Anyone With A 'large, Trained' Dog Want Some Movie Work?

[FranVT]

There were a bunch of retweets going on in my Twitter feed yesterday about a guy looking for a 'large, trained or trainable' dog for a student film. I contacted the guy for more info and he said he needed a large dog and handler, bonus points if the dog could (or could be trained to) bark/growl on command and 'play' or act playfully on command.

It's a paid gig but small budget. It's in Sydney.

If anyone is interested I'd be happy to facilitate an email contact swap or whatever.

[Jimmay]

Awe such a shame i'm in Brisbane, Tyson did a pretty good job in the film I made.

[♥Baxter♥]

Awe such a shame i'm in Brisbane, Tyson did a pretty good job in the film I made. ;)

This is good!

[Nekhbet]

bugger I'm in vic. I have a big dog and a huge dog who can both bark and guard on lead on command as well as play if there's some fluffy toys involved

You'd have better luck listing this on Specialist Canine forum, or contact the Schutzhund clubs

Jimmay ... who does a bag snatch in thongs OH&S nightmare there

Edited September 21, 2010 by Nekhbet

[lanabanana]

I sent a PM.....my boy is probably not quite what they are looking for, but he plays, and speaks on command so thought wed send a message.

How exciting for whoever gets to be involved.

[Bully]

There were a bunch of retweets going on in my Twitter feed yesterday about a guy looking for a 'large, trained or trainable' dog for a student film. I contacted the guy for more info and he said he needed a large dog and handler, bonus points if the dog could (or could be trained to) bark/growl on command and 'play' or act playfully on command.

It's a paid gig but small budget. It's in Sydney.

Bugga, pity it's not Adelaide Pele needs to help pay off her vet bill

[Esky the husky]

Pele would be so good!

ETA: I hope Shell, Nik and Woofen see this.

I'm sure one of their dogs could work

Edited September 21, 2010 by Esky the husky

[lovemymutts]

Pointless post really as we're too far away but a friend has a dog that isn't trained to speak on command but if you're talking & he thinks he should be involved in the conversation he will bark or just open/close his mouth at you, it is sooo funny as he's got a big furry block head. He's a rescued boy (probably some weird mix that looks old english sheepdog x amstaff or something) probably a very cute pup that turned into a big dog, tried to use for pig hunting but was too much of a wuss & now he's with my friend being spoilt rotten! I would really love to make a film with him though, he's so comical & with his "talking"....

Anyway I do hope they find a suitable dog!

[rotts4ever]

There were a bunch of retweets going on in my Twitter feed yesterday about a guy looking for a 'large, trained or trainable' dog for a student film. I contacted the guy for more info and he said he needed a large dog and handler, bonus points if the dog could (or could be trained to) bark/growl on command and 'play' or act playfully on command.

It's a paid gig but small budget. It's in Sydney.

If anyone is interested I'd be happy to facilitate an email contact swap or whatever.

I have a Rottweiler Boy that speaks on command and is a toy junky, not sure if he would be what they are after, he's been filmed on the KerriAnn morning show and did good with the crew, filming etc

Cheers

[FranVT]

That's great rotts! I might get this guy's email and PM you.

Guys I would have of course asked amazing TN / Woofen / Shell but they did specifically ask for a big dog, then again Zero is pretty big, hmmmm might swing Shell a message..

[stormie]

Orbit can speak and growl but it doesn't sound very scary Mind you he was a bit of a nervous nelly at the Peter Alexander shoot so I'd say he'd be just as worried on a film set unfortunately

[MonElite]

Ill do it. Well depending what they want etc, but my dog/dogs can do it all

Give them my emial addy monelite at live dot com dot au

Edited September 21, 2010 by MonElite

[FranVT]

Hey all, quick update.

I had a look at the script and it made me a bit uncomfortable. It's not 'blatantly' bad but just the suggestion of a killer dog in it made me uncomfy (an Mon as well).

