A DOG’S LIFE!

Have you ever wondered what it takes to create the cool characters you see in animated movies such as Up? We catch up with the film’s co-director and writer Bob Peterson – who is the voice of Dug the dog – for some pointers…

 

Character creation…

“The idea of Dug was born the very first day I started work on Up. What we were trying to do was give Carl a new family in the story. He leaves his wife behind, but then we give him a grandchild and a dog, as well as a giant, flightless bird. All of these characters were meant to sway Carl away from his goal of getting his house to Paradise Falls – and that added tension to the movie. We wanted to see if he could accept these new friends and allow them to go on this journey with him.”

 

The name game…

“A lot of time and effort goes into creating the characters in Pixar movies. We can spend forever coming up with the look and the names of the different characters. However, Dug was always going to be called Dug. I remember talking about him and saying, ‘Hey dog!’ That immediately turned into: ‘Hey Dug’. It just felt right.”

 

Speak up!

“I’ve provided the voices to various characters in movies including Monsters, Inc., Finding Nemo and Cars – but Dug is the most fun character I’ve ever worked on. I mean, who doesn’t like dogs? In the beginning, we didn’t know if we were going to cast a famous actor for the role, but I did the temporary voice – and it worked really well. I got into the recording booth and talked in the same way that I talk to my dogs at home. All of a sudden, it just felt right, so we stuck with it.”

 

The perfect pooch…

“Dug is a yellow Labrador because they’re extremely cuddly and friendly. They’re the type of dog you can take to the beach and play around with all the time. If any dog is going to be a lover dog, it’s going to be a Labrador. That’s exactly why Dug is this breed.”

 

‘Squirrel!’

“I’ve always had a dog in my life and my experiences with dogs have definitely inspired Dug. The famous ‘squirrel’ line came from a game I play with my dog at home. I’ll be sitting down with my dog and all of a sudden, I’ll look away quickly and gasp out loud. Immediately, my dog will look to see what I’m staring at. You can see her think, ‘Hey, what is that he’s looking at? Is it something I can chase? I hope it’s something fun!’ Dogs are hilarious. Their radar is always on – and they always love to spot a squirrel.”

 

Tips for the top!

Do you want to become a voice artist like Bob? Then why not create a cast of crazy characters and come up with voices for each of them? “I was always thinking up characters when I was little,” admits Bob. “I’d take a tape recorder to record stories and sounds at home. One time, my friend and I made a flushing noise and pretended one of us was being flushed down the toilet. On tape, you can’t tell it’s not real!”

 

Disney Pixar Up is available on High-Def Blu-ray and DVD next Wednesday, 13 January 2010! Want to find out more about this doggone good movie? Then jump onto www.disney.com.au/disneyfilms/up

     PLUS, thanks to our friends at Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment, Dogs Life has three prize packs UP for grabs! Click here to find out how you can win...

 

Content courtesy of Disney.