Production Notes & Credits
Feb 17
FIREHOUSE DOG
Directed by..........................TODD HOLLAND
Written byCLAIRE-DEE LIM & MIKE WERB &
....................................MICHAEL COLLEARY
Produced by.........MICHAEL COLLEARY and
...................................................MIKE WERB
Director of Photography....VICTOR HAMMER
Production Designer.....TAMARA DEVERELL
Film Editor............SCOTT JAMES WALLACE
Co-Producer...............MICHAEL J. MASCHIO
Music by................................JEFF CARDONI
Music Supervisor..........PATRICK HOULIHAN
Costume Designer........JUDITH R. GELLMAN
JOSH HUTCHERSON
BRUCE GREENWOOD
DASH MIHOK
STEVEN CULP
BILL NUNN
BREE TURNER
SCOTCH ELLIS LORING
MAYTE GARCIA
TEDDY SEARS
Casting by.............MEG LIBERMAN CSA and
.......................................CAMI PATTON CSA
A TODD HOLLAND FILM
A REGENCY ENTERPRISES Presentation
A NEW REGENCY Production
Unit Production Manager..........ANNA BEBEN
First Assistant Director.......LIBBY HODGSON
Second Assistant Director.............TIM SINGH
CAST
DOGPATCH
Shane Fahey...............JOSH HUTCHERSON
Connor Fahey............BRUCE GREENWOOD
Joe Musto ....................................BILL NUNN
Lionel Bradford.......SCOTCH ELLIS LORING
Pep Clemente.......................MAYTE GARCIA
Terence Kahn ........................TEDDY SEARS
Rexxx/Dewey the Dog.......................ARWEN
...........................................................FRODO
...........................................................ROHAN
.......................................................STRYDER
Zachary Hayden ....................STEVEN CULP
Trey Falcon ..............................DASH MIHOK
Liz Knowles ...........................BREE TURNER
GREENPOINT
Jasmine “J.J.” Presley ...HANNAH LOCHNER
Captain Jessie Presley ....CLAUDETTE MINK
Burr Baldwin .............................SHANE DALY
Corbin Sellars..........................MATT COOKE
Felicity Hammer.................KATIE FINNERAN
Oscar ...........................BRANDON CRAGGS
Josh.........................................JOSEPH ZITA
Mrs. Renzi.......................KATHRYN HAGGIS
Captain Marc Fahey.............RANDY TRIGGS
Animal Control Officer ..........CARL BARLOW
Dapper Host ..............................DAN DURAN
Perky Co-Host.......................ZOE MUGFORD
City Official .........................ERIC WEINTHAL
Lionel’s Wife Tia ...........DORLY JEAN-LOUIS
Lionel’s Sons...........DIAVION HENNINGHAM
..................................D’JANO HENNINGHAM
Parachute Prop Guy .......JEFFREY R. SMITH
Neu Hotel Doorman STEVEN CARTWRIGHT
Policeman at Bridge ...........AARON ABRAMS
TV Field Reporter ................JAMES ARNOLD
Electrician ...........................DAN WILLMOTT
Tomato Truck Driver ...............B.J. McQUEEN
Mayor...................................PAUL STEPHEN
Picnic Trophy Presenter..RAMONA PRINGLE
Mayor’s Executive Assistant ...........................
...........................MAGDALENA ALEXANDER
Ceremony Reporters..............JOSEPH ADAM
........................................JOANNA BENNETT
Trey’s Limo Driver ........SEVAG SAGHERIAN
Crowd Members................DAVE GRIMSHAW
...........................SEAN LALLY, ISAAC OTON
............................................MICHAEL WOOD
Voice of Marc Fahey...............BOB KOHERR
Connor Stand-In............RAFAL MICKIEWICZ
Shane Stand-In..........................LAMA NAKIB
Stand-Ins........................CURTIS FLETCHER
.............................................YVETTE McKOY
Stunt Coordinator.................SHELLEY COOK
Stunt Shane..............................DAN BELLEY
..............................................SCOTTY COOK
Stunt Connor.....................WAYNE DOWNER
Stunt Joe..........................ROBERT THOMAS
Stunt Terence..............CHAD CAMMELERRI
Stunt Zachary Hayden/ Stunt Connor..............
................................................BILLY OLIVER
Stunt Lionel...................DARREN MARSMAN
Stunt Pep...............................LIISE KEELING
.............................................ALICIA TURNER
Additional Stunts by.......MIKE ARMSTRONG
................................RON BELL, BRAD BUNN
........SHANE CARDWELL, CURTIS HIBBERT
.....BLAIR JOHANNES, LAYTON MORRISON
.........................NICK NOLAN, SUE PARKER
................ED QUEFFELEC, ROBERT RACKI
......JOHN STONEHAM, Jr., BRIAN THOMAS
................................................LEN WAGNER
Photo Doubles..................ADRIAN GAGNON
.................KURTIS MORO, ALEX McGRATH
Associate Producer...................MITCH GLICK
Art Director................ALEKS MARINKOVICH
Set Decorator..................ZELJKA ALOSINAC
Set Designer..................JOSHU de CARTIER
Leadman.......................JOHN FM. CONNELL
Third Assistant Directors..PATRICK MURPHY
................ELIZABETH S.D. “DUFF” PARKER
..................................ANDREW PRITCHARD
Second Unit Director..JUSTIN KLARENBECK
Second Unit Director of Photography...............
..........................................PETER LUXFORD
Animals Provided by........................................
...............................BOONE’S ANIMALS FOR
.......................................HOLLYWOOD, INC.
Animal Coordinator ........URSULA BRAUNER
First Assistant Animal Trainer..........................
.......................................DAVID ALLSBERRY
Trainers....DEVON EVANS, SHAWN WEBER
Veterinarian......................DR. GREG USHER
“A” Camera Operator.MICHAEL (ENL) SOOS
First Assistant “A” Camera...............................
........................CHIRAYOUTH JIM SAYSANA
Second Assistant “A” Camera..........................