I sent this email to the student:

"Hey [name],

After reading the script I don't think you'll get much help from any ethical dog owners. The script portrays a rottweiler (an already misjudged and misrepresented breed) as a vicious killer and no large dog owners that I know would get behind that. There is already Breed Specific Legislation threatening awesome breeds such as rottweilers, dobermanns etc and no one I know especially owners/breeders of those types of dogs would want to add to the 'bad image' of their dogs!

Definitely no offence intended, the script is really cool, I just think it needs to have a different ending (unless I have misinterpreted!) but far be it from me to tell you how to write a script!

I wish you the best of luck.

-Fran"

His response:

"Hey Fran, I totally understand where you're coming from. I have a big sookie boxer who has her own sofa and every rotty I've ever met has had the demeanor of a teddy bear.

However, I disagree with the idea that Benji is a vicious killer. I'm using the character as a metaphor for male jealousy, and Benji's quiet, cunning scheming is more like human behavior than stereotypical canine aggression.

That said, I understand how it could be misinterpreted, and I don't want to hurt the reputation of amazing breeds like Rottweilers and Dobes. Perhaps if I preceded the film with a 3 minute doco about the misrepresentation of large dogs?

Thanks so much for the help you've already given me,

[name]"

Just wanted to update you all on that one.

He seems very genuine and like a very nice guy

[MonElite]

Yes.... as said in the email to Fran - I decided not to provide my dogs as the script has asked for several grows and barking at the owner, bailing her up in the bathroom for the night and at the end the dog was to carry a blood covered Tshirt of the owners boyfriend.

No matter what the metaphone was to be it would portray the dog in a bad light. Their ideal dog for the role was a brindle black rottie ( ) entire male.

Just as well I dont have brindles and all mine are females.

I have provided my dogs in the past for commercials and I dont have a problem with making my dogs to act out as if they are protecting the owner but this was the dog turning on its onwer and her boyfriend, attacking people he knows for no reason.

Fran should this guy want to change the script or require dobes for some other movies Ill be into it.

Edited September 23, 2010 by MonElite

[FranVT]

I am in full support of your position Mon

[FranVT]

At the request of the film-maker, posting this here:

Hey guys,

My name’s Will, I’m the director of the film.

Just wanted to give you guys some more details and hopefully allay any concerns you have about the script.

We were originally talking to a professional film animal wrangler who wanted us to use an “aggressive” and “dangerous” male rottweiler (who had almost certainly gained that temperament via bad treatment from the owner) for the growling shots and a more docile female for the cutaways. I refused and severed contact with them, as I am extremely uncomfortable with the idea of a dog being exploited and mistreated for an owner’s profit.

Also, at AFTRS we have a policy of clearing any shoot involving an animal with the RSPCA, and any shoot that can’t is a no-go until it can.

Unfortunately, they were the only professional animal wrangler I could find in Sydney, so we're a bit stuck as far as casting goes.

I’m a proud Boxer fanatic and my 11 year old Jumbles is the princess of the house. She’d be perfect for the role, but unfortunately can’t speak on cue and lacks the male endowments.

In regards to the script: Our film does deal with a dog who becomes a killer, and I completely understand your concerns about showing large breeds in a potentially negative light.

However, the art director, cinematographer and myself are working very hard to show visually and with soundtrack that this is not an ordinary situation.

We’re aiming to create a slightly demonic atmosphere, there’s an implication that the dog is a force of nature, a loyal friend who has been possessed by an evil power.

At no point in the film do we want to show the dog behaving in a wild or feral manner, at least not in a doggy sense, but rather going about it’s nefarious deeds like a cold, calculating villain. Even the moments in which he growls and barks are always preceded and followed by moments of menacing and curious stillness, and the final act of violence happens off camera.

We’re shooting in black and white, with lots of high and low angles to create that slightly surreal feeling.

I’d also be prepared to make a 3 minute documentary to accompany the film about the public’s misunderstanding of large breeds.

We’ll be shooting on location, it will be a small, easy-going set, the dog will most likely get a lot of attention and affection and every effort will be made for him to feel comfortable, and there will be catering for his human and the crew.

Our shooting dates are the 3rd – 5th of October, and we’d probably need our canine actor for one or two of those days, for about 6 – 7 hours maximum each day. Our budget is very small, but we can pay you and your furry counterpart $500 for your help.

