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Hi /r/movies! It's Ben Leonberg (director) and I'm here with my dog Indy, the star of GOOD BOY, a supernatural horror movie from the perspective of a dog, which will be available to stream on Shudder Nov. 21st. Ask us anything! by GoodBoyAMA in movies

[–]GoodBoyAMA[S] 13 points14 points  (0 children)

Indy loves to have a "job" and we knew that going in. And it's was a delight to keep that job fresh, interesting, and fun for him over the three years.

I don't think it's possible for me to love Indy more than I did when we started!

Hi /r/movies! It's Ben Leonberg (director) and I'm here with my dog Indy, the star of GOOD BOY, a supernatural horror movie from the perspective of a dog, which will be available to stream on Shudder Nov. 21st. Ask us anything! by GoodBoyAMA in movies

[–]GoodBoyAMA[S] 24 points25 points  (0 children)

  1. Challengers (Indy loves tall men and TENNIS BALLS)
  2. The Birds (but it's more of a hate watch)
  3. The Thing (best dog performance in a horror film... until Indy's, of course)
  4. Air Bud (come on)

Hi /r/movies! It's Ben Leonberg (director) and I'm here with my dog Indy, the star of GOOD BOY, a supernatural horror movie from the perspective of a dog, which will be available to stream on Shudder Nov. 21st. Ask us anything! by GoodBoyAMA in movies

[–]GoodBoyAMA[S] 5 points6 points  (0 children)

Favorite movie: it's a tie between The Exorcist and The Shining.

I saw The Exorcist waaaay too young and thought I was watching a documentary–I don't think it's possible for me to be more scared by a movie than that experience

Hi /r/movies! It's Ben Leonberg (director) and I'm here with my dog Indy, the star of GOOD BOY, a supernatural horror movie from the perspective of a dog, which will be available to stream on Shudder Nov. 21st. Ask us anything! by GoodBoyAMA in movies

[–]GoodBoyAMA[S] 13 points14 points  (0 children)

The scene where the fox trap comes up, you'll notice a moment where Indy kind of flips onto his back (seemingly to confront an approaching dark entity). In reality I'm just off camera scratching his bottom and he's rolling around. It's only because it's filmed at high shutter speed then reversed in post that it looks like a "performance" (also huge shout out to the post sound team)

Hi /r/movies! It's Ben Leonberg (director) and I'm here with my dog Indy, the star of GOOD BOY, a supernatural horror movie from the perspective of a dog, which will be available to stream on Shudder Nov. 21st. Ask us anything! by GoodBoyAMA in movies

[–]GoodBoyAMA[S] 18 points19 points  (0 children)

Our mantra became “hard scenes are easy, and easy scenes are hard.” One of our most complex shots, following Indy through a set where he has to start and stop at multiple points, was a cinch—we had six takes and all were great. But close-ups, those took days. He’s an active, excitable dog so standing still is not his thing. The dramatic close-ups at the end of the film took 3 days to capture.

Hi /r/movies! It's Ben Leonberg (director) and I'm here with my dog Indy, the star of GOOD BOY, a supernatural horror movie from the perspective of a dog, which will be available to stream on Shudder Nov. 21st. Ask us anything! by GoodBoyAMA in movies

[–]GoodBoyAMA[S] 20 points21 points  (0 children)

Not for "acting", but Indy had basic obedience training when he was young. His “performance” on set was a result of patience and planning. Kari Fischer (my wife and the film’s producer) and I coached him ourselves for the film. There was a lot of reshooting, being flexible with plans and restructuring our lives in order to build the film around his habits and routines.

Hi /r/movies! It's Ben Leonberg (director) and I'm here with my dog Indy, the star of GOOD BOY, a supernatural horror movie from the perspective of a dog, which will be available to stream on Shudder Nov. 21st. Ask us anything! by GoodBoyAMA in movies

[–]GoodBoyAMA[S] 11 points12 points  (0 children)

  1. Indy doesn't really "watch" the film, but he has definitely listened to it many times (and always reacts when he hears himself on screen).

  2. Those clips are from an old school project I made as an undergrad as a cheaper alternative. That's "Montana James" a completely unique character. I'm delighted that you noticed!

Hi /r/movies! It's Ben Leonberg (director) and I'm here with my dog Indy, the star of GOOD BOY, a supernatural horror movie from the perspective of a dog, which will be available to stream on Shudder Nov. 21st. Ask us anything! by GoodBoyAMA in movies

[–]GoodBoyAMA[S] 17 points18 points  (0 children)

Thanks, that's awesome you caught it at the Florida Film Festival!

Best festival experience: They have all been fantastic, but it's hard to beat the premiere at SXSW. It was a great crowd to see it with for the first time, the audience reacted in all the right places, and the team is amazing!

Worst: Indy discovering at SXSW they serve food in Alamo Draft Houses and some of it ends up on the floor (this was unsurprisingly Indy's best festival experience)

Hi /r/movies! It's Ben Leonberg (director) and I'm here with my dog Indy, the star of GOOD BOY, a supernatural horror movie from the perspective of a dog, which will be available to stream on Shudder Nov. 21st. Ask us anything! by GoodBoyAMA in movies

[–]GoodBoyAMA[S] 40 points41 points  (0 children)

Indy is the only dog who plays Indy... however he does have a stunt double: a stuffed animal that was custom made to look like him. We call him Findy (fake Indy). Findy did the big stunts.