..........................................DARCIE McISAAC
Camera Loaders.....MICHAEL BLATCHFORD
.....................................MICHAEL MEAGHER
“B” Camera Operators.......MICHAEL SPICER
.........................................JOACHIM MARTIN
First Assistants “B” Camera.............................
.........ANDY JEKABSONS, ROB MOUNTJOY
Second Assistant “B” Camera..........................
........................................MICHAEL PURDON
Still Photographer...........BRUCE MACAULAY
Digital Video Assistant......PAUL THOMPSON
Video Playback.........MARK LEWANDOWSKI
Sound Mixer..........................HENRY EMBRY
Boom People.......................GAVIN COFORD
...........................................BRUCE MOFFITT
Cable Person.............................PAT CASSIN
Property Master...................DERYCK BLAKE
Assistant Property Master................................
.....................................CHARLES McGLYNN
Property Buyer..............THERESA BUCKLEY
Script Supervisor...............SUSAN MARUCCI
Script Supervisor – Splinter Unit......................
....................................SHEONA McDONALD
Gaffer....................................BRYAN FORDE
Best Boy Electric....................SAMUEL BOJIN
Best Boy Rigging Electric.................................
......................................MAREK KRAWCZYK
Key Rigging Gaffer..............DAVE BOUSKILL
Company Electrics.......DONALD CAULFIELD
......NIGEL DRAPER, THOMAS FENNESSEY
.............PHILIP GIGLIO, VINCENT GORDON
....................................................RL HANNAH
Key Grip..............................RICO EMERSON
Best Boy Grip...................SEAN BOURDEAU
Dolly Grip....................ROBERT COCHRANE
Company Grips......................STEVE COCKS
.....................ROBERT VIGUS, MARK WILLIS
Key Rigging Grips.................ROY ELLISTON
...........................................ROLAND GAUVIN
Best Boy Rigging Grips..MONGO ANDREWS
................................................JIM KRAUTER
Assistant Costume Designer ..........................
..........................................MARYA DUPLAGA
Set Costumers................MAUREEN CURTIN
........................................TRELAWNIE MEAD
Wardrobe Cutter...................ANGELA ELTER
Wardrobe Buyer ................JANE FLANDERS
Makeup Artist..............PATRICIA KEIGHRAN
Assistant Makeup Artist.................BRIAN HUI
Second Assistant Makeup Artist......................
............................................LINDA PRESTON
Hair Stylist....................VERONICA CIANDRE
Assistant Hair Stylist.............KELLY SHANKS
Second Assistant Hair Stylist...........................
..............................................DIVYO PUTNEY
Location Manager.........................TIM OWEN
Assistant Location Managers..........................
...................CORALIE BRADY, CHRIS DUNN
...........................................CRAIG JACKSON
Location Production Assistants.......................
.................................“PAPA” JOE GASPARIK
............................................STANLEY LIDON
Production Coordinator.ADRIAN SHEEPERS
Special Effects.....ACME SPECIAL EFFECTS
Special Effects Coordinator.............................
.......................................WARREN APPLEBY
Key Special Effects......SHOUBA DASGUPTA
.........................DAVE HILL, TIM LINDSTONE
First Assistant Special Effects.MARCUS RAIT
Animatronics Supervisor.WALTER KLASSEN
Animatic Creator.......JOHN BAUMGARTNER
Animatic Sound Design by..............................
............SEANN DOUGHERTY, BRETT VOSS
Construction Coordinator................................
.............................MARC KUITENBROUWER
Construction Auditor.........ROBERT STEINER
Head Carpenter.............ANTHONY MAINELLI
Assistant Head Carpenter...............................
..........................................STEVEN CONNER
Second Assistant Head Carpenter..................
.........................................PAUL JEFFERSON
On Set Carpenters............AVELINO MIGUEZ
...NIGEL LEWIS, MICHAEL ANTHONY BUNT
Paint Foreperson/Key Scenic Painter .............
....................................ROSSANA DECAMPO
Assistant Scenic Painter..............JAK OLIVER
Head Painter......................ANDREW EVANS
Assistant Head Painter.......CHERYL FISHER
On Set Painter ...............JANET LEE CHONG
Production Accountant....R. BRADLEY DAVIS
First Assistant Accountant......ROBERT LANE
First Assistant Accountant – Canada ..............
..........................CHRISTINA SPIROPOULOS
Second Assistant Accountants........................
.............................................ANDRE PAQUIN
.........................KEVIN MICHAEL SCHEMBRI
.........................................STEVE SHERIDAN
Payroll Accountant...........MICHELLE RAMEZ
Assistant Payroll Accountant.....MARK BILAS
American Sign Language Consultant...............
....................................ANSELMO DeSOUSA
Fire & Rescue Services Provided by................
..1ST UNIT FIRE & SAFETY (CANADA), INC.
Firefighter Coordinators and Technical
Advisors......DAVID I. SMITH, ALAN SUTTON
Firefighters..........................CRAIG BOWMAN
.........SHELDON DESEA, DAVE GRIMSHAW
..........BRIAN McALINDEN, ROB McDONALD
............STEVE McQUEEN, RANDY MURELL
........................GUY WILSON, BILL WRIGHT
Assistant to Producers – Los Angeles.............
.................................................MATT LOGAN
Assistant to Producers – Toronto.....................
.......................................MICHAEL KESSLER
Assistant to Mr. Holland – Los Angeles............
............................................SARA WOOMER
Assistant to Mr. Holland – Toronto...................
.......................................CASSIDY WATKINS
Assistant Production Coordinator ....................
...................................MORGAN HUNWICKS
Production Secretary.....MICHELLE K. SMITH
Production Assistant.....BROMLEY SWITZER
First Assistant Art DirectorsJASON GRAHAM
..........................................DAWN H. FISHER
Second Assistant Art Directors........................
......J. RYAN HALPENNY, ITSUKO KURONO
Art Department Coordinator ............................
