When we watch a movie and admire an adorable sheepdog, a cheerful terrier or a majestic St. Bernard, we don’t always realize how much work is behind their image. Our favorite movie animals ALWAYS look flawless. And behind this is the art of grooming, which in movies has its own rules, traditions and even “cinematic fashion”. Let’s look behind the scenes and understand what role the groomer plays in creating beauty on the screen.

Preparation of animals for shooting: grooming according to the script: grooming according to the script

Just as an actor prepares for a role, an animal being filmed must fit the director’s vision. This means an appropriate haircut, color, texture, and even “expression.” If the dog is to look touching, its coat is left a little ruffled or soft. If the hero is serious or menacing, the groomer creates a strict silhouette, emphasizing the lines of the muzzle or posture. Sometimes it is necessary to imitate the “lack of grooming” or the “age” of the dog, and sometimes – to make a young puppy visually older to fit the idea of the scene. And all this without harming the animal.

Often the groomer works together with the prop and costume designer to create a cohesive image. For example, the dog’s coat may be artificially painted with environmental paint, trimmed in a retro style or enhanced with jewelry – all to match the era, genre or mood of the scene. Such preparation lasts for hours, and in some cases – even days, when it comes to TV series or large-scale movie projects.

How a dog’s appearance creates its “role” in a movie

In movies, appearance is a language. And dogs, like actors, “speak” with their appearance. Dog grooming helps to set the right mood for the viewer right away. Imagine a poodle with well-cut paws, bows and a cloud of hair – even before the first word it is clear that before us is either a capricious favorite or a comic character. And now – change the image to an unkempt, slick hair, and already quite a different impression: a homeless dog who is looking for a home. All thanks to the hands of a groomer.

A dog’s visual style often lays down the character of its protagonist. Collie in “Lassie” has a perfectly combed coat, a well-groomed look and sparkling eyes that have become a code of love and trust. And in “Marley and Me,” the Labrador is the opposite – it often looked disheveled and playful, which matched the hero’s irrepressible character. And all of this is the result of precise grooming that works on a level with the director.

The most famous “grooming heroes” of the movies

Some movie heroes among animals are memorable precisely because of their image. And here the groomer is a real star maker. Remember the poodle Perdita from “101 Dalmatians”, who looked elegant even in stressful scenes. Or the impeccably cut terrier Milla from the movie “The Mask”, whose comical image emphasized his charm and character.

Another example is the comedy dog from “Beethoven”, a huge St. Bernard whose always slightly disheveled coat created the effect of “chaos” constantly happening around him. It was the groomer who made him an audience favorite, leaving his coat a little unstable but touchable. In “Adult Toy” (Best in Show), grooming became a theme altogether – ironically yet accurately conveying how an animal’s appearance can affect its “status” in the ring or in life.

Even animated animal characters have references from real-life haircuts. For example, the images of cartoon dogs from Pixar or DreamWorks Studios use models of real grooming – right down to the textures, elongated ears, whiskers and clipped areas.

The behind-the-scenes work of a groomer on a movie set

Before each take, the groomer must quickly restore the image: combing, removing hair from the eyes, renewing the varnish, giving the dog a timely drink and rest. And all this – under pressure, heat, shouting and cameras.

The groomer on set is the one who knows the character of the animal better than anyone else. She feels when the dog is overworked, when he needs a break, and when – an affectionate word. And at the same time – watching the frame: whether the hair lies evenly, whether the excess light is not protruding, whether the whiskers are not stuck together. Because one little thing can ruin a take, and it will have to be re-shot.

Often the groomer works in a pair with a trainer, and this team is like a director and a cameraman: one forms the behavior, the other – the image. Thanks to them, we see Tails exactly as we want to see them – charming, witty, stylish and real movie heroes.

Conclusion

Grooming in cinematography works on the depth of the image, the emotional mood of the scene and even the content of the movie. It is an invisible but extremely important labor that allows the animals to “speak” the language of the movie. And the groomer is the one who gives the characters hair, whiskers, style and confidence in front of the camera. Because in the world of big movies, even the tail has to be in shape.

Have you ever thought about the fact that the groomer prapatsyuvalu with the animal, which we see in the frames of movies? 😉