The producers of Pup Star 2 must have felt their dreams had come true last Tuesday, judging by the phenomenal turnout for their casting call in Esquimalt.
Four hundred pooches of all shapes, sizes and breeds and their humans converged at 836 Viewfield Rd., hoping to appear in Air Bud Entertainment’s family comedy that starts shooting here mid-November.
“There was so much yapping outside I could hardly get any work done,” joked locations manager Terry Hayes.
The canine cacophony wasn’t as much of an issue as some had expected, however.
It was as if most owners were determined to prove their dogs could behave and take direction even before they got to see the casting director.
“There’s been a couple of barkers, but other than that it’s not so bad,” said Cheryl Fisher, while she waited outside with Tallulah Pancake, her reddish-brown Hungarian Viszla.
“She seems to be photogenic and she likes other dogs and she’s a bit of a character,” said Fisher, adding that since she’s self-employed she has the time flexibility to make a movie commitment.
Those who would get a shot at their 15 minutes of fame by being cast as part of the core group of dogs in the film about the adventures of Tiny, a Yorkshire terrier, would have to be available in November and December.
“I was reading the paper this morning, saw the story and thought ‘Why not?’ ” said Jennifer Zadorozniak, explaining why she showed up on her day off with Abby, her adorable blue heeler/border collie cross.
“She’s the most intelligent kind of dog,” said the Island Health employee, who has experience as a background performer, including in Josie and the Pussycats in Vancouver.
Jordan Elliott brought Benson, her five-year-old Weimaraner whose father is a Port Moody-based champion show dog.
“His dad is a little more famous, so we thought we’d try out and see what happens,” she said.
Steve Middleton, who was a stand-in on Pup Star when the movie (now on Netflix) was filmed here last year, showed up with Bongo, his frisky three-year-old white male labradoodle.
“It’s sort of a takeoff on American Idol with dogs, so it’s quite hilarious,” said the professional actor, recalling sequences featuring singing dogs that were shot in Alix Goolden Hall and the Royal Theatre.
“The dogs were all well-behaved considering there were so many of them,” he recalled. “They had these special boards so the dogs could sit on the seats and not fall through.”
Community Living Victoria executive director Ellen Tarshis said she was curious to see whether the filmmakers would think that her large, friendly six-year-old dog Kona was worthy.
“Just look how handsome he is. He’s a really great dog and well-trained. And he likes people,” she said as her striking Labrador/ Rhodesian ridgeback/Great Dane/German shepherd cross offered his paw in friendship.
After his casting session, Maxwell Theobald couldn’t wait to text his wife to let her know how their dog Simon’s “miniature audition” went.
“It was easy. Just look at our dog,” smiled his stepdaughter Jackson Tomaney, whose four-year-old Brindle Great Dane weighs 155 pounds and is just under seven feet tall when he stands on his hind legs.
“We don’t normally do things like this,” said her soft-spoken stepfather. “We usually keep to ourselves, but we thought it would be fun for him to come down and see all the other dogs.”
After showing how Simon could respond to commands and be gentle, he explained that he came down to accompany his camera-friendly stepdaughter.
“It’s something for our daughters to do. They were looking for young people, not necessarily 43-year-old bearded guys,” he said with a laugh, describing himself.
The response to the call, scheduled for 2:30 to 4:30 p.m., was so overwhelming, casting director Erin Fikowski didn’t wrap up until after 8 p.m.
“Thirty people were called back and we found what we needed,” said Fikowski.