It’s also worth noting that it’s unlikely that this film will be seen by a huge mainstream audience. For the time being it will mainly be for my assessment at film school, for my video reel and may at some stage be entered in some short film comps.

The script does state that the ideal casting would be of a black/brindle male rottweiler, but we’re completely open to casting a large or medium sized dog that has less of a mainstream prejudice against it, like a boxer, mastiff, black lab or even someone as small as a staffy. Also, black/brindle isn’t an absolute must, we just need him to be able look believably menacing.

Also, he doesn’t necessarily need to be able to growl/snarl, as if he can pull faces/talk/move his jowly bits up and down we can sync noise in on top of it in post-production.

Thanks heaps,

Will Colvin

[Dory the Doted One]

Ummmm.

If I'm getting this right...(and I doubt it)...the dog is meant to represent or be representative of the reactive animal nature of man?

So why does it have to be a big dog? Why not 'any' dog? If it is the FEMALE owner and the dogs possessive jealous tendency being used to highlight or be representative of these 'animal' instincts in 'man', why not REALLY make a statement and choose something that doesn't have a 'manly' connatation of 'strength' and 'power'? If it is to highlight the 'animal' potential, why not delineate that by using something not typically associated with 'tough' maleness and testoterone?

I have some Chihuahuas give me a right good scare. (No offence to Chi's, cos I've seen plenty the complete opposite). And then there was the time a SWF launched at me like a remake of the 'killer rabbit' scene in Monty Python's Holy Grail. (I laugh now, but the little sh*t killed my shirt and narrowly missed puncturing my abdomen).

But I may have this completely wrong (probably).

I just think as an audience member the message might be a little more poignant if it wasn't given such a stereotypical treatment. I mean, get me thinking for goodness sake! Don't just feed me the answer with such obvious and overused tools like guard/tough breeds gone bad.

[rotts4ever]

You might find anyone that is a member of a club or CC couldn't supply dogs for this as they could still be seen in a bad light (even if unjustified) and this is against some clubs code of ethics.

The shame is he will find some idiot security company to do it and the effect will be the same anyway in regards to typecasting some breeds as evil, aggressive or unpredictable (even though we know this is nonsense).

He has explained this is symbolic etc and I get where he is coming from but it doesn't take many to see things like this and the already seeded fear/ impression etc in peoples brains about certain breeds is fertilized further. Unfortunatley many hours of good PR are always forgotten from even just a couple of seconds of a certain breed shown in this light. Not everyone in our society can separate what is acting/symbolic from real life etc.

SAD BUT TRUE

I wish him luck with the project but I hope it isn't at the cost of more crap sticking to our dogs

Cheers Lee

[FranVT]

Ummmm.

If I'm getting this right...(and I doubt it)...the dog is meant to represent or be representative of the reactive animal nature of man?

So why does it have to be a big dog? Why not 'any' dog? If it is the FEMALE owner and the dogs possessive jealous tendency being used to highlight or be representative of these 'animal' instincts in 'man', why not REALLY make a statement and choose something that doesn't have a 'manly' connatation of 'strength' and 'power'? If it is to highlight the 'animal' potential, why not delineate that by using something not typically associated with 'tough' maleness and testoterone?

I have some Chihuahuas give me a right good scare. (No offence to Chi's, cos I've seen plenty the complete opposite). And then there was the time a SWF launched at me like a remake of the 'killer rabbit' scene in Monty Python's Holy Grail. (I laugh now, but the little sh*t killed my shirt and narrowly missed puncturing my abdomen).

But I may have this completely wrong (probably).

I just think as an audience member the message might be a little more poignant if it wasn't given such a stereotypical treatment. I mean, get me thinking for goodness sake! Don't just feed me the answer with such obvious and overused tools like guard/tough breeds gone bad.

I just want to really clarify that I don't know this person nor do I have any interest (financially or otherwise) in this movie. It was retweeted to me and I thought I'd ask if anyone was interested that's all. Just wanted to make that clear!

He has said that it doesn't have to be a big dog, he suggested a Stafford above I think? Still does have the manly connotation I suppose! I think your idea about using a small dog is awesome actually! I'm not sure if he's reading this thread but I might link him to it so he can read your responses for himself!

