The Bad Batch (2017)

In the scene where two birds peck at food and around actress’s head, prior to filming the scene trainers placed bait around the actress. On action, trainers released the birds from their carrying cases, and they immediately began eating meat scraps, hopping around. Although it appeared the birds were pecking at the actress, the camera was positioned in such a way to make it look as if they were. In reality, they didn’t come close to touching her.

When we see a bird fly to the hermit’s grocery cart, trainers placed food/bait on a piece of cloth on the cart. On action, trainers released the bird from a carrying case, the bird flew to the cart, and started eating the bait on the cart. Later, when we see a bird pecking at a dead corpse, the trainers placed a dummy with dog food, and placed the birds near the body. On action, the birds simply pecked at the food on the dummy.

When we first see the little girl holding the buddy, following Arlen through town, prior to shooting the scene the trainer placed the rabbit in the girl’s hands. They also previously taught the young actress how to hold the rabbit. Between takes the rabbit was placed in the shade and given water.

In the scene where we see the rabbit placed on a block with a bungee cord wrapped around its neck, on action the actor lifted the rabbit out of the suitcase, the handlers were on set, both experienced with rabbit handling and husbandry. Between takes, the rabbit was always held by one of the two handlers. The set was a public street but traffic was excluded by policemen at all entrances. The rabbit’s handler acted as an extra playing the butcher in this scene so the rabbit was only handled by him. When we see the rabbit extracted from the suitcase, the rabbit was briefly placed inside the case with the lid closed. The lid was perforated with numerous holes for air. On action, the handler kept one hand on the rabbit as the rabbit lay sternal on the block. He swung a dull cleaver above his head and brought it down in a slow controlled motion stopping 6 inches above the rabbit’s neck. An insert shot was done as a close up with no live rabbit and the director tossed the head into the bucket with the other heads. The heads were obtained from a poultry plant.

In the scene where we see the little girl walking through a dancing crowd holding the rabbit, handlers were on set using one of the twenty rabbits from their inventory. They brought the rabbit to the set in a wire cage with ample room to move around and with a towel covering for privacy. Animal action was for the actress to carry the rabbit through the crowd. On previous days the child actress was instructed by the handlers how to hold a rabbit safely. The rabbit was accustomed to being held by the girl and did not struggle.

In the same scene when the rabbit escapes from the girl’s arms, runs into the crowd and a man picks up the rabbit and hands it back to her, for the action, the handlers had applied tethers fastened to each of the rabbits back legs using leather bands above the hocks attached to monofilament. The handlers also instructed the actor Keenu Reeves on how to safely pick up and hold the rabbit and then observed him practice this maneuver. The child actress had previously been instructed and had held the rabbit safely and properly in previous days.  For the rabbit escaping from the child’s arms the handlers created a raised platform out of plywood on top of apple boxes and then padded it with three folded blankets on top of each other. For the actual filming, the handler Steve was off camera right at the platform to reclaim the rabbit so no tether was used.

In the scene where the hermit snaps the crow’s neck, prior to shooting the scene, the trainer released the bird out of frame, five feet from its mark. The bird slowly walked towards the actor, pecking. The trainers threw food towards the actor to get the bird to walk towards him. When the bird hits his mark, the trainers retrieved him and placed him in his case. They replaced the live bird with a prop. On action, the hermit/actor grabbed the dummy with his shirt, wrestled with it and acted as if he broke its neck.

Due to limited resources, American Humane Association did not monitor some of the bird and rabbit action.