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What dreams may come true from owning a llama ranch in Montana? For junior Katie Rolfing, one such dream was meeting actor Robin Williams and getting to see a Hollywood movie in the making.
What’s it like meeting Williams for the first time? “Actually,” Rolfing said, “I think he started talking to the alpaca.”
In June 1997, two llamas and one alpaca of Rolfing’s herd were part of the animal crew used in the filming of last week’s film release What Dreams May Come. The movie is set in Heaven, and the llamas were a last-minute addition to the cast: the director saw a photo of the beautiful animals in an airplane magazine on his flight into town and decided he had to have them in the movie.
“I’ve never really thought of them (llamas and alpacas) as ‘heavenly,’” Rolfing said, “but I guess when they’re all groomed they could be.”
Gentle Jungle, the production’s animal providers, contacted Steve and Sue Rolfing’s Great Northern Llama Co., the oldest operating llama outfitter and guide in America. The Rolfing family currently raises 100 animals: 80 llamas and 20 alpacas. Steve and Sue were unable to attend the 12-hour filming session on the east side of Glacier National Park, but they sent daughter Katie, then 15, in their place.
Rolfing soon discovered that Hollywood is not always fast-paced glitz and glamour.
“About 11 of the 12 hours we spent waiting around, with nothing to do but watch what everyone else was doing,” she remarked.
After a long day of grueling scenes, it was dusk before Rolfing’s animals were summoned to the camera.
“They wanted the animals to be grazing peacefully with no halter or lead rope, and here we were in the middle of nowhere, with no fences or any way to catch them if they got loose on millions of acres!” said Rolfing.
The scene went off without the loss of any animals, but was not used on the movie. The previews, however, did include shots of the scene Rolfing helped in.
“It’s the one where Robin Williams is running super-fast on a hill covered with orange poppies,” she said. “It all looks real, but it was completely faked. Somebody told me they had spent $13,000 on artificial flowers! He (Williams) looks like he’s running really fast but he was actually on a conveyor belt. The camera angle was low so you can’t see the machine, and you also can’t see the guys that are lying on their belly throwing dirt up in the air as he passes to make it look like he’s running inhumanly fast.”
The scene resulted in several retakes, as the animals would spook when Williams ran past.
Rolfing said, “They didn’t run away, but every time he zoomed past they would jump back. Before the animals had a chance to get used to him running by them it got too dark to film any more.”
The highlight of Rolfing’s day was meeting Williams, although he was not as funny as she had expected.
“Robin Williams came over and talked to us a few times, and was very friendly. My parents had asked me to try to get a picture of him with the animals. I didn’t want to look like an obsessed fan, so we just snapped a quick one.”
Although Rolfing’s scene ended up on the cutting room floor, she saw an upside to the day. “At least I got to meet Robin Williams and see how boring film-making can be!”
Rolfing soon discovered that Hollywood is not always fast-paced glitz and glamour.
“About 11 of the 12 hours we spent waiting around, with nothing to do but watch what everyone else was doing,” she remarked.
After a long day of grueling scenes, it was dusk before Rolfing’s animals were summoned to the camera.
“They wanted the animals to be grazing peacefully with no halter or lead rope, and here we were in the middle of nowhere, with no fences or any way to catch them if they got loose on millions of acres!” said Rolfing.
The scene was completed without the loss of any animals, but the scene was not used in the movie. The previews included shots of the scene Rolfing helped in.
“It’s the one where Robin Williams is running super-fast on a hill covered with orange poppies,” she said. “It all looks real, but it was completely faked. Somebody told me they had spent $13,000 on artificial flowers! He (Williams) looks like he’s running really fast but he was actually on a conveyor belt. The camera angle was low so you can’t see the machine, and you also can’t see the guys that are lying on their belly throwing dirt up in the air as he passes to make it look like he’s running inhumanly fast.”
The scene took several retakes because the animals would spook when Williams ran past.
“They didn’t run away,” said Rolfing. “Every time he zoomed past they would jump back. Before the animals had a chance to get used to him running by them it got too dark to film any more.”
Although Rolfing’s scene ended up on the cutting room floor, she saw an upside to the day. “At least I got to meet Robin Williams and see how boring film-making can be!”
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