JOHN SCOTT - BIOGRAPHY / RESUME

THE FILMMAN “Within 100 miles, you can make it look like five different states.” So said Clint Eastwood when

describing Alberta’s multitude of filming locales.

Indeed, capitalizing on the diversity of the

landscape of Alberta, has led John Scott Motion

Picture Animal Productions, through a lifetime

journey of adventure in the movie industry. Scott’s first experience wrangling began in 1970 while he was on the rodeo circuit, and was asked to supply horses and do some stunt work in the

producton of Little Big Man, starring Dustin

Hoffman.

“Yes, it was quite a fun deal,” remembers Scott. “We didn’t realize after that picture that we would

actually have an industry here in Alberta, and it

didn’t really happen until 1975, when five pictures

(including Buffalo Bill & the Indians, with Paul

Newman) were filmed here, and it looked like the

business was starting to come. That was a turning point.” Scott went to Hollywood and worked with the

wrangleres and stuntmen there, gettting onto sets

and seeing how the industry ticked - and invaluable experience when it came time for producers to

come to Alberta. THE PROMOTER With all its rich culture and landscape, Alberta is, unfortunately, the only province which doesn’t offer

a tax credit for American film producers, affecting

the amount spent in the province. “We are not on a level playing field with the rest of the provinces. It’s been a very had sell for the last 10 years,” Scott

states, comparing the industry dollars to B.C.

which, for instance, enjoys over a billion dollar film

industry revenue a year, while in Alberta, “we are

trying to consistently do around two hundred million dollars.” Scott says te industry has tried different models and a current “film fund” now in place, which

provides partial funding for hiring Albertans on films

is helping. THE HOST AND PRODUCER One of the many projects Scott has been

involved with, was one of his own making.

Recovering from a broken hip incurred in a car

accident, gave Scott the time to vision out the plan

of his own television series, eventually called John

Scott’s World of Horses which he not only hosted,

but produced as well. The White Iron production,

was syndicated and proved to me an informative

and well documented set showcasing the many

disciplines and uses of horses also gave Scott the

opportunity to honor the animal wranglers he had

come to know over the years.

“I had gotten to know chuckwagon drivers,

rodeo cowboys and many Canadian champions.

There were many stories to be told and this was a

chance to expose those individual stories.”

THE COWBOY WITHIN Scott is the founder of the Alberta Chapter of

Stunts Canada, an association of professional stunt

co-ordinators and performers, formed in 1974

Vancouver.

Nanton rancher and veteran Stunts Canada

member Brent Woolsey is considered to be one of

the busiest stuntmen in the business today and

attributes his film career to Scott who gave him his

first job working in the movie industry.

“I have learned what to do and what not to do by

watching him. The movie business is really

competitive these days and if you snooze, you lose.

Maybe that’s why John does not sleep much.

From left: Scott organizing a day of filming; buffalo wranglers and John near Drumheller; on the set of Into the West. “

John is and always will be a

cornerstone in the Alberta movie

business. He has given an

opportunity to an awful lot of people. - Brent Woolsey

Still, keeping his

animal actors and the

Alberta movie industry

working is a great

incentive for Scott,

who frequently flies

between Los Angeles

and Vancouver securing the next picture deal for

the province. “If I can promote a Western up here, it is to my

advantage.” he explains. “It gets these horses and animals working - it’s to everybody’s advantage.” Scott’s experience with the film industry over the years has taught him that if a director is doing a

contemporary film here, the next picutre he makes

may be a Western once he experiences Alberta. “If he come here and sees the country and what kind

of potential we offer, it’s good for everyone in the

business.” “

He’s a cowboy, you’ll get along well with John. He’s quick with a smile and he’s a class act who cares

about his livestock. - Hal Wetherup

A couple of wranglers, John Scott and Brent Woolsey. Scott is often horseback on the set. During filming of The Legend of Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. Scott stunt driving on the set. During filming of The Legend of Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. Gathering cattle in the fall.

THE HORSES As a horseman, Scott and his wranglers

have learned to be as adept at handling

horses, upt ot 800 at a time - as they were

asked to do in the filming of Heaven and

Earth. Safety for the actors and horses are

a top priority for Scott while filming these

large action scenes. He considers one of the more

exceptional horse acts he has worked with

to be horse trainer and stuntman Claude

Chausse and his 10-year-old black Quarter

Horse gelding, Mustang. When Chausse

isn’t delighting audiences on the pro rodeo

circuit, he occasionally finds work in movies

such as the western comedy Shanghai

Noon, starring Jackie Chan.

The ranch is home to often upwards of

100 horses, most used in the movies.

Though at one time breeding his own stock,

Scott now purchases his horses privately,

from sales and occasionally PMU Farms.

Former World Champion chuckwagon driver,

Tom Glass, also a Stunts Canada member

agrees with Woolsey. “John has done more

than anyone for the industry, he’s a good

wrangler, stunt co-ordinator, he’s always

promoting Alberta and he’s a good friend.”