..............................LINDA “DUSTY” REEVES
Storyboard Artist............GIACOMO GHIAZZA
Art Department Apprentice.BRITT DOUGHTY
Art Department Production Assistant...............
........................................CLAIRE HODGSON
Set Decorating Buyer...........KARI MEASHAM
Lead On Set Dresser.......................................
..........................DENNISTON KARL BROWN
On Set Dresser.........DAVID ORIN CHARLES
Set Dressers.........................J. TRACY BUDD
.................................................DAN CONLEY
Key Greens.....................TERRY McGAURAN
Craft Service.......................MICHELE HAMEL
..........................................KATHY LOCHWIN
Unit Publicist..........................LISA SHAMATA
Security.................BARBARA J. DOUCETTE
............................................DEBBIE HOWES
Set Medics...............CHRISTOPHER WERBY
.....................................................KELLY LEE
Studio Teachers.........LAUREL BRESNAHAN
.............PAT JACKSON, CHRISTINE MILLER
Tutors........................CHRISTOPHER LEWIS
........................................BARBARA SLATER
Casting Associate........ELIZABETH BARNES
Casting Assistant..............PAMELA FRAZIER
Canadian Casting by..............TINA GERUSSI
Additional Casting – Vancouver .....................
..........................................MICHELLE ALLEN
New York Casting by...SUSAN SHOPMAKER
Extras Casting......................RITA BERTUCCI
Transportation Coordinator.....DANA HOWES
Transportation Captain.........JIM BEAUDROW
Transportation Co-Captain.WAYNE IRELAND
Picture Car Captains.............ROBERT DAVIS
....................................................BRYAN LEE
Picture Car Co-Captain...................................
.....................................DAVID GREENBLATT
POST PRODUCTION
Post Production Supervisor.............................
..................................JEFFREY HARLACKER
Additional Editor.............TODD FULKERSON
Visual Effects Editor.JAMES ANDRYKOWSKI
Visual Effects Assistant Editor.........................
.............................................J.P. BERNARDO
Visual Effects Production Supervisor...............
...............................................GREG BAXTER
Post Production Coordinator..BRIAN FARLEY
Post Production Assistant..CORY COLLINGS
Supervising Sound Editor......SUSAN DAWES
Sound Effects Editor...........DOUG JACKSON
Assistant Sound Editor............JAMIE HARDT
Dialogue Editors.....................ROBERT TROY
......................................................R.J. KIZER
Foley Supervisor..............JOHN M. MURRAY
Foley Editors..........WILLARD OVERSTREET
..................................................CHRIS FLICK
Foley Artists..................ALICIA STEVENSON
...............................................DAWN FINTOR
Foley Mixer.................DAVID BETANCOURT
Re-Recording Mixers.................JON TAYLOR
................................CHRISTIAN P. MINKLER
Recordists...............................UNSUN SONG
.................................................CRAIG MANN
Re-Recording Engineer..........JEFF MALHAM
Mixed at.........Todd-AO RADFORD STAGE S
ADR Mixers...................................DOC KANE
....TOM O’CONNELL, CHARLEEN STEEVES
ADR Recordists........JEANETTE BROWNING
...............RICK CANELLI, DAVID LUCARELLI
ADR Stages....................DISNEY – STAGE B
.....TWENTIETH CENTURY FOX STUDIOS –
..........................MARILYN MONROE STAGE
..............................WARNER BROS. – ADR 3
Supervising Music Editor ................................
.........................MICHAEL T. RYAN, M.P.S.E.
Music Editing by.......................MAD 4 MUSIC
Score Supervisor............AUDREY deROCHE
Orchestral Contractors............SIMON JAMES
................................................DAVID SABEE
Music Preparation by.ROBERT PUFF MUSIC
Score Consultant...........GUSTAVO BORNER
Music Clearance and Legal Services
Provided by................CHRISTINE BERGREN
Preview Projection Engineer.....LEE TUCKER
Voice Casting..................SCOTCH & WALLA
Loop Group Voices..........................................
........................PATRICK BRIAN McCOLLUM
...........JOE COSTANZA, SCOTT DIRECTOR
...........JACKIE EMERSON, JULIA GLANDER
....................................JOHN R. HARTMANN
...............LEE WARREN JONES, JAY KRICH
..TAYLOR LAUTNER, SAVANNAH RAE LINZ
................TIM LOUNIBOS, JENNY MURANO
......ARMANDO ORTEGA, LAUREN PATTEN
...........................BLAIRE BOND RESTANEO
.................GUSTAVO REX, MICAH SAUERS
....................................CHARLES SHANAIAN
..................................YOLANDA SNOWBALL
..........................JENNIFER LEIGH WARREN
Negative Cutter.....................GARY BURRITT
Lab Color Timer.........................JIM PASSON
Additional Post Coordinator...JASON MILLER
Digital Intermediate Sequence Color
Timing ..................................................EFILM
Digital Color Timer.................STEVE BOWEN
End Titles by..................SCARLET LETTERS
Scanning and Recording by..........CINE-BYTE
...............................................PACIFIC TITLE
Chapman Camera Dollies Provided by............
........................................WILLIAM F. WHITE
................INTERNATIONAL, INC. – CANADA
Chapman Camera Cranes Provided by...........
.....................CHAPMAN/LEONARD STUDIO
.........................................EQUIPMENT, INC.
Visual Effects by..............................................
........................C.O.R.E. DIGITAL PICTURES
Visual Effects Supervisor.......KYLE MENZIES
On-Set Visual Effects Supervisor.....................
.................................................MARTIN TORI
Visual Effects Production Manager..................
.................................CARRIE RICHARDSON
Visual Effects Coordinators..............................
