Ben (and Indy)’s Super Patron Grant Application
Ben and Indy training together on set
So here’s the deal…
My name is BEN LEONERG. I’m the human in the photograph above. The dog (and my best friend) is INDY. For the last year, we’ve been making videos, about a dog who can see ghosts.
I currently work as the Creative Director for a VR Studio here in New York City. My background is as a traditional filmmaker, with an emphasis on puppets, special-effects, and the outdoors (ironic for someone who lives in NYC, I know).
I’ve made award-winning short films about torch wielding bears, tentacle monsters, and demonic toasters. Now with GOOD BOY I’m looking to tell a bigger story through a series of short vignettes and a culminating film, starring the world’s most relatable hero — a cinematic canine-protagonist the likes of which has never been seen before.
Indy’s authentic performance is of the utmost important to GOOD BOY
That’s the pitch.
To see it in action, watch the latest short film:
Indy is waiting on me to quit my job so we can film together full-time.
Thus far this project has been a “nights and weekends” production — but the results of our work have been very well received. Last winter our first short won a production grant from the NY Queens Arts Council (where the story also takes place). Then this summer we won the 2019 Rode Reel short film competition, which awarded us a production package with which we’ll filming the rest of the story.
I have the STORY
Indy has the TALENT
Now all we need is the TIME — and that’s exactly what the Super Patron grant will support
I realize our 3-minutes is likely up… BUT if you’d like to see more, please explore the rest of the site and check out all of Indy’s shorts below:
Hand-in-hand with making the shorts thus far, I’ve been working extensively to train Indy with professional dog-handlers and field experts to achieve a kind of authentic canine-performance never before seen on film.