Molti Friends and customers often ask me whether there are schools in Italy for the preparation of dog actors, or just some good places to go for their dogs to participate in the so-called "casting film."
The activity of training animals for film was once done by the circus, who were able to provide, in addition to the animal required a number of extras and stunt man. Today
productions make use of specialized professionals of proven experience in the industry with a growing interest in the more complex figure 'of the animal trainer "(which deals with most animals), which is increasingly request and preferable to that of the trainer of "dog actors."
That said, I believe it is necessary to remark that the production from the first place (the script) have quite clear ideas on the dog they are interested.
In fact the authors in their imagination that would normally choose the subjects according to the message they want to give.
The dog, at the earliest stages of writing a movie or a commercial, is tall or short, small, medium or large size, of one race over another, with long hair or short, leaving little room for research "last minute" or simplistic.
From here one can easily imagine that the "casting" for dogs players in the exhibition industry, not exist or are almost useless in the case were brought by someone.
This does not mean that your dog might be of interest to a professional. It can happen, but it happens rarely, an animal trainer who uses animals that are not owned by him.
The reasons are many, starting with the unconditional trust (including each other) that the animal must have regard of the trainer (who wins special after much time and effort), leading to the preparation of various kinds of exercises pinpoint passing by a factor of safety.
In addition to this the cost of a set (thousands in € per hour - considering all relevant staff).
The director certainly can not answer << wait a minute>> or << the dog can not do this or that >>, or even worse << a moment and try again ... >>. "The moment" is very expensive productions and, quite rightly, do not ever allow.
For these and other reasons, therefore, proposals for "casting" dog actors have nothing to do with the real making of a film or a commercial, but still simple database of dogs (often not suitable under Profile temperament or training) that no production will look mai (perché non è così che li cercano).
Le produzioni conoscono bene i pochissimi rappresentanti di questa disciplina e nel caso in cui non ci fossero soggetti disponibili in quel momento, non rischiano migliaia di euro/ora con soggetti alternativi che non possono dare garanzie di riuscita, ma li cercano attraverso le agenzie estere (l'ultimo “Rex” è solo uno dei tanti esempi).
Poi c'è un mito da sfatare per quanto concerne la “bellezza” del cane: i cani per il cinema sono in prima battuta “ iper addestrati ”, in seconda battuta sono “ iper socializzati ” ed in terza sono caratteristici – non good or bad.
The film does not care much that the dog is champion ACCP, BOB, has won the world championships in morphology or is simply "beautiful" for the owner or the taste of the director. The proposal will normally be subject to the scrutiny of the "director of photography," which recognizes the specific function under the parameters and criteria of film (which are a different story).
Regarding the schools, becomes the first to ask one thing: why the trainers for the cinema are few trainers as "generics" are many? What's the difference between the two categories?
The answer is very simple: not all dogs can do the actors, so that no academy can ever make a human being an actor ... if the base is not the talent.
In the case of dogs this component must be actors from both sides, which makes it even more difficult.
First, then, should take a course in direction in order to learn to see the scene through the eyes of the director and not the trainer. Only in this way, acquiring the ability to interpret that need technical and creative (the director), we can begin with the specific training for the set.
courses directed, if well done, also help to know how to read the scripts in the correct way and then provide those characterizations that the dog dovrà necessariamente avere in un preciso contesto.
Dopo questo primo passo obbligatorio si passa all'addestramento per il set, sempre che il soggetto sia adatto per tale attività.
Il lavoro da quel momento è molto lungo e impostato sui “close up” (comandi facciali), sulla guida a distanza, sull'interazione naturale con gli estranei, sui comandi “non vocali” (a causa delle microfonature e dei dialoghi che rischiano di distrarre il cane o prevaricare addirittura la recitazione degli attori), sui “target” (il cane guarda o lavora in una direzione opposta a quella dell'addestratore senza un punto di riferimento) e sui movimenti in piccoli spazi (soprattutto quando si gira in interno).
schools for this particular activity not exist today in Italy, for the simple fact that the mix of studies is multidisciplinary, interdependent and time-consuming and, as a personal assessment, I do not recommend approaching the "clicker training". Dogs "clicked" their eyes maniacally fixed on the objective (usually animal trainer or the object of stage) and jerky (too quickly and often in a "robot") at the expense of naturalness and 'interpretation.
ethologically talking about, but still it is a personal opinion, the clicker is a training system that limits the mind of the dog, since it is based on "influence". A dog conditioned
will also be a trained dog (although we would have to discuss this very thing), but little able to take personal initiatives in particular situations, especially those in the film sets (the dog must understand what they are doing, in what context and why).
The advice I can give is to start with courses in directing, ethological and parallel approaches to the study of classical training, moving then to mess with a recognized animal trainer (properly evaluate its curriculum) who can give you those tools that can you grow in business.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C3pl7Psb5ic&feature=related
In this excerpt from the film "Something has changed" (Gracie Films - 1997 - Columbia / TreeStars Pictures) the sympathetic Brussels Griffon trained by my dear friend and colleague Roger Schumacher.
Note the confined spaces of work and the difficulty of the exercises (repeated several times in the same way by the way), as well as the use of targets and natural interpretation.
Many dogs do this series of repetitive exercises at home, it is true, but it is difficult to control, on a set with actors who do not know the dog, in the spotlight, being on time, in a clear shot without cuts never leave it, while maintaining the natural ... Try
to believe.
