Robin's Nest from American Humane - Marean Spero Steen, National Director of American Humane Hollywood

Episode Date: June 5, 2024

In this episode of Robin's Nest, Robin talks with Marean Spero Steen, National Director of American Humane Hollywood. Marean heads up the iconic “No Animals Were Harmed” program and discusses American Humane's important role in keeping animals safe in the filmed entertainment world. 

Welcome to Robin's Nest. So many of us have a deep connection with the animals around us and want to protect them from the pets in our homes to endangered species in the wild. That's why I joined American Humane. As one of the oldest and most effective animal protection groups, we help billions of animals around the world. Join us as we explore how we can build a more humane world together. I am so excited to introduce you to our guest today, Mary Ann Spiro-Steen. Mary Ann serves as the National Director of American Humane Hollywood's iconic No Animals Were Harmed program, which has made the protection of animal actors its duty for over 80 years. Let's listen to her conversation with Georgia. Marion, thank you so much for joining us today on Robin's Nest. It's a pleasure to have you here.

How are you? Oh, I'm doing great. I'm so happy to be here. I love this format that Robin has established and it's very exciting. Yes. American Humane has so many arms to it. So it's so important to be able to talk to all of the different programs and learn about them so that we can educate everyone on what's going on here at American Humane. Yeah. Awesome. Yes. So let's just start first with your personal life and the furry friends that are in your life. We just had Lily in the background. So let's hear about Lily. Okay.

Well, Lily is 18 months and Lily is a sort of rescue. She was part of a group of pups with a breeder who was not the best breeder. And so she had a tough early life. And I fetched her from Oklahoma. I flew to Oklahoma to pick her up. And the plan was to bring her back by plane in a little crate. But she was so big that she wouldn't fit properly into the crate. And the airline would not let me fly with her. So I ended up renting a car and we drove cross country from Oklahoma city to Los Angeles. So she is my love. She is high energy and very spirited and very sweet. So we feel lucky. And a cross country trip with her. That's awesome.

It could have been the beginning of a movie, right? Marianne and Lily cross country and stopped for barbecue in Texas and things like that. Oh my gosh. I love it. It was very fun. Yeah. And you guys just have the one dog right now? We do just have the one. Yeah. Okay. Gotcha. Oh, that's so fun. Yes. We all have our own furry hero dog at home. So I like to ask everybody. hero dog at home. So I like to ask everybody. Exactly. They make life a lot richer. They're fun. And yeah, it's been quite an adventure. Yes. So you are the vice president of the Humane Hollywood Program at American Humane, which is a longstanding program for the organization. Can you tell us about what you all do sure absolutely well the heart of the no animals were harmed program is our comprehensive guidelines for the safe use of animals and filmed media

and this really informs everything that we do it establishes the standards that need to be met to keep animals safe in film media to maintain their welfare. And it sets forth rigorous species-specific protocols. And it is our North Star. And it also is a living document. It's regularly reviewed and updated by our scientific advisory committee. And we want to make sure that it is updated because we want to be sure that we and our guidelines reflect the current science. So that's really the heart of the program. And our mission is to help ensure that no animals are harmed. American Humane takes extraordinary steps to ensure the safety of animals on film sets. And it all begins before cameras even start rolling.

And we start with a rigorous script review. We identify potentially intense animal action, which is followed by pre-production consultations and meetings with producers, directors, and crew, because we want to make sure that we fully understand what they want to achieve. And we want to also in turn have them understand what's expected so that they can be certified no animals were harmed. And once on set, our trained certified animal safety rep, they do a detailed inspection of the set and environment where the animals are. The rep makes certain that the animals are healthy and fit, that they're acclimated to the film set, that they're capable of the planned action. And then they ensure ultimately that our guidelines are implemented and they document all this, which is part of

our process for certifying the no animals were harmed and credit. Right, right. Which is one that everyone I feel knows about and has seen before. Now, when you say that you work with all different types of species, can you run through the list of what types of animals you have worked with? Sure. It really runs the gamuts from ants and insects and fish and lobster and shrimp and pigs and goats and cats and dogs and hamsters and rabbits and horses and big tigers. So it really starts with the tiniest little ant to a huge animal. And our concept and our philosophy and mission is that it doesn't matter whether it's a little insect or a big tiger, that they are working in the entertainment industry and we

want to ensure that they are kept safe, that no animal should be harmed for the sake of entertainment. Right. Absolutely. And I feel like the industry as a whole has changed so much over the years from it originally being just movie sets and TV sets in Hollywood. And it's kind of expanded ever since streaming happened and shows being shot all around the world. So how has that changed the program? Yeah, we were primarily, we used to primarily be a domestic program. Almost 70, 80% of the work was done in the United States. And what has changed over the last few years is that productions, U.S. productions and studios are increasingly working overseas. Everyone is chasing tax credits. And so our international work has exploded in the last five or six years.