......................TRACY BLAGDON, LISA REID
TD.................................KELVIN KANAGARAJ
...........................................KEN OUELLETTE
3D Digital Artists...............BRIAN DAVIDSON
...JULIO DEL HIERRO, MATTHEW HORNER
....DAVE OLIVARES, MAHMOUD RAHNAMA
...............................AMIR SHACHAR, JIM SU
..........JI HYUNG SUNG, ROBERT ZWIRNER
Senior Compositors.......LISA CARR-HARRIS
.....................MARIA GORDON, DANIEL LEE
......MARK THOMAS-STUBBS, TRACEY VAZ
......................................ALPHONSO YOUNG
Compositors.........................MICHAEL BECKI
..................INSUNG CHOI, TONY CYBULSKI
......PAUL DeOLIVEIRA, DI HE, TINA McGILL
......................ROUBINA , MESSERKHANIAN
...........................JOE RAASCH, RICK SMITH
................JAY STANNERS, TIM TOWNSEND
Research and Development........JASON ANG
.....................................................ROB PIEKE
Systems Department.............EUGENE FUNG
..................................IAIN ROYLE, SAM SUH
Additional Visual Effects by.............................
..........DIGITAL DIMENSION, BURBANK, CA
Additional Visual Effects and
Title Design by.....................MARK RAKOCY,
.........................................TOLUCA LAKE, CA
Digital Opticals and Visual Effects by..............
............................HANDMADE DIGITAL, INC.
SONGS
I FOUGHT THE LAW
Written by Sonny Curtis
Performed by Jeff Cardoni featuring Scott
Warren
MARIAVE
Traditional
Arranged by Paul Bonneau
Performed by Studio Musicians
Courtesy of 5 Alarm Music
THE ENVY
Written by Melissa Ritter and Doug
DeAngelis
Performed by Luscious Redhead
JAZZ ON A SUMMER’S DAY
Written and Performed by Cliff Hall
Courtesy of FirstCom
STOP PRESS
Written and Performed by John Cameron
Courtesy of FirstCom
FLIRT
Written and Performed by Cliff Hall
Courtesy of FirstCom
GOOD LIFE
Written by Kristian Ottestad
Performed by The Getaway People
Courtesy of Columbia Records
By arrangement with SONY BMG MUSIC
ENTERTAINMENT
LADY IS A VAMP
Written and Performed by Emanuel Kallins,
Chieli Minucci
and Steve Skinner
Courtesy of FirstCom
COME ON
Written and Performed by Chad Fischer
Courtesy of Lookout Sound
OUR LIVES
Written by Alex Band and Aaron Kamin
Performed by The Calling
Courtesy of RCA Records
By arrangement with SONY BMG MUSIC
ENTERTAINMENT
BAD TO THE BONE
Written and Performed by George
Thorogood
Courtesy of Capitol Records
Under license from EMI Film & Television
Music
OMINOUS INTERLUDE
Written and Performed by Alfred Ralston
Courtesy of Opus 1 Music Library
MOVE ALONG
Written by Tyson Ritter and Nick Wheeler
Performed by The All American Rejects
Courtesy of Interscope Records
Under license from Universal Music
Enterprises
COUNT ON ME
Written by Todd Herfindal, Kevin Houlihan
and
Scott Warren
Performed by The Meadows
LOST TILL I FOUND YOU
Written and Performed by Scotch Ellis
Loring
THE PRODUCER(S) WISH TO THANK
THE FOLLOWING FOR THEIR
ASSISTANCE:
THE FIRE DEPARTMENTS OF THE CITY
AND COUNTY OF LOS ANGELES
THE ONTARIO MEDIA DEVELOPMENT
CORPORATION
THE TORONTO FILM AND TELEVISION
OFFICE
THE HAMILTON FILM LIAISON OFFICE
TORONTO FIRE SERVICES
CONCORD ADEX DEVELOPMENTS
CORPORATION
THE TORONTO HARBOUR
COMMISSION
SIEMENS CANADA LIMITED
THE GREATER TORONTO AIRPORTS
AUTHORITY
THE FAIRMONT ROYAL YORK HOTEL
“MALCOLM IN THE MIDDLE” Footage
courtesy of Regency Television. All rights
reserved.
Football footage courtesy of the
CANADIAN FOOTBALL LEAGUE.
Color and Prints by DELUXE®
Filmed with
PANAVISION ® (logo)
Cameras and Lenses
FUJI FILM STOCK
DOLBY STEREO (logo)
In Selected Theatres
DTS (logo)
American Humane Association monitored
the animal action. No animal was harmed
in the making of this film. (AHA 01069)
(logo)
Approved No. 42566 (MPAA Globe)
MOTION PICTURE ASSOCIATION OF
AMERICA
IATSE “Bug”
Copyright © 2006 by Regency
Entertainment (USA), Inc. in the U.S.
Copyright © 2006 by Monarchy Enterprises
S.a.r.l. in the rest of the world.
All Rights Reserved.
Regency Entertainment (USA), Inc. and
Monarchy Enterprises S.a.r.l. are the
authors of this motion picture for purposes
of copyright and other laws.
REGENCY and Regency’s “R” logo are
registered trademarks of Monarchy
Enterprises S.a.r.l.
The events, characters and firms depicted
in this photoplay are fictitious. Any
similarity to actual persons, living or dead,
or to actual events or firms is purely
coincidental.
The Disclaimer, if appropriate (i.e., to be
used on films which are not meant to depict
real people or events), should appear
immediately before the Piracy Clause.
Ownership of this motion picture is
protected by copyright and other applicable
laws, and any unauthorized duplication,
distribution or exhibition of this motion
picture could result in criminal
prosecution as well as civil liability.
In Association With
LUNA PICTURES LIMITED
Rex, Hollywood's top-grossing canine, is known for his extreme
athletic abilities and diva-like demeanor. His perks package, rivaling that of
any A-list celebrity, includes Kobe beef, a poodle harem, and a diamond
collar.
Rex’s luck – and Hollywood high life – runs out while shooting a
commercial; an aerial stunt goes awry, leading Rex’s handlers to presume
he’s dead. But Rex is merely lost – alone, filthy and unrecognizable in an
unfamiliar city. Chased by animal control, he takes refuge in grubby
abandoned lofts, a far cry from his former luxurious lifestyle.
