Only a loving team can go the distance.
Source: @UpstreamNews @PetProtectionLegislation
The Chinese version of "Hachiko: A Dog's Tale," currently showing in theaters, has moved many viewers to tears. Some netizens are also wondering what happened to the 18 dogs who played "Hachiko" throughout the film.
In response to netizens' questions, Hao Shuai, the animal director of the Chinese version of "Hachiko," posted a group photo of 18 dogs on social media. He told Upstream News that the dog playing the elderly Hachiko in the film was "Dahuang," whom he had raised for 12 years and has now retired. "The other 17 dogs have all been adopted and are doing very well. I feel quite proud to have done this."
It was also learned that one of the "Eight Bamboo" actors, nicknamed "Xiao Ba," is currently living in Chongqing with its owner.
01
Make the director make up his mind
Filming with local dogs
"I am very grateful to Big Yellow. It changed my career and the fate of these 17 puppies."
When the reporter from Upstream News contacted director Hao Shuai, he was filming out of town. Although he did not reveal specific details, he said that audiences will be able to see the animal actors from "Hachiko" on the big screen in the future. His film company adopted the three best-performing dogs during filming, "one of which has already starred in director Guan Hu's new film 'Dogville' (starring Huang Bo, Yan Ni, and Eddie Peng)."
Animal director Hao Shuai with "Big Yellow". /Photo provided by interviewee
“Dahuang is a dog I adopted around 2013. At that time, I was filming a promotional short film called ‘33 Days of Wandering’ for a stray animal charity in Shenzhen, and Dahuang was the actor I discovered.” The reporter from Upstream News saw that “33 Days of Wandering” still has a high score of 7.9 on Douban. “Its performance was outstanding and received a lot of praise, but it was a rescued stray dog. After filming, it went back to its original place, and its mental state was not very good every day. It seemed very lonely. Later, I went to see it, and others told me about its situation. I couldn’t bear it, so I adopted it.”
"Many people know I have a dog that can act, and they hope I can help them film some scenes." Hao Shuai never expected that "Dahuang," with its considerable acting talent, would lead him down the path of a professional animal actor team. Dahuang has also become the Chinese rural dog with the most film appearances in Chinese film history, having starred in films such as "Daily Fantasy Guide," "Prison Plan," "The Cutest Emergency Room," and "Police Strategy." "It's a true star dog."
"It didn't retire until after filming 'Hachiko,' a full ten years ago. Now, Dahuang is equivalent to 70 years old in human years. I am truly grateful to it. It not only changed my life, but also changed many other people and the fate of many small animals."
"Back then, someone told me they were going to remake the classic 'Hachiko,' and I thought it was a scam, so I ignored them at first. Later, someone introduced me to director Xu Ang. Because I had seen his movies and thought he was a really great director, I took Dahuang to Beijing to meet with him, hoping to cast Dahuang as the lead," Hao Shuai recalled. "At the time, Director Xu was looking for a foreign team, but they could only provide foreign dog breeds, and he wasn't particularly satisfied. He felt that we should use local dogs to tell local stories and was worried that we couldn't find a suitable team in China. After hearing my introduction, he immediately decided to go for it and even came up with a more down-to-earth name, 'Batong' (八筒).
The Chinese version of "Hachiko: A Dog's Tale" features the Chinese rural dog as the main character, which to some extent calls for people to pay attention to and protect native dogs.
02
To cultivate feelings
Feng Xiaogang walked more than ten dogs
When asked why 18 dogs were needed for filming, Hao Shuai explained, "As the main character of the entire film, 'Ba Tong' has to portray the entire life of the character, from childhood to old age, spanning ten years. Different dogs are definitely needed to portray this stage, just like with people. Because 'Ba Tong' has very rich and complex emotions, it would be difficult for one small dog to do it. So, by preparing many dogs, we can arrange their roles according to their personalities. For example, swimming, chasing the light, escaping, etc., each has a special dog to be responsible for it."