And our team of certified animal safety reps has also grown. years. And our team of certified animal safety reps has also grown. We have almost 30 international certified animal safety reps that work all around the world. And we find that a place like London will be as busy a production hub as Los Angeles on any given day. And so it really has shifted. And also productions have moved beyond even traditional locations like London. They are shooting a great deal in Eastern Europe and Czech Republic, in Poland. They're shooting in Thailand. They're shooting in Korea. So really, we are based, you know, we are wherever animals are working, and they're working increasingly all around the world. Right. And with all of these new locations, are there new species that you're working with? Is the list continuing to grow? I would say that the animal kingdom remains intact. And so we're working with the same kinds of animals.

But you might find maybe there are more exotic animals working in Thailand, that different countries will have different kind of philosophies and standards around animals. And so that's something that does come into play where we want to be sure to educate people working in places that are not traditional production hubs to understand our guidelines and our safety standards. So there's a lot of education in what we do when we work internationally. And we have tried in that to accomplish that. We also have tried to translate some of our advisories. So it makes it easier for production and crew to understand. Right. Absolutely. Is there a particular animal that you enjoy working with the most? Well, I think, you know, of course I have a soft spot for dogs. I think horses also are just amazing. They are just these beautiful, powerful creatures and yet very delicate. To see them in action is really just amazing. I would say I love them all. It's always interesting when we work with fish because a lot of times fish are considered props. You know, it might like if the script says, okay, there's a fish tank in this kid's bedroom, it might start with a prop department.

And it's not a prop. And which is really those are the origins of our program in that animals are not props. No animal would be a prop. So there is around fish, there can be a lot of education that we do to make sure that production understands all the elements that have to be in place, the water, the tank, someone to supervise on a regular basis, making sure they have energy and they have a backup should there be a power outage. So I think that some animals are more complicated to work with, surprisingly, like you think that fish would not be.

But I think that there are some that really require a lot of diligence. Yeah, absolutely. It's funny that you mentioned that too, because my sister the other day watched a movie and she said, oh, I saw the no animals were harmed, but I didn't see any animals in the movie, but it could have just been a fish tank in the child's room or something like that. They are integrated throughout the movie and you might not even pick up on it. Exactly. And sometimes it'll be very quick. Like they may have spent several days shooting scenes with animals, but then they get into the editing room and they decide, oh, we're going to cut this. We're going to only use a snippet of that. So, you know, they have the intentions because they've

spent money to produce and to film that, those scenes, but it can change. There's a lot of variables from the pre-production to actually what ends up in the film. Right. And speaking of those variables, what are the biggest challenges that you'll encounter when doing your work? Yeah. I think it's having production understand what it means to meet our guidelines, understand our guidelines, and also be in touch with American Humane as early as possible. So they need to recruit the animals. They need to have a plan for that. And with some productions who haven't worked with us before, they may not be familiar with our time schedule. The best thing is to contact American Humane early because we offer pre-production consultation and we offer meetings and advice early on so that once they start filming,

there will be no interruption. It's not our intention to slow any production down. And when we have early communication and opportunity to ask questions and discuss, those are really the best outcomes. Right, right. That makes sense. And as far as the trends, the moving trends or the ever trends in Hollywood, what are you seeing now as far as having animals in movies and people using American Humane? Yeah, I think that animals will continue to play a big part in movies. I think that they just tap into emotions for people. I mean, there is nothing like seeing dogs and cats and horses on film. So I don't think that we're going to see a reduction in filming with animals. And I think

that's why it's so important that American Maine be there to ensure that our privilege of working with animal actors is maintained and that the animals are kept safe. I do see CGI being used, for example, to enhance animal action. Maybe they are working with horses. They have a running scene with horses. And they might do it in a slower motion or they might execute the action simply in a more simple way. And then they would use CGI to amplify it, to add extra horses, to increase the speed. And I think that's a really great way because it keeps it safe.

You still have the reality of working with real animals, the eyes, et cetera, but you're able to maximize the effect and take advantage of technology. Yeah, absolutely. That is very cool to partner the animal with CGI to really get the ultimate effects. Exactly. And it doesn't happen all the time, but there are some productions where we see that. And I think it's a really great thing to see. Yeah. Well, let's rewind back to you. I mean, this is such a unique job and you're clearly an expert in what you do. How in the world did you come into this field? And what do you love most about it? Yeah, well, I have always had a love for movies and for storytelling. And I've always believed in their potential to educate, to raise awareness, to show you something that you don't know.

