Question about filming with a client's pet parrot | Freelance Videographers

Iris Hall · 2026-03-05T12:16:12.923577+00:00

The bird kept interrupting every scene with loud squawks, so have you ever had to bargain with an animal for quiet footage?

the_mia6mo ago

My kid's hamster needed a wheel deal to stop squeaking during recordings. Temporary truce at best.

5

thea6026mo ago

Hamster wheel bearings collect dust fast. That causes the squeak during quiet times like recordings. A quick fix might work, but replacing the wheel is better.

10

wader715mo ago

A buddy of mine shot a commercial with a macaw that would not stop yelling. They ended up making a deal with the bird's trainer where the parrot got a peanut after every clean take. It sort of worked, but they went through a whole jar of peanuts and the bird started squawking for a nut before they even said action. The footage was usable, but my friend said the whole crew was cracking up by the end of it.

2

avery_shah6mo ago

Actually, @the_mia, some parrot trainers use quiet cues with treats, right? Could that trick work for a film set?

-1