Trainers wearing blue protective suits on set. /Photo provided by interviewee
In the making-of featurette released by the production company, an Upstream News reporter saw that during the scene where the dog waits in the flower bed, a trainer was hiding nearby. Hao Shuai explained, "The dog we used wasn't a typical pet dog; it's very timid and only trusts a few people it knows and spends a lot of time with, like the dozen or so people on our team. For example, when we were filming it sitting in the flower bed waiting for its owner to return, it got a little nervous with so many people around. So, we arranged for many of our team members among the tourists, and the trainer, wearing blue uniforms (which can be erased later), lay down next to it. I lay on that flower bed for a long time to make it feel safe."
"So I asked the director team to let the actors who would be acting opposite the dogs join the crew early to build a bond with them. I told Mr. Feng Xiaogang to come a week early," Hao Shuai sighed. "Actually, he joined the crew more than two weeks in advance and spent every day with the dogs, learning some skills and commands. He walked the dogs every day, and not just one dog, but all ten or so dogs he had scenes with. It was very hard work and he was very dedicated. Ms. Chen Chong was the same way. Although she didn't have as many scenes with the dogs as Mr. Feng, she also took it very seriously."
Hao Shuai explained that the Chinese version of "Hachiko: A Dog's Tale" also set a precedent for Chinese film crews to pay attention to the welfare of animal actors. "First of all, we signed contracts with the production company for these animals, and the first clause stipulated that the premise of all work must be to ensure animal welfare as the top priority. The crew cannot require them to film dangerous scenes, we must buy them insurance, ensure their health, ensure they get rest, and house them in hotels. Then there is their own rest area on set, and there is a whole team to cooperate, including the director team, training team, makeup and costume team, as well as medical and logistical support to serve the animals. All of this did not exist before."
03
All 17 puppies have been adopted.
Living happily
"These 17 puppies were all bought from dog meat markets and vegetable markets. Because puppies grow very quickly and can't be used for filming, we would buy more puppies every now and then. The crew was also very loving, and many people wanted to adopt these puppies." Hao Shuai also revealed a little bit of his own selfish motive, "At the time, I also felt that even if the puppies couldn't be used for filming, they would still have a chance to be adopted, so I tricked and coaxed a lot of puppies into coming over. They were lucky enough to be adopted, and at the end of the movie, there were even photos of the dogs sent by their owners, and they were all very happy."
Mr. Wu's adopted "Xiao Ba". /Photo provided by the interviewee
Upstream News reporter contacted Mr. Wu, one of the adopters from Chongqing. He adopted "Xiao Ba," one of the actors who played "Ba Tong" in the film. "A friend of mine happened to be on the set and heard that there were mixed-breed dogs available for adoption. I also had a dog at home that was getting a bit old, so I adopted Xiao Ba to keep it company."
Hao Shuai told reporters, "Xiao Ba is the most special one among these puppies. Its ears are droopy, but it wasn't captured on any camera. However, like the other puppies, it is very, very happy now, which is something that makes me particularly gratified."
"Whether I have a role or not doesn't really matter, because I raised dogs when I was a child and I think local dogs are very well-behaved, healthy and cute." Mr. Wu told reporters, "I signed an adoption agreement at the time and even visited the set. I felt that the staff had a deep affection for the dogs. Later, the crew would also visit regularly and ask me to take some photos or videos to send to them."
On March 27th, Chongqing became one of the first cities in China to hold a pet-friendly screening of the Chinese version of "Hachiko." Hao Shuai also remarked, "Chongqing is indeed a very animal-friendly city. We often walk around with a large group of dogs. Whether it's adults or children, they all come up to pet them, which surprises us greatly. Moreover, many shopping malls and places allow pets, which I find particularly remarkable."
A group photo of 18 "Eight of Bamboo" bamboo sticks. /Photo provided by the interviewee
Hao Shuai told reporters that the group photo of 18 dogs that went viral online was actually very simple to shoot. He used his break time to shoot each dog on location, then covered part of the background under a green screen, and then composited them bit by bit. It took more than two weeks to finish. "I didn't expect everyone to like it so much. Many people went to see the movie because of this group photo."
"Hachiko: A Dog's Tale" will definitely have a much greater impact than any of my previous films. I believe this movie will not only change the fate of 17 dogs, but also the fate of many more small animals," Hao Shuai said.
Source: Upstream News, Reporter Tang Hao