And I also think they have the potential to touch the heart and to uplift. I mean, for me, there's nothing like the experience of seeing a great movie. And film media also is a powerful tool to promote the human-animal bond. So this role allows me to pull all those elements together, a love of storytelling, a love of animals, and a desire to do whatever I can to promote the human- animal bond by using film. And as I mentioned, I do think it is a privilege that we have of working with animal actors. And I want to do everything we can to preserve that privilege, keep animals safe, and still allow filmmakers to tell these powerful stories that potentially do promote the human-animal bond. So that's a really big part of it. And yeah. So how did you fall into the animal acting space?

Yeah. I worked for many years in the film and television business. I was a development and production executive for many years. And I oversaw various aspects, finding projects, selling projects, working with writers and overseeing production. And I had transitioned to the nonprofit space. And I had been working with an artist residency program, helping them with operations and finance. And I saw this opportunity posted and I thought, oh my goodness, this would really combine all the things that I really love. And I applied for the job and one thing led to another and I've now been here for 10 years. Amazing. Yeah. It's unbelievable. Very cool. And your team participates in the Hero Dog Awards. So the 2023 Hero Dog Awards is coming up. It'll be airing on A&E and FYI Network. And your team's involved in that. What do you love most about the Hero Dog Awards?

Meeting the dogs, of course, and the owners. And also we do an amazing job capturing the lives of these animals and the impact they've had on their owners through our videos. And there isn't a Hero Dog Awards that the table is not crying after seeing these videos. So it is so powerful. We really make a difference to honor these animals and their stories is just so powerful and whenever i talk to people about the hero dog awards they are always like oh my god i've got to go and they're just it just touches the heart of every single person and yeah um so i love i love the stories i love meeting them and i love hearing their stories and i love hearing the impact these service dogs have yeah it's a huge, huge difference.

So it's very powerful. Yeah, they really are extraordinary dogs. So this is kind of an off the cuff question, but if you could be any animal, what animal would you be? Oh, I would be a lion. I just love lions. Just love lions. And so when I go to a zoo, I'm, I'm just captivated by their eyes, by their movement, their regalness. I just, I love them. And you've had, and you've worked with lions on sets before. You know what? We have, but I have not been on set with a lion. Oh, wow. Okay. Yeah. So I'm going to have to try

to work that in. Yeah. You got to somehow get that in. I feel like lions get integrated into films quite a bit. So you could somehow make that work. Exactly. Sometimes they've even been incorporated in photo shoots and brand campaigns. So yes, I'm going to have to make that, put that on my to-do, my bucket list. Yeah. Put it on your bucket list. So American Humane is there also for photo shoots, brand campaigns, things like that as well? Absolutely. It'll be music videos. It ranges, whatever kind of film media. And at times there will also be live performances. Like for example, the Hero Dog Award gala that gets broadcast. And our certified animal safety reps will be there to ensure that the animals are kept safe during those live broadcasts, too. So it runs the gamut.

Yeah. It's in lots of categories. Yeah. Now, what would you say is the biggest challenge that you and your team always face? always face? Well, I think that a challenge is being everywhere all the time when we're needed. And we continue to build out our team of certified animal safety reps because we want to be where we are needed. But schedules change. A rep may not be available. There are a lot of variables that change from day to day. And we may also get last minute notice about something. So it's the challenge, I think, of being where we are needed.

And we want to cover everything. And sometimes that's not possible. Right. Especially, as you were saying, geographically, as things are more and more spread out, I can imagine it's much trickier. Exactly. Because even I mentioned, I talked about the international locations, but the same thing has happened in the States where New York, Atlanta, LA, those would be traditional production hubs. And we have a number of reps in those locations because we know there's almost always work there. number of reps in those locations because we know there's almost always work there. However, now people are shooting in Nashville and they're shooting in Oklahoma City and they're shooting in Santa Fe and they're shooting in Boulder. I mean, they are all over the country. And so making sure that we can get a rep to travel to that location in time to be there is, you know, it's something

every day we strive to cover everything. And I think it's our biggest challenge when we can't. Right, right. Yeah, that makes sense. It hurts us. It hurts us when we can't be there. Yeah, right. And I feel like all, you know, in regards to every program at American Humane, it's we want to help animals wherever or whenever they're in need. So I can imagine how difficult it can be. Also, there's

just a lot more production companies out there today. So you have a lot more clients that you need to cover. Exactly. I mean, with COVID and the explosion of streaming, there has been an explosion of content. So we have, you know, anywhere from 20 to 25% more sets to cover. And we continue to grow our team because our goal is to cover everything. But it has really been, you know, an exciting time to see this much content being produced, but also it's come with some challenges because we want to, as you said, be there wherever we're needed. Yeah. And, you know, are there specific animal actors that perhaps someone on your team always works with or has encountered numerous times? Or do you find that your team is coming across new and different animal actors? but I also think that there are horses for example that regularly work on westerns and the trainers know each other and maybe they'll come from Los Angeles and they'll work in New

Mexico also in the exotic world there are some regular animal actors that are well known so I think it's a combination I think reps that work quite a bit particularly if they work a lot of horse work they'll know a lot of the horses. They'll know all of them. Yeah. They'll know a lot. And then there will be some new ones. Right.

