Arizona

Arizona companies training animals for film productions as new incentives bring more productions to the state

Published

2 years ago

May 5, 2023

Arizona companies training animals for film productions as new incentives bring more productions to the state

Phoenix firm coaching animals for movies

On account of new movie tax incentives handed in 2022, many tv and film merchandise are anticipated to be drawn to Arizona, and this implies extra work for each human and animal actors domestically. FOX 10’s Irene Snyder has extra on how these animals are getting ready for his or her second within the highlight.

PHOENIX – Arizona’s new movie tax incentives are anticipated to draw many productions to the realm, and meaning extra work alternatives can be found for actors within the space.

By actors, we imply human actors, in addition to animals.

Some could have heard of the saying do not work with children or animals, however Arizona-based coach Chris Rankin has ignored that decision.

Rankin has spent her life working with animals.

“There is a sure share of us which have simply gone above and past, and it has develop into a ardour for us,” stated Rankin. “There’s one thing about with the ability to join with an animal and have this type of lightbulb factor go off for them to know it.”

Rankin’s canine, Cricket, is semi-retired on the age of 13. She and her doggie siblings have spent years within the limelight, touchdown roles in films like ‘Higher Name Saul,’ in addition to tv reveals ‘Teen Wolf’ and ‘Killer Ladies.’

These days, one other one in every of Rankin’s animals, a raccoon named Oliver, is taking heart stage.

“We had Oliver the raccoon on a music video, on a inexperienced display screen,” stated Rankin. “He needed to put on a bunch of various outfits, which does not sound arduous, however dressing a raccoon is tough.”

For some pet actors, occasions are good in Arizona

Rankin owns a expertise company named A1 Animal Expertise. She takes pet shoppers, along with her personal animals, to shoots throughout. Just lately, Rankin has been busy prepping some furry stars for lots of native work, because of new movie initiatives within the Grand Canyon State.

“So, the movie incentives do clearly have an effect on our actors, but it surely additionally have an effect on our small little area of interest of animal trainers,” stated Rankin. “We have got a number of canines and cats which are very proficient, which were ready on the chance to work on a movie set.”

The brand new incentives got here because of a movie and tv tax credit score invoice that grew to become regulation in July 2022. As a result of new regulation, productions taking pictures in Arizona will likely be eligible for a refundable tax credit score that quantities to fifteen% to twenty% of bills, which suggests there will likely be a lot extra native movies, in addition to and jobs for actors, people or animals.

‘So, the entire movie group is gearing up for this, so on my finish as an animal coach and expertise agent, what I have been doing is making an attempt to extend my expertise pool, principally,” stated Rankin.

Rankin has been partnering with canine trainers Debby Boehm and Amber Mercier of Precision Canine to get canine stars prepared for his or her close-up.

“Working in movie, that trade is a objective some folks have with their canines, and it is fairly an achievement,” stated Boehm.

Right here, canines are acclimated to lights and cameras, so when the director yells ‘motion,’ they’re able to go.

“Ensuring that canine is de facto strong, so we haven’t any sudden occasions,” stated Boehm.

One animal, named Pebbles, is aware of tips on how to retrieve keys from a mailbox, and relaxation her chin on cue. One other animal, Sketchy, can do paws up whereas wanting again.

Koa, in the meantime, can activate the lights, and might put his paws up on unstable surfaces, like a wagon or a chair that is transferring or keep in place.

On a primary degree, one of the crucial frequent issues animal actors must be taught is a sit, keep, take it, and maintain.

“Challenges with the wild animals are principally that they don’t seem to be doing one thing to please you. There needs to be one thing in it for them, and more often than not, it is one thing yummy,” stated Rankin.

Oliver, a raccoon, frolicked round units as a child, and for a raccoon, he’s uncommonly pleasant.

“He is been on Seth Rogen’s head. He is been on American Horror Story,” stated Rankin.

Rankin trains Oliver utilizing a clicker that clicks each time he does one thing proper, and rewarding with a fast deal with.

In the meantime, buzzers are used throughout goal coaching with foxes Smokey and Ashy. Like many different animals on the farm, Smokey is a rescue that went on to develop into a celebrity.

Some pets are more durable to coach

Rankin says one of many more durable animals to coach are cats, as they could be a tad bit cussed.

“Individuals are, like, ‘oh, you may’t practice a home cat,’ and I would say home cats are generally more durable than working with a raccoon, a fox, ‘trigger they’ve days once they’re identical to, I do not really feel prefer it,” stated Rankin.

The reality, nevertheless, is not one of the animals, are ever full-proof, and coaching them to such a excessive degree takes a variety of work.

In the long run, whether or not they seem in a single print advert, hang around on the tonight present, or star in a function movie, the bond between these handlers and their animals, is one thing particular.

“It is simply been magical,” stated Koa’s proprietor, Richard Powell. “Studying new issues with him, seeing him develop.”

