All talents interested in
WORKSHOP AND AUDITIONING must Register by
clicking here
We will
be holding auditions for all DOGS. It will work very similar to American Idol,
but for DOGS. Accepted talents will be listed with Animal Actors for future movie, tv,
commercial or live performance. Our company need real Animal Actors to work and represent our
company. The opportunities for future work for the participants
are incredible.
Here's
your chance to shine. Take this opportunity and Pre-Register now
at
By: AARON CLAVERIE - Staff Writer
Animal actor talent agencies hosting open audition for
area pets |
Thursday, February 28, 2008 10:23 PM PST
‡
Gloria Winship and Shane Ayon own Lake Elsinore-based
Animal Actors, talent agency for pets.
DAVID CARLSON
Staff Photographer
WILDOMAR ---- Calling all cute dogs, adorable cats and
stately horses. And let's not leave out chatty birds,
cuddly rabbits, scary snakes and creepy tarantulas.
Talent agencies that represent animal actors are holding
an open audition in Wildomar for local pets who might
have what it takes to make it in Hollywood.
The WORKSHOP AND audition, open to any animal, is
scheduled to run from 10 a.m to 6 p.m. Saturday at
STARLITE RANCH 33288 ORTEGA HWY. LAKE ELSINORE, CA 92530
Gloria Winship of Lake Elsinore-based Animal Actors, an
agency that has placed animals in movies such as "Doctor
Doolittle 3" and "Gordy," said a panel of judges will be
inspecting the animals, checking for a friendly demeanor
and taking note of any special skills.
The panel is scheduled to include representatives from
animal talent agencies and Richard Quest, host of a CNN
International show who is scheduled to tape the
proceedings for a March telecast.
Winship, who runs Animal Actors with her husband, Shane
Ayon, said her agency has hosted talent shows and
auditions in the past but nothing that matches the scale
of Saturday's event.
"We could have 25 people or 500," Ayon said. "You never
know what to expect."
If the judges determine an animal could be used in a
commercial, television show or movie, the agents will
include the pet in their respective lists of animal
actors that they send to producers when the agency
receives a request for a particular type of animal.
The panel won't be judging the animals on a particular
scale or belittling any of the animals that might not be
ready for a close-up.
"We won't have a Simon," said Ayon, referring to the
sometimes acidic "American Idol" judge, Simon Cowell.
With dogs, Winship said, judges will be looking for a
good-looking ---- or interesting-looking ---- animal
that can follow directions. If they can't stay or sit on
cue, they likely won't be good on a set.
"Friendliness is probably the No. 1 priority," she said.
"They will have to be handled by other people, for
obvious reasons. You don't want to bite Mel Gibson."
Winship said she can tell, almost from the first time
she meets a dog, if it might be a good actor.
"It's how they react to you. If they look away and back
up, that's a no-go. But ... I always give them a
chance," she said.
If a dog has a set series of tricks, catching a Frisbee
or jumping on cue, it's a good idea for the owners to
showcase those skills during the audition.
"The bigger the bag of tricks, the more jobs you can get
for the animal," Ayon said, surrounded by friendly dogs
in the backyard of her hillside property in the
mountains west of Lake Elsinore.
Cats, as cat owners can attest, are something else.
With a cat, judges will be looking for an animal that
can be easily handled by strangers. Winship calls them
"hold cats."
"Someone is always holding the cat during a shoot," she
said.
And then there are the "exotic" pets: tarantulas,
parrots and what have you.
One of the owners who preregistered their pet is
bringing a coyote, which might be a good fit depending
on the production, Ayon said.
"The wolf in 'Dances with Wolves,' that was someone's
wolf," Ayon said.
If it looks as if someone's pet just can't cut it, the
judges will let the owners down gently, Winship said.
"We always encourage people to continue the training,"
she said.
Those that do show some acting chops could end up in a
Hollywood production.
The pay isn't great for the animals ---- $200 or so for
a day's work is an average take ---- but the owners get
to know that's their pooch or kitty on the screen.
"The reward is actually seeing their talent on film. The
money is the icing on the cake," Winship said.
2009 ANIMAL STAR SEARCH WORKSHOP AND AUDITIONS
When: 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday - Studio Trainer
Workshop
AUDITIONS BY APPOINTMENT ONLY 3:00 PM - 6:00 PM
Where: Starlite Ranch, 33288 Ortega Hwy,.
Lake Elsinore, CA 92530
.
2008 ANIMAL AUDITIONS A HIT
By: JOHN HALL - Staff Writer
Organizer said she'll likely find work for more than
half of those who came to Wildomar event
WILDOMAR ---- They're already cute, now it is just a
question of whether they might have what it takes to be
a star.
About 100 animals of all shapes and sizes gathered in
Wildomar on Saturday to find out.
More than half will probably end up getting some work in
photo shoots, television or movies, said Gloria Winship,
owner of Lake Elsinore-based talent agency Animal
Actors.
"We saw a lot of good talent out here today," Winship
said as the day of animal auditions neared an end.
The audition, called America's Most Talented Animal
Actors, was the first of several planned across the
country a la "American Idol," with finalists in each
city being invited back to the final event in Hollywood
on May 31.
One of the judges Saturday was CNN International's
Richard Quest, who was filming the auditions for a pet
segment on his show "Quest," which will be called "Quest
for Man's Best Friend."
Judges and talent evaluators certainly saw a variety of
animals Saturday. The overwhelming majority were dogs,
but there were also some cats, some horses, an iguana,
an alpaca and even a baby lamb who never strayed from
the side of its owner.