Shane Fahey (Josh Hutcherson), a bright but rebellious 12-year-
old, has exasperated his father Connor (Bruce Greenwood) for the
umpteenth time. A single parent and captain of the rundown inner city fire
station known as Dogpatch, Connor is charged with inspiring the sad-sack
company: veteran and firehouse cook Joe Musto (Bill Nunn), the super-fit
and strong-willed mother hen Pepita “Pep” Clemente (Mayte Garcia), the
exhausted family-man Lionel Bradford (Scotch Ellis Loring), and the
calendar-worthy rookie Terence Kahn (Teddy Sears). The team is still
coping with the recent loss of their former captain, Connor’s brother. Shane
is also troubled by his uncle’s death, and he’s been acting out by ditching
school.
As Connor reprimands Shane for his unruly behavior, Dogpatch
gets a call to put out a blaze tearing through the lofts where Rex has been
hiding Trapped on the loft’s burning roof, Rex makes a death-defying leap
and is rescued by Connor. Once they are safe on the ground, Shane is
tasked with finding the mutt’s owner.
The pompous, fastidious Rex and the troubled, messy Shane
immediately clash. Unaware of Rex’s true identity, Shane becomes his
reluctant new master. But his attitude changes when he discovers Rex’s
spectacular skills, which the firefighters put to use during rescue calls.
Inspired by the dog’s talent and courage, Dogpatch makes Rex its
mascot. It’s just the boost the company needs – and what Shane and
Connor need to help bring them together. But Rex’s fame has drawn the
attention of his Hollywood handlers who want him back – while father and
son face a deadly challenge from an unexpected source.
FIREHOUSE DOG originated with an idea – a “dog movie” mandate
– from screenwriter Claire-Dee Lim, who approached two former UCLA
classmates, the writing-producing team of Mike Werb and Michael Colleary
about turning the idea into a film. For Werb and Colleary, In addition to
providing the chance to make a fun, family picture, Lim’s idea allowed the
two filmmakers to explore the reality versus the fantasy of dogs that perform
in films. “Having worked with dogs on a previous project, we were struck by
the irony of their portrayals in many Hollywood pictures,” says Werb. “Dogs
that perform in filmed entertainment are nothing like their on-screen
characters so beloved by audiences.” Adds Colleary: “With so many rules
surrounding these actor-dogs, they seemed more like workers than the dogs
we grew up with. Actor-dogs can’t be touched or even looked at by anyone
other than their trainers.”
Werb approached his friend and colleague Todd Holland about
directing what became FIREHOUSE DOG. “In taking on FIREHOUSE DOG,
I was motivated by a love of dogs and great respect for relationships with
dogs,” Holland continues. “My own dog Rosebud taught me so much about
life and love.”
Werb and Colleary made their title character, Rex, more than just a
character that supports the human story – or who serves only to make
trouble and act cute. “We wanted to make a movie where the dog had as
strong a personality as any human in the film,” says Werb. “This was a
challenge, given that Rex cannot speak. But Rex is definitely a personality;
he’s a fusion of every horrible superstar and their perk package with a little
operatic diva thrown in for good measure.”
The filmmakers were also determined to incorporate an adult
perspective. “I thought it would be fun for adults watching the film to be able
to pull back the curtain on Hollywood’s canine stars,” Colleary states. “The
film definitely has a satiric perspective about contemporary Hollywood and
how people lose perspective when a star is involved.” Adds screenwriter
Claire-Dee Lim, “FIREHOUSE DOG is a film for everyone. It is a full on
action comedy with a lot of heart.”
The search for the canine star to play Rex was challenging.
Prospective candidates had to be agile, athletic and small enough to fit
inside a drum, yet large enough to intimidate the story’s villain. It couldn’t be
a celebrity dog (such as Benji or Lassie), and it had to walk a fine line
between realism and a bigger-than-life quality. “It’s quite simple: We have to
believe that Rex is the smartest, most athletic dog on the face of the earth,
yet be recognizable as a real dog,” says Colleary.
As they began the canine casting process, the filmmakers
consulted dog breeding guides, which helped them exclude breeds that
wouldn’t work for the film. Then, Holland explains, the production team
“interviewed” dogs and dog trainers, ultimately bringing aboard a quartet of
Irish terriers to portray Rex. under the watchful eye of trainer Ursula Brauner
(from Boone’s Animals for Hollywood, which provides animals and trainers
for movies). “Casting Rex was a unique experience even though I’ve done a
lot of work with dogs,” says Brauner. “FIREHOUSE DOG uses every single
trick you can imagine to get Rex’s ‘performance.’ We had four trainers on
location and four dogs – named Stryder, Frodo, Arwen and Rohan – who
played Rex, or served as stunt doubles and stand-in dogs.
“We got these dogs specifically for this movie,” Brauner continues.
“This is their first ‘acting’ experience so we had to teach them everything
from scratch.” Because Rex doesn’t speak, he has to convey emotions
through physical expression and behavior – and with a little help from
computer generated imagery.
The stunning red headed Irish terriers who play Rex won the hearts
of cast and crew of FIREHOUSE DOG. Many bonded with the animals,
even though Irish terriers are a spirited breed. ”Working with dogs on
movies like this requires creating a bond and a trust with the dogs and
getting them used to the absolute madness of filmmaking,” explains Brauner.
“It’s work for the dogs because they are exposed to so many different
environments on the set, such as fire, ringing bells, and lights and cameras.
As we build trust with the dogs, they come to understand that if they stay
connected to us, they will be able to ignore everything else.”
Casting the young man to play Shane was much easier than finding
the canine lead. Regency Enterprises had just finished shooting “Little
Manhattan” starring Josh Hutcherson, and executives at the studio
suggested the filmmakers have a look at his performance. Five minutes into
the screening, Claire-Dee Lim exclaimed, “Look, it’s Shane!”
Todd Holland spent the day with Josh and his mother Michelle on
the Vancouver set of “R.V.,” where Josh was working alongside Robin
Williams. “I felt confident that Josh was Shane after our meeting, and during
shooting, he surpassed my already high expectations,” says Holland. “I’ve
worked with a lot of famous kids, and Josh is at the top of the heap. He’s
smart, hard working and brings a great energy to the set.”
