type of illusion needs a core group of animal stars in order to create a complete herd.

All are closely watched and monitored for any health or safety issue. When you see the disclaimer in the credits saying that 'no animals were harmed in the making of this film, ' that means the production has followed guidelines set by the American Humane Association Film and TV unit. Many years ago the Screen Actor's Guild recognized the need to protect working animals, and today they are treated like valuable actors.

Four-legged film stars are not the only commodity for rent. All the associated paraphernalia, including period saddles, buggies, and carriages, are available if needed for a particular style of film. These vehicles can even be hitched to a rented team of mules. Movie livestock rentals are an integral part of production, and the animals on the screen are treated nearly as well as the human actors, and are not nearly as temperamental.

Movie Livestock Rentals




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