Right. So is there a fan favorite on your team that people are like, oh, I love working with this horse or, you know, this cat? Yeah. I think that there are. They recognize them and they know the trainers and they get to know their personalities, especially in places like New York or LA where you'll see the same animals working and they'll be working more frequently. Yeah.

Oh, that's special because it just adds another layer to that bond and piece of work that you guys are doing. Definitely. And it really personalizes it. You also get to see that animal. If you see someone who's an animal that's newly trained, you get to see them evolve and grow stronger. And so it's a really, and our certified animal safety reps, that may be one of the best parts of my work because it is so exciting to see what they do every day and the impact they have. And they are fierce

advocates. They work tirelessly for the animals and they really make a huge contribution. We had a situation just a few weeks ago where a rep had been on a set with horses and they were working over multiple months. And at the beginning, the horses looked really robust and really great. And as we moved into fall and there was less grass for them to feed on, the rep noticed, oh, I think that this horse may be losing a little bit of weight. And she jumped into action, got together with the producer and made sure that those animals were getting additional nourishment. And so that really made a huge difference. And she was right there to see and to track what was going on. So it really is gratifying to see and to track what was going on. So it's,

um, it really is gratifying to see the difference we make. Yeah. I was just about to say that, like how gratifying and how important is the work that you all do because otherwise someone might not have noticed that. Um, and so it, it improves the life of that horse. And she was able to make that change. Yeah, absolutely. And acted quickly. Yeah. And there was another situation where we had a low budget film

and we love to work with low budget filmmakers because we feel we're educating them and they're going to be the next generation of humane filmmakers. But this film called for ducklings and the producer had ordered, which is amazing. You can actually order ducklings online and have them delivered to the location. And our rep was on set and realized that this was a young filmmakers and there wasn't anyone who knew how to take care of these ducklings.

And our rep got into action. She created a protocol. She tutored them on how to hold the ducklings, how to feed them, what the temperature should be. She created a checklist for them, what times they were doing things. I mean, she orchestrated everything to make sure that those animals were going to be kept safe. And then equally important, she wanted to make sure that once the filmmaking was done and their short-lived film career was going to be over, that they had a forever home. And so she was instrumental in finding that forever home with a local family in the town. So it was a really sweet, sweet story. They were very well-intentioned and it's very exciting to

work with new filmmakers, but they have limited budgets and limited experience. And, you know, it made all the difference for American Humane to be there on that set. Right. Thank goodness you guys were there. Yes. And that happens often too, especially with like the little ducklings, you know, oh, they're so cute. And then they grow up and they're like, no, now what do we do?

So how amazing that she could place them into a nice home. Exactly. I mean, we really fulfilled the mission. Yeah. You guys did your job there. That's awesome. Exactly. Oh, that's wonderful. So Marianne, do you have any funny stories that you could share with us? Well, I think it's funny. One thing we've been seeing is that the last couple of summers have had extreme heat, and it has really been important for us to make sure that animals are not working in extreme heat and that they stop production. And this summer, I got a call from one of our reps out of the blue, and the rep said, I'm standing with the director for this project, and the director wants to speak with you. So obviously, he couldn't share with me what was going on. And this director, who is an A-list director, very famous, very successful. I'm sure it has been a long time since anyone has told this director

no. Gets on the phone and says, your rep has told us that we have to delay production for several hours. We're losing time. We're losing money. Why is this happening? We've got to do something about it. You have to agree. And I listened. I heard the director out and I said, this is non-negotiable. I mean, this is just non-negotiable. And I think he was taken aback because he was expecting his presence, a yes and i just said very calmly i appreciate all these concerns but there is just non-negotiable and we have to protect those animals and you have to protect your cast and crew and so it was kind of a special moment for me because i do really love this director um and we were able to you know kind of raise his awareness around heat and animals and stress. So I love it.

You educated him. It may not be that funny. You put him in his place. Yeah, no. Exactly. Which probably never happens for him. So that's awesome. Yeah.

So Marianne to the rescue. All right. Well, that's great. Well, thank you so much for coming on Robin's Nest today. It's so beneficial for our listeners to be able to understand our programs and everything that goes into what we do. So having an expert like you is a very special time for us. Excellent.

So thank you so much for joining us and I'll see you soon. Okay, great. Thank you. Thank you so much for being with us today and being part of Robin's Nest. There's some of my Nest members right here with Mr. Darcy. Special thanks to Georgia for hosting these incredible guests today and being part of Robin's Nest. But most of all, we are grateful for you. Thank you for listening to this episode.

for you. Thank you for listening to this episode and we look forward to providing more information and content on how we can together build a more humane world. you