The fact that Josh loves dogs and has one of his own was
invaluable to his working opposite the “Rexes.” “Josh had a big job in terms
of working with the animals,” says Brauner. “He had to get acclimated to
four different dogs and that takes a lot of patience and confidence even for
an adult.”
“Working with the dogs was fun but also a big challenge,” adds
Josh Hutcherson. “In one scene where I’m crying, and the dog has to come
in and hit his mark and the trainer is saying, ‘Sit, sit, sit’, and I have to weave
my lines between the trainer working with the dog, it’s tough. It is hard for
me to get in touch with my emotions when there is such a lot going on
around me. But the dog trainers and the dogs in this movie are amazing and
so well trained.”
Veteran actor Bruce Greenwood portrays Shane’s father, Connor.
“I can’t imagine anyone else in that role,” says Holland. “Bruce and Josh
look alike and developed an immediate father-son chemistry that is palpable
on screen.” “I liked the story right away,” says Greenwood. “It is a really
sweet tale about a bunch of misfits who get it together to overcome odds that
seem insurmountable at the beginning, and they are helped by the
inspirational friendship of this young man and his dog.”
Like Hutcherson, Greenwood summoned extra patience to work
with the dogs. “I accepted early on that the process was not about me and
that I was just a cog in the engine of a much bigger machine,” he smiles.
Holland says the rest of the ensemble came together in a “lovely
balance” – with Mayte Garcia as the firehouse’s mother hen, Bill Nunn as
the oldtimer, Scotch Ellis Loring as the committed family man, and Teddy
Sears as the eager-to-please newcomer. Dash Mihok and Bree Turner, who
portray Rex’s master and producer, respectively, were a selfless duo in their
elaborate scenes with the dogs, which required of them, says Holland, “the
patience of saints.” In addition, the director was “selfishly quite pleased with
the timing of the demise of Steven Culp’s character on ‘Desperate
Housewives’ because it freed up his schedule and gave us the perfect Zach,”
a local politician who is Connor’s close friend and a former Dogpatch
firefighter.
After 16 weeks of dog training and pre-production, FIREHOUSE
DOG began principal photography in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Holland
embraced the chance to reunite with such previous collaborators as
production designer Tamara Deverell, cinematographer Victor Hammer, co-
producer Michael J. Maschio, and costume designer Judith Gellman.
Together, they faced the daunting tasks presented by three simple words:
Dog. Boy. Fire.
A child actor has a shorter work day than adults, the dogs required
a lot of rehearsal time with the trainer, and the scenes requiring pyrotechnics
required much planning and preparation to ensure accuracy and safety.
“No one could have predicted everything we’d have to deal with on
this picture because there were so many variables,” explains Todd Holland.
“This is the ‘little dog movie’ where the only thing small is the dog!”
Seeing first-hand how much skill and effort (and a few secret tricks)
goes in to training animals was a fascinating experience for Holland. “I’m
used to pushing and getting a lot in the time I have, but dogs just can’t be
pushed, and no one worked harder on this movie than the dog trainers,” says
the director. “Ursula and her team cared so much and I have infinite respect
for what they do.” Holland soon came to terms with the situation,
surrendering, as he says, to the “almighty dog.”
ABOUT THE CAST
In his short career, 13-year-old JOSH HUTCHERSON (Shane
Fahey) has worked with many of Hollywood's finest actors and directors.
Hutcherson stars in “Bridge To Terabithia,” which filmed in New Zealand.
Based on Katherine Paterson's novel and directed by Gabor Csupo, the film
tells the powerful story of a boy (Hutcherson) whose life is changed forever
when he befriends the class outsider. Hutcherson was seen in April 2006 in
“RV,” co-starring as Robin Williams’ son for director Barry Sonnenfeld.
In 2005, Hutcherson starred in the critically acclaimed Fox/New
Regency film “Little Manhattan.” Directed by Mark Levin and Jennifer
Flackett, the film co-stars Bradley Whitford and Cynthia Nixon. Hutcherson
also starred opposite Tim Robbins in the Jon Favreau-directed adventure
film “Zathura,” in which Josh plays a young man who plays a mysterious
game and gets swept away on an improbable and perilous adventure into
outer space.
His film credits include “Kicking and Screaming” in which he co-
stars with Will Ferrell and Robert Duvall. Hutcherson also voiced a lead
character in the English-language release of Hayao Miyazaki's anime
“Howl's Moving Castle.”
In 2004, the young actor shared duties with Tom Hanks as the
character of Hero Boy in Warner Brothers’ hit “The Polar Express,” a
groundbreaking film using motion performance capture for its characters.
Hutcherson's television credits include the TNT telepic “Wilder
Days,” with Peter Falk, the Animal Planet feature “Miracle Dogs” and guest
appearances on NBC's “ER,” Lifetime's “The Division” and ABC's “Line of
Fire.”
Josh’s hobbies include cars, bowling, soccer and competing in
triathlons. He likes to play his guitar and is trying his hand at writing songs.
Hutcherson resides with his mom, dad, and his younger brother Connor, in
Kentucky.
BRUCE GREENWOOD (Connor Fahey) earned rave reviews for
his portrayal of John F. Kennedy in the Cuban missile crisis drama “Thirteen
Days.” His more recent film credits include “Capote,” “I Robot,” “Being Julia”
and “Racing Stripes.”
Until “Thirteen Days,” Greenwood was best known as the husband-
victim-villain in “Double Jeopardy” with Tommy Lee Jones and Ashley Judd.
But his greatest acclaim had come from his work in independent film: as the
grieving father in Atom Egoyan's searing “The Sweet Hereafter,” for which he
received a Canadian Oscar® nomination as Best Actor, and for his star turn
in Egoyan’s earlier “Exotica.”
