At this point in the development of civilized society, there isn't much argument: animal testing is a cruel, barbaric practice. And yet, it continues. Even countries that have passed laws banning the pointless torture of animals still exploit loopholes or outright defy the rules in order to abuse animals. The Humane Society International has teamed up with filmmaker Spencer Susser to create a provocative new short film, Save Ralph, which lays bare the horrors of animal testing.
The four-minute stop motion film follows the daily life of Ralph (played by Taika Waititi), a rabbit who "works" at an animal testing center for cosmetic products. His daily routine involves convincing himself that he is proud of his circumstances, followed by the unimaginable pain that comes with being experimented on in cruel and torturous ways. The film also features Zac Efron, Olivia Munn, Ricky Gervais, and Pom Klementieff, while internationally localized versions also boast all-star casts for their respective languages. As of this writing, the film has been viewed over 100 million times across various social media sites, and the #SaveRalph on TikTok has over 475 million views. The purpose of the film is to get viewers around the world to oppose the cosmetic testing on animals; one way to do that is to sign a petition expressing support for the Humane Cosmetics Act, which, if passed, will ban animal testing in the United States.
While promoting the release and ongoing success of Save Ralph, writer/director Spencer Susser spoke to Screen Rant about working with Humane Society International to create the film, and the arduous, but rewarding, process of working in stop-motion. He talks about his own relationship with animals and how he has been vegan for eight years and counting, and explains how animal testing laws are common sense legislation that have no reason not to be adopted universally.
Save Ralph can be viewed in the embed below, and the United States petition can be signed here.
Hey there, Spencer!
Hello.
I just watched a little short film called Save Ralph. I know that we live in a world with a lot of injustice, and there's a lot of things that shouldn't be, but are. But aren't we all pretty united in the idea that animal testing being this archaic, barbaric practice that nobody should do anymore?
I think we are. I think most people certainly feel that way. I feel like a lot of these horrible practices that go on, there's a real disconnect between the reality of what happens and the perception of what's going on. I think a lot of people are surprised this is still happening. And it's very much still happening. All around the world. This stuff is horrible, it's still going on, and it pisses a lot of peo`ple off. It's just wrong. It shouldn't happen anymore.
Is there a profit motive for animal testing? Is it cruelty for its own sake? Because that's what it looks like. There has to be other ways of seeing if something is bad for your eyes, right?
There's definitely better ways that are more specific to the needs. Animal testing doesn't work. It started in the 1940s. It's just outdated, it's cruel, and it's pointless. And it needs to change. We need to change laws in order to stop it.
I think there's a lot of would-be activists there... There's a disconnect between things that they find tangible and things that are just ideas. Like, you hear about, every once in a while, there's someone who goes, "Huh, paternity leave is actually a good idea, now that I have a kid." Tell me about putting a face, a human, if you will, face, onto this issue, these creatures that are being tortured for no good reason.
The Humane Society International, they're really the experts on all the ins and outs of this stuff. But what I do know is, well, you know, and I know it's horrible, and I really wanted to do something to create an awareness, and to do my part, really. I love animals, I stopped eating them about eight years ago. Once I made the connection, it was impossible to do anything but look out for them. The Humane Society was looking for a new campaign to help create awareness. Anytime I felt like I saw the reality of what they do to these animals, I think the general reaction is to look the other way. So it's very hard to connect and tell the story without people going, "I don't want to know." That's kind of a common reaction. So I kind of thought, well, how do you tell this story in a way...? I think it's almost like tricking the audience, a little bit. Let them fall in love with this character, Ralph, and then as you invest in him, you slowly get to know more and hear his story. Hopefully, it affects you in a way where you want to do something about it.
I imagine that, with someone like Taika Waititi, and you've got a lot of other big names that are attached, they probably went, "I don't know, I'm not interested, give me five million dollars and I'll think about it." ...Or was that not the case?
No, that wasn't the case.
(Laughs)
Everybody who came on really believed in the cause and wanted to help. It was really kind of amazing that everyone we asked basically said, "Yeah." It was kind of a dream come true. But again, it's such a horrendous practice that's happening that... It would be hard to find someone who doesn't want to do something.
It sounds like common sense legislation, and in a lot of cases, it has been. But I believe... I don't know if you can speak to this, but there are places where animal testing is banned, but happens anyway.