You might find anyone that is a member of a club or CC couldn't supply dogs for this as they could still be seen in a bad light (even if unjustified) and this is against some clubs code of ethics.

The shame is he will find some idiot security company to do it and the effect will be the same anyway in regards to typecasting some breeds as evil, aggressive or unpredictable (even though we know this is nonsense).

He has explained this is symbolic etc and I get where he is coming from but it doesn't take many to see things like this and the already seeded fear/ impression etc in peoples brains about certain breeds is fertilized further. Unfortunatley many hours of good PR are always forgotten from even just a couple of seconds of a certain breed shown in this light. Not everyone in our society can separate what is acting/symbolic from real life etc.

SAD BUT TRUE

I wish him luck with the project but I hope it isn't at the cost of more crap sticking to our dogs

Cheers Lee

Yep, that's what I'm worried about, that he will just get some ridiculous tough dude who will beat/trick his dog into doing the things he wants. BUT in saying that the guy has said he'll check it all with the RSPCA (no matter what you or I might think of the organisation at least that is in place) so at least the dog won't be treated badly HOPEFULLY argh I dunno.

Yes.

Your last sentence is what I totally agree with and what makes me uncomfortable about the script.

I should also highlight that he has said that not many people will actually see the movie it's just for a project Not making excuses just saying that at least if it sort of does turn out to be a negative view then that negative view won't be seen by many people.

I actually do think this guy has good intentions too.

[MonElite]

We're aiming to create a slightly demonic atmosphere, there's an implication that the dog is a force of nature, a loyal friend who has been possessed by an evil power.

At no point in the film do we want to show the dog behaving in a wild or feral manner, at least not in a doggy sense, but rather going about it's nefarious deeds like a cold, calculating villain. Even the moments in which he growls and barks are always preceded and followed by moments of menacing and curious stillness, and the final act of violence happens off camera.

We're shooting in black and white, with lots of high and low angles to create that slightly surreal feeling.

Hi Will

From the artistic point of view I can see what you are trying to create and yes it would be great.

BUT

no matter what you do this will portray the dog/breed in the wrong light.

Just the fact that you asked for a rottie tells me and others that you (and plenty others) associate certain breeds of the dogs with being killers.

Why not get a Golden Retriver or a cute white Maltese to do the role? If its not about the breed and the opinion of general public but about a dog possesed then any breed would do Id imagine.

Two of my dogs that would do the role no problem, they are females tho, but I also risk being thrown out from the Dobermann Club for it. (And people have been) Most codes of practice for clubs state that the members are not to allow the dogs to be portrayed in the bad light, and this is.

Plus your dog would have to be entire (not desexed) to show that it actually is a male, that might be an obsticle for you as well, many dogs get desexed these days.

A $500 payment is somewhat attractive to someone that a dog is trained to do those sort of things as it wouldnt take long to do. As I said my dogs can, but the opinion of my breed means more to me then few dollars. Its a shame that someone out there will probably jump at an an opportunity to earn quick $$ and will ruin it for the breeds.

You probably dont know this but many people believe in a myth that Dobermanns turn on their owners as their brain grows out bigger then they scalp, what I highlighted in your post almost would confirm the old wifes tale that people talk about.

Its the same for rotties, they too apparently turn on their owners....

The script does state that the ideal casting would be of a black/brindle male rottweiler, but we're completely open to casting a large or medium sized dog that has less of a mainstream prejudice against it, like a boxer, mastiff, black lab or even someone as small as a staffy. Also, black/brindle isn't an absolute must, we just need him to be able look believably menacing.

Rotties are not black brindle. That colour doesnt exisit in this particular breed.

Perhaps try an Afghan Hound, they do come in brindle ;) not sure about looking menacing

I'm a proud Boxer fanatic and my 11 year old Jumbles is the princess of the house. She'd be perfect for the role, but unfortunately can't speak on cue

For $250 Ill teach your dog to speak on cue

or get a cat to do the role...... maybe.....

Edited September 24, 2010 by MonElite