Some of the animals obviously had been through
substantial training, while owners of others brought
their pets because of that "cute factor."
The animal star search was held in a large horse
training pen at Ranch Lemus on Grand Avenue.
Many owners demonstrated some tricks their pets could do
---- some more successfully than others.
One of the dogs who seemed to impress the judges as well
as other pet owners at the event was a 9-year-old
Doberman mix named Boo Boo Bear.
He sat unfazed by judges making noise near him in an
effort to distract him as his owner, Karen Kennedy-Ross,
went some distance away. Kennedy-Ross then gave Boo Boo
a command to come and he rushed to her.
Winship said being able to focus on commands without
being distracted is important for an animal on a busy
television or movie set.
Boo Boo was also able to show judges a variety of
personalities on command, from intensely serious to
playful and happy.
Kennedy-Ross and Boo Boo came all the way from Valencia,
near Magic Mountain, for this, their first talent
audition.
But Boo Boo is already a star to many as he also is a
search and rescue dog, having been involved in what
Kennedy-Ross estimates at close to 20 searches
nationwide. He has helped authorities find missing
children and also twice found lost pets, she said.
Kennedy-Ross adopted Boo Boo from a shelter when he was
only two weeks old, bottle feeding him and raising him.
She estimates she has spent 20 to 30 hours each week
training Boo Boo since he was a pup.
Boo Boo would make a great actor/dog, said Kennedy-Ross.
"He loves to work and be doing things. He enjoys
different challenges," she said.
Another hit with judges was Elvis, a 2 1/2-year-old
Australian shepherd belonging to Heather McNabb, of
Murrieta.
McNabb showed the judges some of the standard tricks
Elvis could do, then alerted them to one more thing he
could do.
"He can take off my socks," she told them. She then sat
in a chair and Elvis did just that.
After she and Elvis were done, McNabb explained how the
sock trick developed.
"He used to go and fetch my slippers," she said. "Then I
taught him how to take my slippers off and that just led
to the socks next."
Elvis is a child-loving family pet who McNabb said she
has treat-trained since he was a puppy.
"He retrieves the paper, even the big Sunday paper," she
said proudly. "And he loves to fetch. He'd do that all
day long."
McNabb heard about the animal auditions and thought
she'd bring Elvis for a try.
"We'll just see what happens," she said. "He's just a
best dog."
Winship ---- who has developed and provided animal
talent for 27 years ---- said that while the tricks
animals can do are always good, the most important
qualities for a dog on a set are the ability to sit,
hold and stay on command.
For cats, she said, the best skill is to be able to be
held for lengthy stretches.
Sitting in her trailer as Saturday's auditions wound
down, Winship told a story detailing the need for a good
"hold cat." She recalled how there was an actress who
was supposed to hold a cat but just couldn't remember
her lines.
While the human continued to have trouble, the cat did
just fine, calmly being held for several hours until the
shoot was complete.
Winship said she was pleasantly surprised by the turnout
at Saturday's audition, adding that there likely would
have been more had the weather been better for the
outdoor event.
"You typically don't make a fortune," Winship said of
the pay pet owners receive once in the entertainment
industry.
"But nothing is more gratifying than seeing your animal,
your baby, on the big screen, in a commercial or in a
magazine," Winship said.
For more information about upcoming auditions or Animal
Actors, go to
www.animal-actors.com.
All talents interested in
auditioning may Pre-Register by clicking here.ADDITIONAL
AUDITION DATES And Locations announced soon.
San Francisco, CA Las
Vegas, Nevada Atlanta, GA Orlando, FL New York,
NY Washington, DC
We will be holding
auditions for all animals, dogs, cats, horses, farm
animals and exotics. It will work very similar to
American Idol, but for Animals. Not only will the
talents compete for America's Most Talented Animal
Actors, the winner will be listed with 3 different
Animal Actors Agencies for future movie, tv, commercial
or live performance. Our companies need real Animal
Actors to work and represent our companies. The
opportunities for future work for the participants are
incredible.
Open Auditions
PRE-REGISTER NOW instead of Audition Day or Wait in Line
and Register Audition Day TO
Register by clicking here
THE ANIMAL ACTORS ASKED TO AUDITION WILL BE BASED ON INFORMATION SENT WITH
REGISTRATION. AUDITION TIMES WILL BE GIVEN TO ALL TALENTS ENTERING THE STAR
SEARCH
All animals must be obedience trained and on leashes at all times. If your
animal is not trained it should not audition.
Management reserves the right to ask any trainer or animal to leave the
auditions and the premises for any reason. If animal is untrained or
dangerous it will immediately be dismissed. All animals must have current
record of shots and vaccinations All animals must be in good health or
will be dismissed from location.
All Trainers Must be 18 to Audition with Animal - No exceptions. Note: Must
be adults to work on most movie, TV, commercial or live performance jobs.
All Animal Actor Audition Trainers will be
asked to sign a Release of Liability when registering at the auditions
I confirm that my dog has received his/her required
course of vaccinations and is currently up to date with his/her schedule. I
have a copy of the vaccination records as proof.
I confirm that my pet is
trained in basic obedience, sit stay, come on command, etc.
I am aware of the risks from handling animals:
personal injury or property damaged to my animal (s) or to members of my
family.
I understand that if my dog shows aggression toward people or
other dogs and/or is disruptive to the audition, he/she may not be a
suitable candidate for Animal Actors. In that event, I understand that
we will be dismissed from the audition.