Yeah. Again, the Humane Society are really the experts on the ins and outs of that, but I do know that it's still happening in four out of five countries. It's very prominent. And it should just not be allowed, period. The goal is to end it everywhere.
I think a big thing that this film does is that it draws the line... I think there are a lot of people who don't understand what the line is, or if there's even a line. They go, "Well, you eat chicken, don't you? Some people eat rabbit." You kill an animal and eat it, and that's incredibly different from torturing an animal for no good reason, which is what this is.
It's an interesting argument. I don't know how different it is, you know. I think, in a way, people rationalize eating animals. But they're still being tortured and killed. They're living beings that want to live, and because we like the way they taste, is that okay? I don't think so... They're very similar, but for some reason, I think this is easier to get people to wrap their heads around. But it's equally not okay. We're brought up drinking cow's milk and eating meat, and it's considered normal. But when you take a step back, we don't have to do it. The other thing... I think this is interesting, but it's sort of a different point, but people say, "Where do you get your protein?" And I always think about, have you ever seen a horse? They're these big, strong animals. Where do they get their protein? They eat grass! But yeah, anyway... I think they're similar points, but this is easier to wrap your head around and connect the dots.
Further to that point, and we're not sponsored or anything, but my mother, who is vegetarian, introduced me to Beyond Meat and Beyond Sausage and Beyond Meatballs, and I had it, and I could not tell the difference (especially with the sausage!). I've been a big meat eater in my life, and just while you were talking, I was taking stock and was like, I haven't had very much meat at all in the past month, just because the plant based alternatives are at that level. It's funny, she doesn't eat those just because it reminds her of meat, and she's so far beyond where I am on that journey. But I don't know... If you don't mind my asking about your own diet and your journey towards being respectful to animals in that way?
I've been vegan for eight years, and I don't miss it. I did used to love the taste of meat. But again, once I made the connection between the animals and what I was doing, I just couldn't do it anymore. There's so many great alternatives. I think the other thing that I feel like, since I've stopped eating meat, I've actually been a lot healthier. I'm more aware of what I'm eating, and trying to get a more balanced meal, so I end up eating a little more of everything. I eat a lot of vegetables, and I try to not eat a lot of processed stuff. It's a weird thing, because when I first started eating that way, I just felt better. You just wake up and you feel better. I think it's kind of like drinking alcohol or doing drugs. You go, "Why do you do that?" And you go, "Well, it makes me feel good." Okay, well, eating healthy and eating plant-based and not hurting animals makes me feel good. And the beauty is, there's no... With some of those other things, it comes with a lot more, but eating healthy is good for everybody! It's good for the planet, it's good for the animals, and it's good for you. So it's actually quite easy.
Yeah! I've noticed, in my life, when I've changed my diet, and I've always been up and down, personally, on that whole spectrum, but when I switch over from fast food and trash, I realize how programmed I've been by chemicals and processing and stuff that I don't really understand, but when I'm off of it, I go, "Wow, I really do... This is night-and-day. I feel so much better." That's just one element of having respect towards animals, which what this short film, which is beautiful and we'll jump back into it, but it just asks viewers to respect animals the way they would respect any other living thing, right?
Yeah. Again, it's simply about connecting the dots. I think 99.99% of people are good. They want to do the right thing, and they will. I think, if they understand it in a way that makes sense to them, they'll do the right thing. If you can buy makeup that isn't tested on animals and doesn't cause pain and suffering and death, why would you buy the alternative? It seems as though people are paying attention, and I've heard a lot of people going, "Wow, I'm gonna go look in my medicine cabinet and look at the ingredients in some of the stuff I'm using." So it's really nice to make that connection. I think of people when they're shopping and just living life and, in general, having that awareness, and I think it will make a difference.
Absolutely. I think you're doing really important work that is also stunning to look at. I suppose it would be a different type of animal issue if you had a taxidermied rabbit on strings, but tell me about creating the visuals of this project.