In demand by studios and independent filmmakers, he continues to
work for both. In the past few years he has appeared in the features
“Below,” “Republic of Love,” “Ararat” (his third film with Egoyan), “Swept
Away,” “The Core” and “Hollywood Homicide.”
Greenwood’s big break came in the mid-'80s when, as Dr. Seth
Griffin in the acclaimed television series “St. Elsewhere,” he established
himself as a leading man. During the next ten years he worked constantly,
starring in television movies and series including the short-lived, deeply
revered “Nowhere Man” (1995-96).
DASH MIHOK (Trey Falcon) has been in a variety of independent
and big-budget movies, the most recent of which include “Kiss, Kiss, Bang,
Bang,” “Hollywoodland,” “The Day After Tomorrow,” “Connie and Carla” and
“Mojave.”
Much of the New York native's early work was lensed in his
hometown. Mihok had guest spots on the NYC-filmed dramas "New York
Undercover,” "NYPD Blues” and "Law & Order.” He made his starring film
debut in the 1994 racially-themed independent feature "Black Is White"
before receiving strong reviews for his role as a mentally-unbalanced young
man in the CBS TV-movie thriller "Murderous Intent.” An appearance in
Barry Levinson's hard-hitting "Sleepers" followed. Mihok first gained real
notice with his featured role in Baz Luhrmann's modern take on "William
Shakespeare’s Romeo + Juliet.” He also appeared in “The Perfect Storm”
and “The Thin Red Line.”
STEVEN CULP’s (Zachary Hayden) most recent role as Rex Van
De Kamp on the hit series “Desperate Housewives” earned him a SAG
Award™ for outstanding performance by an ensemble in a comedy series.
The show also received a Golden Globe® for best television series --
musical or comedy, a People’s Choice Award, and it was selected as a 2004
AFI TV Program of the Year.
In 2000 Culp won critical acclaim for his performance as Robert F.
Kennedy in the film "Thirteen Days" alongside Bruce Greenwood. The film is
set during the two-week Cuban missile crisis in October of 1962. Other films
include "The Emperor's Club," "Spartan," "Nurse Betty," "James and the
Giant Peach," "Fearless,” and "Dead Again." His most recent movie, the
independent feature "The Sisters," is an adaptation of Anton Chekhov's
drama "Three Sisters.”
BILL NUNN (Joe Musto) is best known from his portrayal of Robby
Robertson in “Spider-Man” and “Spider-Man 2.” He made his feature debut in
fellow Morehouse College graduate Spike Lee's “School Daze,” and also
appeared in Lee’s “Do the Right Thing,” “Mo' Better Blues” and “He Got
Game.”
Nunn played Harrison Ford's physical therapist in “Regarding
Henry” and Whoopi Goldberg's protector in “Sister Act.” Additional film
credits include “Things to Do in Denver When You’re Dead,” “The Legend of
1900,” “The Hungry Bachelor’s Club,” “Kiss the Girls,” ”The Last Seduction,”
“New Jack City,” “Mad City,” “Extreme Measures,” “The People I Know,”
“Runaway Jury,” “White Lie,” “Candyman: Farewell to the Flesh,” “Always
Outnumbered” and “Money Train.”
Nunn turned in fine performances as Tim Roth's adoptive father in
“La Leggenda del pianista sull'oceano,” Giuseppe Tornatore's first English-
language feature. He had featured roles in "People I Know,” with Al Pacino,
and in the prison thriller "Lockdown.”
Nunn has found time to do numerous television pilots and three
series. He was in the CBS series "Traps" with George C. Scott, sitcom "Local
Heroes" for NBC and the critically acclaimed "The Job" with Denis Leary on
ABC. He has appeared on episodes of "Chicago Hope,” "Touched By an
Angel,” "New York Undercover" and "Millennium" among others. His
extensive stage work includes his performance in the Tony® Award winning,
Broadway production of “A Raisin in the Sun” as well as roles in “Fences,” “A
Soldier’s Play,” “Lesson From Aloes,” “MacBeth,” “Blues for an Alabama
Sky,” and “Everybody’s Ruby.”
ABOUT THE FILMMAKERS
TODD HOLLAND (Director) has helmed nearly 250 episodes of
critically acclaimed television, two feature films, received three Emmy®
Awards, five CableAce Awards, seven Emmy nominations, a DGA award, six
DGA nominations and two of TV Guide’s “100 Greatest Television Episodes
of All Time.”
Holland was executive producer and director of the runaway hit
series, “Malcolm in the Middle,” which became one of America’s most lauded
and popular shows.
Todd co-created, directed and executive-produced the wickedly
offbeat dramedy “Wonderfalls.” Holland first displayed his flair for dramatic
suspense in HBO’s critically acclaimed “Vietnam War Stories” (1998). He
followed that with several episodes of “Twin Peaks” and a CableAce Award
for his episode of “Tales From the Crypt,” in which actor Jon Lovitz went to
murderous lengths to obtain a role. In 2002 Holland directed and executive
produced the pilot “The Time Tunnel,” a remake of the classic 1966 Irwin
Allen series. It was preceded by “Freakylinks,” the third of Holland’s pilots to
be picked up in three years, following “Malcolm” and “D.C.,” a one-hour WB
drama executive-produced by “Law & Order’s” Dick Wolf.
Holland honed his comedic skills as a key creative force behind
HBO’s “The Larry Sanders Show,” one of the most honored series of the last
decade. Holland directed 52 episodes during the show’s six seasons,
picking up an Emmy Award, five CableAce Awards, four Emmy nominations
and four DGA nominations along the way.
Holland’s ability to gracefully traverse genres and photographic
styles is evident in his early work, a panoply of venerated and beloved
television programming that includes “Felicity,” “Tracy Takes On,” “Friends,”
“Twin Peaks,” “Max Headroom” and “My So-Called Life.”
In addition to his impressive television credits, Holland also has
directed two feature films: the 1998 comedy “Krippendorf’s Tribe,” starring
Richard Dreyfus, Jenna Elfman and Lily Tomlin, as well as the 1989 release,
“The Wizard,” starring Beau Bridges, Christian Slater and Fred Savage.
