Trained Golden Eagles for Film and Television
Tilly our golden eagle with her two metre wingspan is a spectacular bird, she works well in studios or suitable exterior locations.
To see Tilly in action over the Scottish moors:
What a golden eagle can do on camera
Tilly has a two metre wingspan, and scale is the point. A golden eagle in frame reads as wilderness in a way that no smaller raptor does, which is why she is booked for landscape and documentary work as often as for drama.
She works well in studios or on suitable exterior locations. She has been filmed flying over the Scottish moors, and in controlled studio conditions where the light and the background can be built around her.
What to think about
Golden eagles need space and the right terrain. Not every exterior location will work, and the wrong one will cost you the day. Send us the location before you lock it and we will tell you whether the shot is there.
Tilly has also carried our on-board camera work. See the on-board cam and drone page for what that makes possible.
Common questions
Can we film on our own location?
Often, but not always. Some locations will not give you the shot whatever bird you put in them — the sightlines, the light, the wind or the space are simply wrong. Send us the location, ideally with photographs, before you lock it. It costs nothing and it has saved productions a great deal.
How much notice do you need?
It depends entirely on the sequence. A perched shot, or a straightforward flight to the hand, needs far less lead time than a choreographed sequence built around a specific action. Complex work is measured in months rather than weeks. Ask us early and we will give you a straight answer.
Will the bird work close to actors and presenters?
This is a large part of what we do, and it is the reason the birds are raised and flown by us rather than sourced in. Tell us what the contact needs to be — a hand, a shoulder, a glove, a look — and we will tell you what is realistic with a golden eagle and how long it would take to prepare.
Do you travel?
Yes. Our birds have filmed across the UK and abroad, from the Scottish moors to Arco in Italy.
Is the flying real, or is it done in post?
Real. The birds fly in real time, at full speed, to camera. Nothing is slowed down, and nothing is composited.
Planning a shoot
Every job starts the same way. Tell us what you are trying to film and we will tell you honestly whether it is possible, and how — including when the answer is no.
Our birds are raised and flown by Lloyd and Rose themselves, which is what makes calm, close work with actors and presenters possible. They fly in real time rather than being slowed down afterwards. The birds’ welfare comes first on every job.
Some sequences can be set up quickly. Others cannot — the goshawk work for H is for Hawk took fifteen months of daily preparation before a camera turned. The earlier you bring us in, the more you will get.
Working with us
Tell us what you are trying to film and we will tell you honestly whether it is possible, and how.