Teen Actors I

Copyright © 2013 by Erin Bishop.

ISBN:      Softcover      978-1-4836-3611-5

                Ebook         978-1-4836-3612-2

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to any actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

Rev. date: 05/14/2013

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CONTENTS

CHAPTER 1 HOLLYWOOD REALITY

CHAPTER 2 HOW COME YOUR DOG IS GREEN?

CHAPTER 3 ROWDY, THE MOVIE STAR

CHAPTER 4 MRS. PRESIDENT

CHAPTER 5 ANDROMEDA 5

CHAPTER 6 HIGH TECH JUNIOR HIGH

CHAPTER 7 THINK ABOUT PUPPIES

CHAPTER 8 BEFORE HE WAS A STAR

CHAPTER 9 THE MEDIA

CHAPTER 10 KIDNAPPED

CHAPTER 11 SMELLY

CHAPTER 12 THE CRIME SCENE

CHAPTER 13 MORE MEDIA MAYHEM

CHAPTER 14 THE INSPECTION

CHAPTER 15 ORIANAH LOVES GREEN DOGS

CHAPTER 16 A MILLION DOLLAR DOG

CHAPTER 17 AN EYE CATCHING COLOR

CHAPTER 18 EXTREMELY SMELLY PLACE

CHAPTER 19 THE FLOATING HOUSE

CHAPTER 20 SEEK

CHAPTER 21 ESCAPE BY JOINING

CHAPTER 22 DOOZY

CHAPTER 23 MISSING MY LADY

CHAPTER 24 SEARCHING

CHAPTER 25 SAD, SAD DAY

CHAPTER 26 THE DON’T GET HURT GAME

CHAPTER 27 WAR PATH

CHAPTER 28 GREYFRIAR’S BOBBY

CHAPTER 29 BABY SITTER

CHAPTER 30 CANDY

CHAPTER 31 CHANGING TIDES

CHAPTER 32 SCENTLESS SIS

CHAPTER 33 MISSING CHILD

CHAPTER 34 ROWDY TO THE RESCUE

CHAPTER 35 INSTINCT SAVES THE DAY

CHAPTER 36 THIS JUST IN…

CHAPTER 37 SANTA MONICA HUMANE SOCIETY

CHAPTER 38 FOUND: ONE SMALL BOAT

CHAPTER 39 SOLUTIONS

CHAPTER 40 FIRST PUPPY

CHAPTER 41 SECRET SIGNALS

CHAPTER 42 VAN SCENES

35504.jpg    DEDICATION    35506.jpg

I would like to dedicate this book to all the wonderful students who made teaching a great experience. It is especially dedicated to all the speech students who went from terrified to terrific; from shy to outstanding.

My thanks to Bob Morton who introduced me and lucky students to the rotating stage set.

My thanks to Paramount studios who employed my grandfather and uncles in special effects, and one aunt as an actress in the 1930’s when so few jobs were to be had elsewhere. I value every one of their amazing stories.

My thanks to other family members who have decorated star’s houses and done building on all kinds of sets. Your stories will always be cherished.

My thanks to my parents who were amazingly creative and capable people, and encouraged the same in me. My thanks to my sons who brought out creativity in me I didn’t know I had.

My thanks to Ruben Byrd who is the best technical editor one could have, as well as Jerry Wright, my editorial grammarian.

Special thanks to my best friend and creative advisor Susie Rabinowitz, who after reading a rough draft, emailed me, I like it! I like it!

Best Wishes to you all, Erin

CHAPTER 1

HOLLYWOOD REALITY

No one would ever know that one of Hollywood’s most famous actors was in a very bad mood or that the sound supposedly was a snow bound wrecked plane was very hot, or that the wrecked plane was cardboard, and the drifts of snow were plastic flakes. Movie audiences would never know that things were not going well in Hollywood’s fantasy land.

One quick glance around and I knew no one in theaters would ever know that the snow machine on the sound stage of the movie, Frozen North, was throwing globs of snow instead of gently sprinkling flakes. Fans would never know that everyone from cameramen to crew members on this sound stage looked frantic because so many things were going wrong. What Ace and I were witnessing was just a small glimpse of normal behind-the-scenes activity that went on when all movies were made.

I’m Lance Randall, and I had just arrived with Ace, our kennel’s largest black dog, who was playing a wolf who was supposed to threaten the movie’s hero. It wasn’t the first time I’d handled a dog in the movies, but it was the first time Ace had ever had a part as a wolf. My younger brother was acting in a sit-com today. He was nervous because he had to hold hands with a pretty girl on a series called Hi-Tech Junior High.

My mom was handling another dog in a really big movie called Andromeda 5, it was a space series that had become as popular as Star Wars, so the set was closed and everybody on it was contractually bound to secrecy about anything that happened in the newest one. I was looking forward to getting to watch the big stars who were appearing today.

My parents established Virtual Canine Kennels when my brother and I were little. Dogs from our kennels, protected policemen, palaces, mansions and acted in movies. After my dad was shot while on a police training mission, my mom had to put the dogs and my brother and me to work to help earn enough to pay the bills and buy dog food.

So today, Ace and I were here to threaten the famous actor Carlton Ford while he acted the part of a pilot trapped inside the wreckage of this cardboard plane that was surrounded by mounds of plastic snow. I was supposed to command our loveable family dog to look like he was going to eat the pilot and maybe the plane too. Ace would have no trouble scaring the pilot, I knew.

