For a few unforgettable minutes, Aspen and Jack, a beagle from Hamilton, shared a moment through television.
John Williams of Hamilton recently put his best four-legged friend in the spotlight when he made “The Adventures of Jack the Bitterroot Beagle,” a DVD movie for dogs and the people who love them.
Which is a full-fledged video production, with a storyline narrated by the beagle Jack. And the benefits go beyond entertainment. Proceeds from sales are going straight to animal shelters and humane societies in Montana, and anywhere else Williams can get the word out.
The movie sells for $19.99, with $15 going right to the shelters.
“Dogs and kids and people are just fascinated with it,” said Vicki Dawson, manager of the Bitter Root Humane Association. “It just brings on spontaneous laughter.”
Dawson has been playing the movie in the lobby at the animal shelter, and said it's not uncommon for people to stop and laugh at the dogs' antics.
“(Jack) goes around and meets 40 other pets, mostly dogs, some cats,” said Williams. He and his wife, Claudia, have owned and run Bitterroot Kennels from their home for seven years, giving them an almost ready-made movie set.
Jack stars in a hodgepodge of scenes: tug-of-war, messing with chickens, swimming in the creek and even a good game of hey-gimme-my-toy-back. Williams said dogs' reactions vary - whether it's to the yips and yells and lip smacking from the dogs, the squeak of a toy or the movement of animals on the screen.
“My dogs watched the whole thing and talked to it the whole time,” said Dawson.
Williams said he may be biased, but he doesn't think the few other made-for-dogs movies on the market can compare to Jack and his adventures.
“I can maybe watch (the others) for a minute or two, then I have to leave to maintain my sanity,” Williams said.
When it comes to his movie, Williams said he had a natural-born star in the making - Jack.
“He just was a natural with all the dogs we worked with and all the dogs we've boarded and played with,” Williams said. “He just wasn't afraid of anything.”
The 2-year-old beagle can walk up to any dog and start playing, Williams said, which was a helpful trait for movie-making.
While filming a pair of dogs one day, Williams threw a rope in between the two, hoping to jump-start their activity - but no luck. They just weren't interested.
“And then Jack pops in,” Williams said, “and it's like he's talking to them and showing them, ‘Hey just try this, this might be fun.' ”
Williams said the hard part about creating the movie was the natural unpredictability of dogs - whether it was keeping them from getting bored, distracted or occupied with things that Williams didn't really want in his movie.
“The amount of stuff that I edited out could make a pretty extensive X-rated doggie movie,” Williams said. “Sometimes that's all they had on their mind.”
Williams said he's received positive feedback so far, and hears dogs and kids have both been excited about the new movie. The feedback from his initial test group of viewers included a four-page report from a 10-year-old girl, complete with her own artwork and detailed descriptions of what parts she liked.
A number of locations are selling the DVDs on behalf of the shelters, and about 100 copies have sold in the month they've been available. With a $15 profit per sale, that's $1,500 dollars raised so far for the shelters.
Williams would like to see shelters all over the country have an opportunity to buy and resell the DVD, but the hard part is letting them know it's out there. He's hoping the Humane Society of the United States will help him spread the offer around the nation.
Williams estimates he invested about $8,000 in the project, including the cost of equipment and materials in the initial production of 1,000 copies. He hopes the $4.99 he gets back from each movie sold will continue to fund production of more copies, and eventually a sequel.
Williams said a second movie, which he has already begun filming, will take place farther afield. As Jack explores the Bitterroot Mountains, there will also be some added people appeal.
“There will be a component of it that will be educational for kids,” said Williams, who is using new, more professional equipment this time around. He hopes he'll be finished filming the sequel by the end of the year.
“The Adventures of Jack the Bitterroot Beagle” is available at the Missoula Humane Society, the Bitter Root Humane Association in Hamilton, Bitterroot Kennels and a number of other locations in the Bitterroot Valley.
Hannah Heimbuch is a journalism student at the University of Montana and an intern at the Missoulian. She can be reached at 523-5240 or at hannah.heimbuch@lee.net
Watch with your dog
“The Adventures of Jack the Bitterroot Beagle” DVDs are available at the Missoula Humane Society, the Bitter Root Humane Association in Hamilton, Bitterroot Kennels and a number of other locations in the Bitterroot Valley. The movie sells for $19.99, with $15 going to animal shelters and humane societies in Montana.
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