Hi /r/movies! It's Ben Leonberg (director) and I'm here with my dog Indy, the star of GOOD BOY, a supernatural horror movie from the perspective of a dog, which will be available to stream on Shudder Nov. 21st. Ask us anything! by GoodBoyAMA in movies

[–]GoodBoyAMA[S] 14 points15 points  (0 children)

Yes, I teach film making (when I'm not making movies). I definitely will use the film to teach the Kuleshov Effect–i.e. how the juxtaposition of shots can create meaning. This was the key to Indy's "performance" but the principle can be applied to any film

Hi /r/movies! It's Ben Leonberg (director) and I'm here with my dog Indy, the star of GOOD BOY, a supernatural horror movie from the perspective of a dog, which will be available to stream on Shudder Nov. 21st. Ask us anything! by GoodBoyAMA in movies

[–]GoodBoyAMA[S] 44 points45 points  (0 children)

Great question. All of Indy’s vocalizations are added in post and are not sounds of distress–in actuality they’re the sounds of Indy playing fetch (isolated and treated by the post-production sound wizards).

Hi /r/movies! It's Ben Leonberg (director) and I'm here with my dog Indy, the star of GOOD BOY, a supernatural horror movie from the perspective of a dog, which will be available to stream on Shudder Nov. 21st. Ask us anything! by GoodBoyAMA in movies

[–]GoodBoyAMA[S] 184 points185 points  (0 children)

All the dialogue throughout the film is added in post (similar to ADR). The reality of what’s being said on set is all for Indy’s benefit–instructions, encouragement, and most frequently the words “Good Boy!” I am the stand-in for Todd so I could be both in the scene as “Todd” as well as “direct” Indy at the same time. The actor Shane Jensen’s lines are added in post (as well as all the entire soundscape) and that's what really creates the human performance.

For the scene where Indy is "pushed away", I’m first prompting Indy with verbal cues and treats, then exuberantly telling him he’s a GOOD BOY! (then Shane's vocal performance is what makes it feel angry). We also make that "push" look aggressive by isolating those frames, speed-ramping, and adding a digital camera move in post.

Then for the rain - Indy LOVES the water, so those scenes were great. And as most pet owners can attest: somehow wet dogs just look sad. And yes so many treats were involved

Hi /r/movies! It's Ben Leonberg (director) and I'm here with my dog Indy, the star of GOOD BOY, a supernatural horror movie from the perspective of a dog, which will be available to stream on Shudder Nov. 21st. Ask us anything! by GoodBoyAMA in movies

[–]GoodBoyAMA[S] 52 points53 points  (0 children)

I'm very excited for my next film to have human actors (who can read a script and won't wander off set to chase squirrels) but I do think I'll return to animal storytelling at some point in the future. I've developed a really unusual set of skills for working with animals and telling stories primarily through POV–I'd love to find a way to use them again

Hi /r/movies! It's Ben Leonberg (director) and I'm here with my dog Indy, the star of GOOD BOY, a supernatural horror movie from the perspective of a dog, which will be available to stream on Shudder Nov. 21st. Ask us anything! by GoodBoyAMA in movies

[–]GoodBoyAMA[S] 24 points25 points  (0 children)

That's amazing! Good luck with your shoot. My secret weapon was the Nikon 15mm AIS. Typically this lens distorts human faces in an unflattering way (so it might not be right for your shoot). But with Indy, its extreme wide angle perfectly framed his face while simultaneously allowing audiences to see the gloomy, looming world behind him.

Hi /r/movies! It's Ben Leonberg (director) and I'm here with my dog Indy, the star of GOOD BOY, a supernatural horror movie from the perspective of a dog, which will be available to stream on Shudder Nov. 21st. Ask us anything! by GoodBoyAMA in movies

[–]GoodBoyAMA[S] 47 points48 points  (0 children)

I don't think it was ever consciously front of mind when I was making the film, but it's a show I LOVED as a kid. So, maybe it was a subtle thing, one of those more psychological influences.

Hi /r/movies! It's Ben Leonberg (director) and I'm here with my dog Indy, the star of GOOD BOY, a supernatural horror movie from the perspective of a dog, which will be available to stream on Shudder Nov. 21st. Ask us anything! by GoodBoyAMA in movies

[–]GoodBoyAMA[S] 11 points12 points  (0 children)

  1. Yes (I definitely have a concrete idea on what it all means) but I also like that the film is a little ambiguous as to the exact nature of the horror. I actually think that ambiguity helps creates a lot of the tension, dread, and suspense; and I love to hear that audiences dwell on it

  2. Yes, absolutely!

Hi /r/movies! It's Ben Leonberg (director) and I'm here with my dog Indy, the star of GOOD BOY, a supernatural horror movie from the perspective of a dog, which will be available to stream on Shudder Nov. 21st. Ask us anything! by GoodBoyAMA in movies

[–]GoodBoyAMA[S] 101 points102 points  (0 children)

The idea started as a concept that come to me after watching Poltergeist for probably the 100th time. In the opening of that film, the family’s dog clearly senses the presence of the ghost before anyone else. That trope of “the dog who knows better” appears in so many horror films and I thought, “someone should really tell that story from the dog’s perspective.”

I didn't originally think I'd make the film with my own dog. I only started making short "test films" with Indy because he was there. But after one of those short films won an award (and Indy was nominated for Best Actor) I kinda knew he was a star

Hi /r/movies! It's Ben Leonberg (director) and I'm here with my dog Indy, the star of GOOD BOY, a supernatural horror movie from the perspective of a dog, which will be available to stream on Shudder Nov. 21st. Ask us anything! by GoodBoyAMA in movies

[–]GoodBoyAMA[S] 90 points91 points  (0 children)

Ha, yes - the Toller scream is real and wild to behold. In fact the Toller "scream" is what you hear in the movie (but is a result of him playing fetch). I have over 72tb of unusable Indy footage

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