Working with Animals

Overview

Incorporating an animal into a production can be challenging. They will often behave in an unpredictable manner as even the most highly trained working animals can do unexpected things. This unstable element will often cause significant delays, accidents, or even injuries on set if not managed correctly.

The presence of a working animal on a film set is considered a high-risk activity. Based on how they will be used may require the purchase of an additional insurance rider to incorporate them into a production as their general involvement is not covered under the school’s production insurance policy and must be scheduled to be included.

Students who choose to incorporate animals into their production must submit an Uninsured Activity Application for review by the Risk Management Panel.

Pets On Set

Cast or crew members should not bring non-working animals to set. The American Humane believes that an active film set is not a suitable environment for pets, as they cannot be properly supervised and cared for appropriately by cast and crew members who are engaged in their primary duties.

Should a pet or service animal be brought to set by guests, it must be contained or restrained and supervised at all times. Pets shall not be allowed to freely roam on set to prevent accidents from happening, even when a student production is shooting at their or a family member’s home.

Pets are not permitted on the set when working animals are present to reduce the chance of distracting or provoking the working animal.

Service Animals On Set

Service animals are permitted but should only be used when absolutely necessary. They must be contained or restrained and supervised at all times.

Wildlife

When filming at exterior locations, student productions will inevitably come across wildlife. While filming of wildlife from safe distances is permitted, intentionally interacting with wildlife to facilitate photography is not permitted.

Stay Alert

There are several indigenous and evasive predators as well venemous creatures found in around Central Florida that student productions should be mindful of when working on location. Safety meetings should be held to discuss the prescience of specific wildlife that may be harmful or dangerous to interact with. This includes, but is not limited to:

• Aligators
• Black bears
• Coyotes
• Wild cats such as bobcats and Florida panthers
• Venomous insects such as fire ants, caterpillars, spiders, scorpions, bees, wasps, and mosquitoes
• Venomous snakes such as rattle snakes, cottonmouths or water moccasins, and coral snakes

Student productions filming wihtin and outside of the Central Florida area can visit the Wildlife and Habitat section of the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission website to help determine what types of wildlife may be prominent at an exterior location that they intend to shoot at.