Later, as the Little family leaves their balcony after watching Margalo take flight, birds are in the sky flying.
The CG barge and garbage were added in post production.īirds fly in formation as Stuart and Margalo watch them. One trainer released a bird from a box, which flew to another trainer holding a box. This was filmed in front of a blue screen. Pigeons fly around a garbage barge and land on it. The homing pigeons were retrieved by the trainers afterwards. The CG car was added in later, as was Stuart and Margalo, in post production. They pecked at the food on the ground while trainers stood off-camera waving some nets to make the pigeons move. Trainers scattered food on the ground and the birds were released from a playpen resting beside the camera. Later, Margalo flies into the car that Stuart is driving and they drive along the sidewalk and through some birds that are scattered on the ground. All of the birds flew safely back to their trainers and were placed in their crates and brought home.īirds fly past Stuart’s school building and are on the grounds outside. The other trainers used nets to help direct the birds to the open cages nearby with food inside. Seven of the birds were placed on the perch for the shot and as all the trainers stood off-camera, one trainer waved a net and the birds took flight. Four trainers prepped 12 pigeons to sit on a perch outside the window frame. Little goes to the window and opens it and the pigeons on the windowsill take flight. They also monitor conditions in which animals were housed during production.ĭuring the opening credits, birds sing in the windowsill as the camera pans around the Littles’ bedroom.
Inspectors reviewed the script and action scenes before and during filming to ensure that animals were not harmed or mistreated and that AHA Guidelines for the Safe Use of Animals in Filmed Media were upheld. The AHA has sole authority, through a contract with the Screen Actors Guild, to protect animals used in film and television.
The Film and TV Unit of the American Humane Association (AHA) monitored the action sequences involving animals. Although Stuart and several other characters are computer-generated (CG), including Margalo and the Falcon, many other live animals contribute to the film.