MICHAEL COLLEARY (Screenwriter, Producer) attended UCLA
film school where he earned several awards for excellence in screenwriting.
After graduating, he teamed up with fellow alumnus Mike Werb to pen
“Face/Off,” which The New York Times named one of the best 1000 movies
ever made.
Recent credits include “Lara Croft: Tomb Raider” starring Angelina
Jolie, and the WB series “Tarzan.” Their active projects include a film-
adaptation of the best-selling arena-fighting video game "Tekken,” "The
Divide" for John Woo, and "Prophets of the Ghost Ants" for A Band Apart.
Los Angeles native MIKE WERB (Screenwriter, Producer) attended
Stanford where he majored in one thing after another. Turning to writing, he
entered the UCLA Master’s Program in Screenwriting. He has since worked
for every major studio.
Werb’s big break was writing the screenplay for the hit Jim Carrey
comedy “The Mask,” but he is also proud of the direct-to-video sequel
“Darkman 3: Die, Darkman, Die!” and his giant rats-attack-a-college campus
epic “Gnaw: Food Of The Gods, Part 2,” as well as his ‘Romancing the
Stone’-with-teenagers epic called "The Secret of the Ice Cave.” Werb and
Michael Colleary wrote and co-produced the Oscar-nominated thriller
“Face/Off” starring John Travolta and Nicolas Cage. Dubbed “the strangest
story ever to get a green light at a Hollywood studio” by the Wall Street
Journal, "Face/Off" won the best screenplay statuette at the 24th annual
Saturn Awards.
Recent credits include “Lara Croft: Tomb Raider” starring Angelina
Jolie, and the WB series “Tarzan.” Their active projects include a film-
adaptation of the best-selling arena-fighting video game "Tekken," "The
Divide" for John Woo, and "Prophets of the Ghost Ants" for A Band
Apart. Werb is also writing the futuristic drama “Tomorrow/Today.”
CLAIRE-DEE LIM (Screenwriter) received her B.A. in Philosophy
from the University of California at Berkeley, and then earned a Masters of
Fine Arts in Motion Picture/Television Production from UCLA. Upon
graduating, she worked in San Francisco as an industrial multimedia
producer and director, and wrote and directed her own independent films.
Most notably: “Pictures of Her,” a 25-minute narrative video, featured in the
New American Makers Exhibition in San Francisco and “Emeryville,” a
documentary based on two Bay Area artists, and featured at numerous art
exhibitions in San Francisco, New York and Seattle. It also won honors at
the San Mateo Film/Video Festival.
Lim then returned to Los Angeles to pursue a screenwriting career.
FIREHOUSE DOG marks her first sale. Lim has adapted The New York
Times bestselling author Michael Prescott’s book Stealing Faces for the
screen.
VICTOR HAMMER (Director of Photography) is responsible for the
cinematography on the feature films “Welcome To Mooseport,” “Down
Periscope,” “Heavy Weights,” “Billy Madison, “Major League II,” “8 Seconds,”
“The Program,” “Surf Ninjas,” “House of Cards,” “Falling from Grace,” “Going
Under” and “Lean on Me.”
For television, the veteran cinematographer’s credits include the
new hit "My Name Is Earl," as well as the series "Veronica Mars,”
"Wonderfalls,” "Girls Club," "Andy Richter Controls the Universe",
"FreakyLinks,” "D.C.," "Malcolm in the Middle", “Maximum Bob,” “Players”
and “Feds.” His TV movie credits are “Till Dad Do Us Part,” “Ball & Chain”
and “Kilroy.”
TAMARA DEVERELL’s (Production Designer) previous feature film
credits are “Blizzard,” “Bollywood/Hollywood” and “Masala.” Her television
movie credits include “Suburban Madness,” “Coast To Coast,” “Eloise at
Christmastime,” “Eloise at the Plaza,” “Sounder,” “Dead Aviators,”
“Caracara,” “Mind Games,” “Shadow Zone: My Teacher Ate My Homework,”
“Lulu,” “Eclipse,” “The Burning Season” and the mini-series “Feast of all
Saints.”
Her series work includes "Wonderfalls," "Kevin Hill" and "Degrassi:
The Next Generation.” Deverell was art director on the feature films “Death
to Smoochy,” “X-Men,” “eXistenZ,” “54,” “Mimic,” “Crash,” “Canadian Bacon,”
and the television series "Liberty Street.”
SCOTT JAMES WALLACE (Film Editor) has edited several
popular and acclaimed television series including "Wonderfalls,” "The X
Files," "Freaky Links,” "The Pretender,” “Just Legal,” "North Shore,” "She
Spies" and "Wild Card.” Wallace also edited the TV movies "The Inside,"
"Aidan" and “The X-Files: The Truth.” FIREHOUSE DOG marks his first
feature film.
MICHAEL J. MASCHIO (Co-Producer) served as producer on Todd
Holland’s critically acclaimed series “Wonderfalls” as well as the other series
"Kevin Hill,” "Twice In a Lifetime,” "Spenser: For Hire" and "Scarecrow and
Mrs. King." Maschio’s credits as producer on movies for television include
“Nigel's Fingerprint,” “The Pretender: Island of the Haunted,” “Jenifer,” “The
Pretender,” “Range of Motion,” “When Andrew Came Home,” “Spenser: A
Savage Place,” “Spenser: The Judas Goat,” “Spenser: Pale Kings and
Princes,” “Spenser: Ceremony” as well as “Ladies On Sweet Street” and
“Charlie.” Maschio was production manager on “The Pretender: Island of the
Haunted,” “When Andrew Came Home,” “Impulse,” “Amerika” and the series
"The A-Team.”
JEFF CARDONI (Music) has worked as a composer on the
television series “CSI: Miami” and “Pimp My Ride,” among others. His
feature credits include “Same Me,” “American Pie 5: The Naked Mile,” “Shut
Up and Sing,” and “Just Friends.”
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