“I really feel like I am actually fortunate, within the respect that I used to be in a position to make a profession I really like a lot,” stated Rankin. “There’s simply one thing about it that makes my coronary heart completely satisfied.”

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Arizona

Instant Grades: Cardinals Sabotage Playoff Hopes

Published

5 hours ago

December 22, 2024

Press Room

Instant Grades: Cardinals Sabotage Playoff Hopes

The story since the bye week has largely been the same game after game. The Arizona Cardinals had two chances to beat the Seattle Seahawks and fight for first place in the division. They failed both times.

Today, they needed to beat the Carolina Panthers to stay in the hunt with the LA Rams beating the New York Jets. They failed.

The underlying issues of why this is happening is another issue for another article, but the fact is that the Arizona Cardinals are out of the playoff hunt and already looking forward to 2025.

In the meantime, what happened today and how did the various position groups perform? Let’s take a look.

Quarterback – C-

No, Kyler Murray didn’t put the entire team on his back today to force a win, but it also can not be argued that he had much help from the team around him other than James Conner. That is not an excuse though for a player in his sixth NFL season with a massive contract that comes with high performance expectations.

Still, Murray is supposed to be a special player and he did not look special today. There was a flash of the special quarterback in the fourth quarter with a 20-yard rushing touchdown, but it was too little too late.

Most concerning, late in the fourth quarter Murray made a boneheaded mistake throwing to a spot of the field without an obvious receiver and the Panthers picked off the floater and held the ball till the very end, effectively ending Arizona’s season. There has not been a game since the bye in which Murray has not made a similarly mind-bogglingly bad play.

Offensive Line – B-

There were certainly concerns about the offensive line going into this game with left tackle Paris Johnson Jr. out with a knee injury and center Hjalte Froholdt suffering from an illness.

Thankfully, Froholdt was able to play through illness and Kelvin Beachum plugged in at left tackle and played another decent game.

Overall, the offensive line played a fine game and were one of the few position groups that showed up and simply did their job althought their performance was noticeably impacted after Jonah Williams went to locker room with a knee issue in the third quarter.

Tight End – C

Hard to really grade this position since, in a major switch from previous weeks, Trey McBride did not feature heavily for the Cardinals offense.

McBride caught three of the four balls that came his way, but only for a gain of 20 yards and once again was kept out of the end zone to extend his scoreless streak.

Running Back – A

James Conner is every coaches dream power back. After Petzing belatedly figured out that the Panthers possess the worst run defense in the league, Conner truly took over the offense.

Sadly, Conner hurt his knee in the third quarter and did not reenter the game leaving Michael Carter and DeeJay Dallas as the remaining active running backs.

Without Conner’s special gifts the Cardinals offense was not the same and the Panthers took advantage of that fact.

Wide Receiver – C-

The reader would be excused for not believing the Cardinals have any wide receivers on the roster considering the lack of impact they have had in several games this season.

Petzing has faced severe backlash for not finding ways to get the ball to the No. 4 overall pick of the 2024 NFL draft, Marvin Harrison, Jr, and for good reason. Still, trying to force the ball to Harrison, Jr. has not worked out and the connection between Murray and his rookie receiver is still not there.

Michael Wilson has shown up in big moments several times this year and did have a major 38-yard grab in the third quarter that gave the Cardinals some life.

Defensive Line – C-

The Cardinals defensive line failed in the two areas that were criticial to helping their team succeed this afternoon; contain Chuba Hubbard and put pressure on Bryce Young.

Naquan Jones was the only defensive lineman to actually get to Young but otherwise the young, second-year quarterback had time to do what he wanted and even saw multiple gaps open up through the defensive line and broke off some major runs that put the Cardinals in a hole early.

Hubbard really started to have his way in the second half and on several drives basically controlled the entire Panthers offense, often getting through the first line of defense untouched.

Linebacker – C+

The most that can really be said for this group is that Baron Browning flashes occasionally and did manage to get Young on the ground today for a sack.

Otherwise, the linebackers did not have a significant impact on this game after being one of the most consistent position groups all season. That being said, Kyzir White’s sack in overtime gave the Cardinals much needed hope and forced a punt, but again, too little too late.

The problems containing Panthers running back Hubbard might have started with the defensive line but the linebackers are supposed to stem the bleeding and they failed consistently in that effort in the second half.

Secondary – B-

Young did not have an inspired passing game today at all, and that is largely thanks to a sticky Cardinals secondary that did not allow him many easy downfield passes.

Rookie Max Melton had some rookie moments, but he continues to show some flashes that indicate a bright future in the league. It was second-year cornerback Garrett Williams that had some coverage issues.

Budda Baker did Budda Baker things but a big coverage whiff in the fourth quarter put the Cardinals in tough position. Fellow safety Jalen Thompson teamed up with Baker to clean up a lot of mistakes.