Glass’ first taste of working in films began

in 1972 wrangling with Scott in the movie

Pioneer Woman. He then went on to try his

hand at stunt doubling for Kirk Douglas in

Draw! Since then, Glass and his brother Reg

have both been active in the film industry.

From left: branding at the Scott ranch and filming Little House on the Prairie, also at the ranch. “

When I was rodeoing for a living, he treated the cowboys like gold, he

always offered a standing invitation to put you to work on the movies

when you had some down-time. He’s a true cowboy in every sense of the word, preserving the western way of life and living it every day. - Robin Burwash From left: Jimmy Dodds, Darcy Sawley, Scott and Guy Poirer. Scott over the years he has known him, calling

him an “ambassador for the rodeo cowboy.”

He considers Scott’s role in these trail drives

crucial. As the co-ordinator for the guest

wranglers, Scott must supply the the horses

that have to drive the 200 head CS bucking

string along the trails. As Burwash says,

driving hroses is much different than driving

cattle. “With horses you have to lead them more or

less, you have to be able to set the pace and

hold them back. They may never break out of

an extended trot after the first day out,” he

explains. The 18 guest wranglers of this years six-day

trail drive, will be paying $15,000 each for the

privilege of participating on the historical ride,

with the proceeds going to the Calgary

Stampede Foundation, which has a focus of

Youth Programs. Sadly, the 2005 trail drive

could possibly be the last of its kind as the

growth of the city has made it increasingly

difficult to navigate traffic enroute to the

grounds. The horses and wranglers will arrive

in the city on a Sunday to avoid some of that

traffic.

As commerically engaged as John Scott

Motion Picture Animals is, Scott says the

Calgary Stampede Parade, with its 350,000

enroute attendance and some 35 milion

television viewers, is still one of the busiest

days of the year for him. He and his wranglers

will supply over 100 head of the 700 or so

horses stepping down this year’s parade route.

Hal Wetherup, Calgary Stampede Parade

Committee Chairman gives much credit to

Scott for the safety of the show. “John has been the Stampede Parade’s

principal stock supplier as long as I can

remember. Without a suitable supply of

parade-broke horses, accomplishing such a

feat, while maintaining our incredible record for

the safety of our spectators and participants,

would be virtually impossible,” he says, further

explaining that organization and matching

horses to riders become super-critical skills at

such a venue.

shows itself through

how well prepared his

mounts are for such

environments. Many

of our Parade

Marshalls, as well as

international riding

groups hire his

mounts for their use in

the Parade. The vast

majority of these -

both experienced and

novice riders - meet

up with their mounts only the morning before

the parade begins. It is vital each horse arrives

healthy, well prepared for the parade route and

suitably saddled in reliable tack. John’s

company does that very well indeed,” continues

Wetherup. A steadfast pride of his western roots may

be much of what drives John Scott, particularly,

when it comes time to selling the cinematic

potential of Alberta’s landscape to film

producers. His love of the traditional lifestyle of

the cowboy on the range, may also be why the

words to this ol-time-poem, hit the right buttons

for this cowboy. Hoppy, Gene & Me,

We taught you how to shoot straight,

And a cowboy never cries,

That’s how it had to be,

Just stories from the Silver Screen, Now most of them forgotten

Double feature Saturdays

With Hoppy, Gene and Me.

- Roy Rogers,

Silver Screen Cowboys

“A properly broke horse, in the traditional

sense, is sometimes insufficient for use in such a

large urban parade. With the thousands of

cheering people along the route, the marching

bands, strange sights and sounds, walking on

asphalt between towering skyscrapers - all that

can be a challenging situation for may horses.

The training expertise of John and his staff

www.northernhorsereview.com July 2005

AFFILIATIONS

BY TAMMY MEADOWS The

THE FILMMAN THE HOST AND PRODUCER THE COWBOY WITHIN THE PROMOTER THE HORSES STOCK SUPPLIER

THE HORSES STOCK SUPPLIER Scott will be in the saddle and acting as

client co-ordinator for the Calgary Stampede

2005 Trail Drive, in honor of Alberta’s 100th

Anniversay. The 2005 Trail Drive donated a

seat on the ride to STARS benefit auction which

brough $26,000. He also rode with the 2000

Millennium Trail Drive in which Stampede ranch

hands and guest wranglers drove the renowned

Calgary Stampede bucking horses 136 miles

from the ranch near Hanna to the Calgary

Stampede grounds.

Scott is always impressed with the CS

committee’s ability to pull off such an event as

the trail drive.

“Who else but the Calgary Stampede could

put on a trail drive like this! The organization,

the camp fires, the meals - it is first class allt he way.” he says. Calgary Stampede Ranch Manager and

Arena Director, Robin Burwash, holds high

praise for

DOWNLOAD JOHN SCOTT 1 Page Resume. This is a partial resume. If you would like a complete resume dating back to 1970 please send a request to: johnscottproductions@gmail.com

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