But I also knew from Mr. Ford’s expression it was obvious he was in no mood to be bothered by the arrival of another actor, even if it was a famous dog. I knew Ace and I had to handle this situation carefully and quietly. We moved quietly toward Mike James, the director.

While several make-up people wiped fake blood off the movie’s main star, the snow machine continued its berserk behavior. Snow was being splattered all over the set.

I had read the script. This scene was supposed to be shot in lightly falling snow after the plane had crashed. The snow machine was supposed to be aiming snow at the actor and the cardboard wreckage. Instead, the arm that dispersed snow was ratcheting around in all directions. Snow lumps were stuck in every stagehand’s hair, on every crew member’s clothes and on every camera. The director, two makeup artists and several grips were irritably whisking damp snow off themselves while making sure every camera lens was clear for the next take. Someone turned the snow machine off. The crew cheered.

It’s the seventh take, one of the grips whispered to me. Better be quiet. He’s not happy.

No one around us even said ‘hello.’ I knew that would change when the take was successfully finished. Then everyone would be happy. I understood their irritation. Getting hit by clumps of damp plastic snowflakes would make me mad too.

This wasn’t only Mr. Ford’s seventh try. Everyone on the sound stage had to repeat everything they were assigned to do too. Makeup artists had to keep him looking handsome. Lighting had to be redone. Camera’s were repositioned. And the director, who was in charge of getting everything to come together right on cue, would have to do it all over again. For the seventh time. No one would appreciate the slightest interruption. It would definitely be better if Ace and I were as quiet as we could be while all this was going on.

Carlton Ford actually likes dogs. He always pets ours when they’re on the set. He also likes kids. My brother Jake and I are two of the youngest dog handlers in Hollywood, and he always says Hi, and chats with us. He even likes to talk about training dogs. He just got a Labrador retriever puppy for his two kids. He was always asking for tips on obedience and handling. At the moment, however, Mr. Ford was not interested in visiting. He was having fake blood packets and capsules repositioned for the seventh time.

In Ace’s scene, Mr. Ford had to chase off a killer wolf just by yelling at it. He is bleeding and completely trapped in a plane that has just crashed. He has no weapons. Fat chance in reality, but Hollywood is not big on reality. It would be possible for Carlton Ford, because our dog, Ace, would make it appear believable.

"Cue snow machine, again!" director Mike James called out. The makeup artists scampered away from Mr. Ford so the camera would have a clear shot.

Are we ready this time people? Action!

Carlton Ford summoned an agonized expression as he endeavored to extract himself from the wreckage of the small plane while snowflakes sprinkled over the set. He was a very convincing actor.

Blood poured from a blood capsule he had just bitten in his mouth. It looked like he was really bleeding from a cut lip. He bumped his head against the broken glass of the plane’s window, and as if he’d really been cut, blood flowed from a blood packet under his cap. I knew these blood baggies were very thin and designed to split under the least pressure. But it sure did look like the shattered glass had cut him badly.

He pushed back from the broken window, grimaced and said his line. Then a huge glop of snow splatted him full in the face.

The next line Carlton Ford said was not in the script.

Mike James wasn’t any happier. He yelled at the crew, Replace the snow machine NOW!

Just then Mike saw me with Ace, and he smiled. I could tell Mike had a new plan forming in his head. A plan that would keep his human star happy and keep production moving. He was like that. Some of his spur of the moment decisions resulted in his best movies.

All Mike James did were animal movies. I’d worked with him before in scenes where our other canine star, Rowdy, herded hundreds of sheep in New Zealand. (Really we were in Oregon.) Mike always called Rowdy his miracle dog, because he could ask Rowdy to do anything and he would. But Ace got this part because of his immense size, black color, and his ice-blue white eyes. It was a plus that Ace enjoyed the fuss of having makeup put on. His coat would be silver tipped and his muzzle would be made to look even more wolf like.

Hey everybody, take a break! Mike yelled and gave me a thumbs up sign. Our other star is here. Mike James’ breaks were when everybody went to work. Crew members started to scurry.

Make-up! Clean up Mr. Ford! Great job, Carlton. We’ll get that snow machine fixed. For now, everyone, get ready to make a few changes in the script. We will do the wolf scene next and at night. Script changes!

A girl taking notes on her tablet nodded and moved closer to Mike James.

I want the lighting to reflect that our hero’s struggle lasted until dark, and then the wolf shows up, Mike yelled. The script girl scribbled furiously.

Actually, it’s even scarier that way. Lighting, are you on it?

On it!

What about snow? someone yelled.

No snow.

Why?

The storm stopped by nightfall. Believe it?

They did. No one on the set ever argued with Mike James.

There was a sigh of relief from everyone. They were sick of the snow machine too.

Now Lance, Mike said to me, why don’t you walk Ace around the plane wreckage to get him used to it. I’ll be back to you in a second.

Yes sir.

"What this really meant was for me and Ace to get ready while he continued yelling orders at everyone. He walked toward the snack tables and brushed snow off the boxes and bags. Mike was a health-minded snack food junkie. When he wasn’t directing, he was eating trail mix, veggie chips and tofutti dip.

While Ace sniffed the cardboard airplane fuselage, the fake Christmas trees and the drifts of powdery snow, Mike continued yelling orders and everyone on the sound stage really hustled.

Two people approached Ace. He wiggled and wagged as one combed washable silver tipping on to his coat to make him more wolf-like. The one from the SPCA just watched to make sure it was all done humanely. To lighten areas around his eyes and on