Sean Murphy-Bunting has struggled in big moments all season and today was not an exception. Needing a big stop early in the fourth quarter he allowed a corner of the end zone touchdown that put the Panthers up by ten and effectively ended the Cardinals season. A bad individual performance but not necessarily indicative of the entire position group’s performance.

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Arizona

Arizona Cardinals vs Carolina Panthers live score updates for NFL Week 16 game today

Published

13 hours ago

December 22, 2024

Press Room

Arizona Cardinals vs Carolina Panthers live score updates for NFL Week 16 game today

The Arizona Cardinals continue their 2024 NFL regular season schedule with an NFL Week 16 game against the Carolina Panthers today.

The Cardinals are coming off a 30-17 win against the New England Patriots at home in NFL Week 15.

The Panthers lost to the Dallas Cowboys, 30-14.

The Cardinals are 7-7 on the season. The Panthers are 3-11.

Follow our live updates of the game, which is being played at Carolina’s Bank of America Stadium, for the latest score, news, notes and analysis of the Week 16 NFL game Sunday.

Watch Cardinals at Panthers with FUBO (free trial)

Cardinals vs Panthers schedule: What time is NFL Week 16 game?

The game is on Sunday, Dec. 22, at 11 a.m. MST, 1 p.m. ET.

Cardinals vs Panthers TV: What channel is NFL Week 16 game on?

The game can be seen on FOX.

Cardinals vs Panthers streaming: How do I watch NFL Week 16 game on livestream?

Streaming options for the Cardinals at Panthers game include FUBO and other streaming services that carry FOX.

Cardinals vs Panthers announcers: Who is calling the NFL Week 16 game?

Chris Myers (play-by-play) and Mark Schlereth (analyst) are scheduled to be the announcers for the Cardinals-Panthers Week 16 NFL game.

Cardinals vs Panthers game odds: Who is favored in NFL Week 16?

The Cardinals are a four-point favorite over the Panthers in NFL Week 16 odds for the game, courtesy of BetMGM Sportsbook.

Arizona is -225 on the moneyline, while Carolina is +180.

The over/under (point total) is set at 47 points.

Pregame reading for Cardinals at Panthers game today

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Support local journalism: Subscribe to azcentral.com today.

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Arizona ‘villain’ Charles Smith arrested after filming himself spray bug killer pesticide on food inside Walmart

Published

21 hours ago

December 22, 2024

Press Room

Arizona ‘villain’ Charles Smith arrested after filming himself spray bug killer pesticide on food inside Walmart

A self-described Arizona social media “villain” was arrested after he filmed himself allegedly spraying bed bug killer on groceries inside a Walmart as he boasted to police about his prank videos.

Charles Smith, 27, is accused of grabbing a can of Hot Shot Ultra Bed Bug and Flea Killer and unleashing the pesticide on a series of perishable items in the Mesa, Ariz. megastore around 8:30 p.m. on Dec. 19.

In the now-deleted video, the influencer filmed himself wearing a black hoodie and pink bandana while spraying the toxin on bananas, acorn squash, potatoes, lemons, green apples and Roma tomatoes at the store — located in a neighborhood southeast of Phoenix.

Police claim the TikTokker, who goes by the username WolfieKahletti, intentionally went to the store to film pranks for his channel.

Smith identifies as an online “troll,” according to court documents viewed by Az Family. He has more than 300,000 followers on TikTok.

The troublemaker allegedly told police that he makes between $6,000 – $10,000 per month filming his provocative prank videos.

”I think social media has got people doing crazy things out here,” Walmart shopper Xavier Griego told the outlet. “It’s unfortunate that somebody would mess up their whole life, potentially, for something on social media for views.”

Smith voluntarily turned himself over to police on Dec. 21.

He faces charges of introducing poison (a felony) as well as three misdemeanors that include criminal damage, endangerment and theft.

A spokesperson from Walmart told AZ Family that store employees removed the directly impacted products and cleaned the affected areas of the store.

It’s not clear if any customers were injured from eating the contaminated items.

“This incident underscores the potential dangers of reckless actions disguised as social media pranks,” the Mesa Police Department said in a statement.

Other videos posted online by Smith include the posts of him seemingly mixing in bacon and eggs in a stranger’s load at the laundromat as well as locking people inside a different grocery store.

The spray is “harmful if swallowed” and “prolonged or frequently repeated skin contact may cause allergic reactions in some individuals” per HotShot’s website.

Suspects convicted of tampering with consumer products face up to 5 to 20 years in prison.

In 2022, an Arizona man was sentenced to 10 years of probation after being convicted of adding harmful chemicals to food at several retail stores in the Phoenix area.

David Lohr was ordered to pay restitution to a grocery chain for $390.42 and ordered to participate in a mental health evaluation and any additional recommended treatment.

There were no reported injuries or illnesses associated with the tampered items during the 2018 stunt, prosecutors said.

Lohr was accused of tampering with products at stores in California one year later and sentenced to a 51-month prison term followed by three years of supervised release with mental health services.

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