Commercial Film & Photo Productions
Your production. Our elephants.
Professional elephant work, thoughtfully produced.
Our elephants have worked extensively in film, television, advertising, editorial, commercial photography and promotional productions over the past 20 years.
We provide dedicated time with our elephants and experienced team for productions requiring professional imagery, film or video content for commercial, public, editorial or organisational use.
From a single photographic session to a multi-day or month film production, we work with production teams to plan the requirements carefully and create a safe, efficient and professional working environment for everyone involved.
Prepared. Professional. Elephant-Centred.
Successful elephant work on set begins well before the cameras roll.
Our experienced team works with production companies to understand the required scenes, behaviours, movements, positions and cues, allowing us to prepare the elephants and crew appropriately.
Where specific behaviours or cues are required, specialised elephant training and preparation can be arranged in advance of the production.
This preparation helps reduce uncertainty for the elephants, actors and production crew, minimise unnecessary retakes and keep filming as efficient and predictable as possible.
Specialised Elephant Training
Prepare the elephants before you arrive on set.
R35,000 per week
For film and television productions requiring specific elephant behaviours, movements or cues, we offer dedicated specialised training programmes.
Training is designed around the requirements of your production and provides the opportunity to establish and rehearse the required behaviours before filming begins.
We allocate three dedicated training sessions per week to work with the elephants on the required behaviour or production requirements.
Training sessions are filmed and shared with the production company, allowing directors, producers and other relevant crew to familiarise themselves with the behaviours and cues before arriving on set.
Why Train Before Filming?
Working with elephants on a production set can involve many variables. Preparing the elephants beforehand helps create greater predictability and understanding for everyone involved.
Specialised training can help:
- Establish specific behaviours, movements or positions
- Introduce and reinforce production-specific cues
- Familiarise elephants with the requirements of a particular scene
- Give actors and crew greater confidence working around the elephants
- Reduce unnecessary takes and repetition
- Reduce uncertainty for the elephants during filming
- Improve production efficiency and use of set time
- Give directors and production teams a better understanding of what can realistically be achieved
The objective is not simply to train an elephant to perform a behaviour, but to prepare the entire production for a successful working relationship with the elephants.
Welfare First
All training is conducted at a pace appropriate for the individual elephants and within our established welfare practices.
Our experienced carers assess the elephants throughout the training process, and behaviours are only developed where they are appropriate for the individual elephant and the production requirement.
The elephants’ welfare, comfort and willingness to participate always come first.
What The Training Package Includes
R35,000 per week
- Three dedicated training sessions per week
- Training focused on agreed production requirements
- Experienced AWE elephant carers
- Development and reinforcement of agreed behaviours and cues
- Video documentation of training sessions
- Progress feedback to the production team
- Pre-production consultation with the production team
Additional training weeks can be arranged where required.
Time With The Elephants
Our commercial rates are based on the time required with the elephants and our professional team, rather than simply charging for “access” to the animals.
Depending on the production, this may include:
- Dedicated elephant time on set
- Elephant carers and experienced handlers
- Pre-production planning
- Behavioural preparation and training
- Specific cues, movements or positioning
- Photography and film sessions
- Multiple takes and scene requirements
- Additional preparation for actors or crew working around the elephants
- Early-morning, late-afternoon or extended production requirements
Every production is different, so we work with the production team to understand the brief and provide a quotation based on the specific requirements.
The Elephants Always Come First
Our elephants are not props. They are experienced working animals with individual personalities, preferences and daily routines.
Every production is planned around their welfare, comfort and willingness to participate. Our experienced carers remain responsible for the elephants throughout the shoot and may adjust, pause or end an activity where necessary.
This approach allows us to create professional production opportunities while maintaining the standards of care and respect that our elephants deserve.
Commercial Production Bookings
Commercial bookings are available for:
Film & Television
Feature films, television series, documentaries and productions.
Advertising & Campaigns
Commercials, advertising campaigns, branded content and promotional material.
Professional Photography
Editorial, fashion, tourism, lifestyle, wildlife and commercial photography.
Corporate & Organisational Productions
Corporate communications, campaigns, events and organisational content.
Digital & Social Media
Professional content created for brands, businesses and organisations.
Production Requirements
Every production is different. Requirements, duration, crew size, elephant involvement, behaviours, equipment and production arrangements must be discussed with our team before booking.
Commercial production rates are quoted according to the requirements of each production.
Additional services or requirements — including specialised training, equipment, catering, accommodation, additional personnel, travel or other third-party services — are not included unless specifically agreed and quoted.
From Brief To Final Shot
We can work with production companies, photographers, directors, agencies and creative teams from the initial brief through to filming.
Tell us what you’re hoping to achieve, and we’ll work with you to determine what is possible.
Ready To Bring Your Production To Awe?
Send us your production brief and our team will work with you to understand your requirements and develop a suitable production plan and quotation.
Phone: +27 (0)79 431 7655
Email: reservations@adventureswithelephants.com
Office Hours: 08h00 – 16h30 daily
