One of the film's biggest scenes takes place at the Petcetera store where the mobsters catch up with their prey and find out that Bob is a whole lot more than they bargained for. The set for this scene is based on a Canadian chain of pet stores by the same name. Constructed in an empty store in a small suburban strip mall, the film set was so realistic that passersby kept attempting to enter the store to buy pet food.
Production Designer Mark Freeborn talks about the design of this set and how it reflected the overall look of the film. Freeborn, who has previously worked with Bob Simonds, talks about the producer's influence on the film's design elements. "Bob's approach to the universe is positive and energetic," says Freeborn. "He has definite opinions about what he likes to see. He likes "buzz colors" which, in this case, happen to be orange and blue. He likes to tie his shows together with a visual thread. For this film he asked me to look at the 'Adam Sandier' and 'Happy Gilmore' so what I designed is a kind of-based Disneyland look."
"The Canadian Petcetera chain, affiliated with Petco in the U.S., was exactly right for us because it uses primary colors, is high-energy and very customer-friendly," Freeborn continues. "Although we made some design changes to suit our filming needs, we basically followed the store's mandate for color coding which happens to be blue, orange and pink."
Another major set for the film was Bleeker St., otherwise known as the postman's suburban hell or "dog alley." In this exterior location, as Freeborn describes, the existing houses were cleverly enhanced by the addition of individually designed fences. "In keeping with the romantic concept of the project," says Freeborn, "we decided to go with fences that had some charm, choosing different styles of picket fences, and pulled the color palette from the existing houses. In the end it looked so real that all the residents were really pleased and wanted to keep the fences."
Director of Photographer John Bartley, who is making his comedy debut with this film, admits that the look of the project is a far cry from his previous work on the notoriously moody "X Files."
"The overall look in terms of lighting puts the emphasis on bright, crisp, saturated colors," Bartley explains. "It's very upbeat and cheery. There will be no straining the eyes to see what's going on in this film, unlike my murky past in 'The X Files,' laughs Bartley. "There are no shadows here because shadows are the enemy of comedy. In that respect, the summer weather in Vancouver was perfect, with blue skies, lots of sunshine and clear long twilight."
Bartley goes on to discuss one of the challenges involved in filming the Bull Mastiff star. "Because Bob is a dark dog with those circles under his eyes, he needs a lot of light, which makes it kind of tough on the actors standing next to him," Bartley explains. "Young Angus Jones is very pale by comparison so you had to find a happy medium in getting them both to look good."
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