Disney brings magic to Victoria
Fairy tale-spun Descendants airs Friday on Family Channel
VICTORIA — If anyone knows how to throw a party, Disneystyle, it’s Kenny Ortega.
The Emmy Award-winning director-choreographer of High School Musical fame proved this during last year’s secrecy-cloaked shoot one summer night at Royal Roads University in Greater Victoria. Its historic landmark Hatley Castle became the fairy-tale centrepiece for the spectacular finale in Descendants, Ortega’s Disney movie premiering Friday at 8 p.m. on Family Channel.
“You are at the party of parties, yeah? Look at each other, look at the castle, look at the world … let’s do it!” exclaimed Ortega, using a wireless microphone to inspire dozens of colourfully clad dancers. A DJ cranked some electronic music, triggering a frenzy of inventive, high-energy dance moves.
“There’s nothing more exciting for our audience than seeing you guys laughing and having a good time,” added Ortega, whose cochoreographer is Victoria native Paul Becker. “Let’s have a safe and joyful evening.”
It was the last night of the weeklong shoot for the movie that has generated hot buzz for its clever premise and cast of young Disney stars and screen veterans. Headlined by Dove Cameron (Liv and Maddie), it co-stars Booboo Stewart (Twilight), Cameron Boyce (Jessie) and Sofia Carson, with Kristin Chenoweth (Wicked) vamping as Maleficent and Kathy Najimy (Sister Act) as the Evil Queen.
Putting a witty, modern spin on Disney’s classic good vs. evil tales, the comic fantasy introduces a new generation of villains — Mal, Evie, Carlos and Jay, the teenage offspring of Maleficent, Evil Queen, Cruella de Vil and Jafar, respectively. They’re given a shot at redemption by Prince Ben (Mitchell Hope), the benevolent son of Beauty and the Beast, who now reigns as King of Auradon.
Sequences set on Isle of the Lost, the slummy, desolate hell where the quartet has been exiled with their wicked parents, were filmed in Vancouver. Capital region locations, including Government House and the legislature, stood in for the pristine kingdom where the evil teens are challenged to make good choices while studying with the offspring of other fairy-tale characters such as Sleeping Beauty at Auradon Prep boarding school.
The final night of shooting was a fireworks-punctuated spectacle, with the cotton candy colours of fairy-tale costumes, the castle’s rainbow-coloured lighting, a giant flickering image of Beast, and two silver light towers illuminating stone-walled stages.
It was a setting akin to a giant outdoor nightclub each time the royal celebration erupted musically, whether Ortega and cinematographer Thomas Burstyn were going for close-ups or tracking shots of dancers clutching glow sticks.
Cameron, whose purple hair matched her dragon-themed wardrobe of dark purple, magenta and poisonous green for her role as Mal, said it was impossible not to become spellbound by the movie magic.
“It’s just sort of filled with magic all the time,” she said. “This is probably the most fun project I’ve ever done.”
Sarah Jeffery (Wayward Pines), the Vancouver native who plays Audrey, the daughter of Aurora (Sleeping Beauty), agrees.
“It’s super fun,” she said. “We’ve got such a great cast, and Kenny is just the best. We’ve lucked out. It’s insanely magical.”
While the Fox series Gracepoint was the region’s biggest shoot locally last year, Descendants ran a close second.
“The direct spend was approximately $500,000,” said Victoria film commissioner Kathleen Gilbert, adding the opportunity it offered locals was perhaps more important.
“Hundreds of people were employed as both crew and background, and had the opportunity to be involved in a oncein-a-lifetime adventure of being in a Disney movie.”
Nearly 400 dancers showed up for a rare open casting call at Kim Breiland’s Stages Performing Arts School Studio.
“These kids were so nervous,” recalled choreographer Becker, who was once taught by Breiland at Stages. “It was insane. Ninety per cent of them had never auditioned for anything professional.”
A record-setting 1,500 locals also responded to an open call for background performers.
Ortega said he welcomed the chance to work with Becker on his home turf.
“I adore him. He’s an amazing kid,” said Ortega. “He’s really an imaginative person, conceptually strong and he has a great sense of humour. He brought on some amazing Canadian talent.”
Local talent includes Victoria actor Dan Payne as King, and Spectrum grad Zachary Gibson, who unleashed Pee Wee Herman-like moves as Dopey’s son Doug during the finale.
Making the shoot happen took 12 months, said Tracey Jeffrey, the B.C. producer who brought Ortega here a year earlier to scout locations. He fell in love with Royal Roads.
The icing on the cake was the six per cent distant-location tax credit implemented last year.
“It made a difference, let me tell you,” she said. “It’s a huge benefit having that in place.”
Ortega said he’d return to this “spectacular place” in a heartbeat.
“I hope we have a Descendants 2 so we can come back.”
“It’s just sort of filled with magic all the time. This is probably the most fun project I’ve ever done.
DOVE CAMERON ACTOR