I wanted to do stop motion, which is such a great technique to bring things to life that aren't... It's such an amazing world. The other thing that's so great about stop motion, versus computer generated images, is that it's tactile, it's real, it exists. I always think about it like ET. Growing up and watching ET, and falling in love with ET, there was no doubt that ET existed, because he did! And he was something tangible and tactile that they filmed, and therefore you believed it. I always liked the idea of keeping things in-camera and real. So we went to Andy Gent, who is just the greatest puppet-maker, world-builder. He's just the greatest guy. He brought on his team, and did it through his studio. They created Ralph, the puppet, and built the sets. And Tobias Fouracre is an animator who came on and animated. It was quite a process. The whole thing took about a year to make, with a lot of figuring out the design of Ralph, designing the sets, building the puppet, and then the shoot. On a good day, we'd shoot about four seconds per day. So, when you think about it, it's just so time-consuming. Stop-motion is just... You take a photo, one photo. And then you move the puppet just a little bit, and then take another photo. 24 photos equals one second of time. And if you think about... Every time you move it, it takes a few minutes. Five minutes, sometimes more, because you're moving his fingers, his head, sometimes his eyes. It just takes a long time, this process. But it's so satisfying when you play it back. After a few hours, you play it back, and you see a half-second, and he's moving, and he starts to come to life, and you totally disconnect from the process when you see this thing come to life. It's really a cool feeling.
I'm thinking... Something about, you can't make a movie unless you love movies, and you love the act of making them. I imagine that that's, like, times 24 for stop-motion. I'm thinking of Parks and Recreation, what was it, Requiem for a Tuesday, that little bit.
I think it's true. You really have to love it. It is... I don't want to say it's grueling work because it's fun work, but it's exhausting work. It's a marathon, and you're tired! The other thing that was challenging about this was, because of Covid, it was all done remotely. So I was working with Tobias and Andy, and Tristan Oliver, who is our DP, they're all based in the UK. When I started the project, I was in L.A. So my day would start around midnight. And we'd be on a Zoom call until late in the night. And then, about halfway through, I moved to Australia. I'm in Australia now. So I was sort of juggling between L.A., Australia, and UK time. Anyway, I guess what I'm saying is, I didn't end up getting much sleep for quite a long time. The adrenaline and the excitement and the fun of it just keeps you going, but you have to be that excited about it, or you just putter out.
Sure. Well, it shows in the finished product. It's beautiful, it's heartwrenching. I think anyone who watches it will... Even if they turn it on kinda, "Oh, here's a short film to reconfirm what I already know," it's so real, it's so human, it's so well-made and beautiful, that I think it's mandatory viewing.
Well, thank you. I really just hope that it makes a difference and we can change some laws.
Yeah. You're doing incredible work. Just thank you so much for your work, and for everything you do. "Hesher was here."
(Laughs) He was!
Sorry, I had to throw that in there. Great film.
I think Ralph has a little Hesher in him. I think they come from the same cloth.
It's easy to go along with what's been done, and it's really hard to push against it, right?
I think it's interesting to try and do something different. I mean, it doesn't always work, but it's sort of like gambling. You have to take a chance. Even with this, I kept saying to the Humane Society, how brave they were for taking my lead. It could have easily not landed, and they would have gone, "Well, geez." But I think they had a lot of faith in me and in the idea. And I just kept saying, "I wanted to make something where you make people feel." It is a little misdirect. In the beginning, you sort of suck them in, and once they go, "Oh, he's cute, wait, what's he saying?" And then you kind of punch them in the guts. And they go, "Oh, geez, I didn't see that coming." I think, with a bit of levity, you disarm people, and they let their guard down, and that allows them to then feel something. I think that's what you want when you go to the movies. You want to feel. I think that goes with any sort of short films, feature films, TV, you really just want to feel things. And films are so good for that. So I felt like, if you can make somebody feel something, you can then get them to do something. I don't know that everybody's going to be motivated to get up and sign the petition, but gosh, there's a lot of people who have, and it really does make a difference.
Yes, and that petition is linked in this story, and I don't know it for a fact, but I know it's true that some people who watch this will make that leap into vegetarianism or veganism, and you did that. So congratulations.
I hope so. Thank you. I hope people make the connection and just start to think about it. And I understand, people eat meat. But I think, if you have the awareness and maybe start to cut down a little bit... One day a week would be a great start! I think, anything we can do to be a voice for the animals, and to help the planet, and to help yourself, it's a win-win. There's no reason not to.
Absolutely. The film is Save Ralph, the man is Spencer Susser. Thank you so much for being with us.
Thank you so much, Zak. I appreciate it!