Lives Entrusted to the 'Conscience' of the Crew... The Method Chosen by Hollywood? [Dying Animals]

<Part 2> What Hollywood Can Do but Korea Cannot
US Surveillance Group AHA Grants Certification Mark
No Korean Official Responsible for Animal Welfare Monitoring

Editor's Note"No animal should be killed or injured during the filming of movies or dramas."
This is common knowledge, but is it being upheld on our sets today? In a recent survey conducted by Korea Animal Rights Advocates (KARA), the largest animal protection organization in Korea, among 157 media professionals, when asked what happened to animals rented or hired for filming, only half responded that the animals were "returned to the company or owner." The rest answered "sent for adoption" (22%), "unknown" (8%), "deceased" (3%), or "released into the wild" (1%). Additionally, about 60% said that "animals experience significant stress during filming." Although the global status of K-content has risen, animals continue to die on sets for just 2 to 3 seconds of footage.
We aim to examine the current state of animal protection on our sets, which remains insufficient, and seek solutions through advanced Hollywood cases and expert opinions.

[Photo by Pixabay]

During the filming of the movie Ben-Hur (1925), which included a chariot race scene, over 100 horses were sacrificed. In the film The Light Brigade (1936), 25 horses died during filming, and 21 horses featured in Jesse James (1939) fell off cliffs. As horses frequently appeared and were sacrificed in American films at the time, American society began to focus on the issue of animal abuse on sets. As a result, the American Humane Association (AHA) established guidelines for animals used in filming, which are still well observed today.

Domestic Animal Filming Methods Are at Hollywood’s Level from 100 Years Ago

The AHA issues certification marks to productions that pass strict guidelines. When a film production company applies for "monitoring" before animal filming, an AHA representative attends the set. They supervise to ensure animals are filmed in a safe environment according to the guidelines, and if compliance is confirmed, the certification mark is granted.

Films that receive the certification display subtitles before and after screening stating that "no animals were harmed." Audiences actively consume films with the certification mark or boycott those without it. The AHA certification mark thus influences "value-based consumption" decisions regarding films featuring animals. This is completely different from the superficial phrases seen in Korean films’ opening or ending credits stating that "animals were filmed in a safe environment."

KARA activist Kwon Nami explained, "Although having an AHA representative on set is not a legal obligation, most major Hollywood studios tend to apply for it." While Hollywood has dedicated personnel to oversee the welfare of animals on set, Korea lacks such specialized teams, leaving everything in the hands of the producers. Kwon pointed out, "In Korea, owners, agencies, or trainers who rent out animals for filming manage them. Most of these people tend to comply with the production team’s instructions on site."

Because there are no on-site monitoring organizations or legal guidelines, animal safety is managed so loosely that people say "if you’re unlucky, you get caught." This is why voices calling for dedicated organizations and personnel to monitor the condition of animals on Korean sets are growing.

A mid-career film producer, who requested anonymity, confessed, "When preparing for animal filming, we often don’t know whom to contact and end up confused. With over 60 to 70 staff members on set pressed for time and budget, animal welfare is often neglected." He added, "Risk management is crucial in the harsh content market. Establishing a system where dedicated personnel attend the set would be beneficial from a long-term perspective."

Masterpieces Made with Puppets to Minimize Animal Filming

The United States has long replaced animal filming with props or CGI. For example, in the Hollywood film Braveheart (1995), filmed 29 years ago, many dangerous scenes involved horses falling and being pierced by spears during battle, but no horses were killed or injured during filming. They filmed safe scenes with animals and used puppets for the falling horse scenes. Multiple camera angles were used to make the puppets appear like real horses. Dangerous scenes were created with CGI.

[Photo by Pixabay]

In a 2022 survey by KARA of 157 media professionals, 58% answered that they had not considered using CGI instead of real animals.

Im Soon-rye, a founding member of KARA’s predecessor organization Areumpum and KARA’s executive director from 2014 to 2021, emphasized minimizing animal filming whenever possible. She criticized the culture of disregarding life, saying, "Many treat animals on set as replaceable props." She stressed, "There is no need to put animals at risk on set; special effects (CGI) should be used instead, and camera angles adjusted to minimize danger. If time for post-filming CGI work is secured, it is technically very feasible."

Recently, some films have set precedents by minimizing animal filming and effectively using CGI, signaling a shift in the atmosphere. The cats Woowang and Jawang in the two-part film Alien+In (directed by Choi Dong-hoon) were created with CGI, not real cats. The MBC drama Today Also Lovable Dog, which ended in January, depicted humans transforming into dogs using CGI. Im said, "There are not many animals that can act through training. While concrete legislation and sanctions are important, the most crucial factor is the attitude and mindset of the production team toward animals on set."