Behind the Scenes of Percy Jackson

If it takes 10 hours to shoot a 2-minute scene, then how long for a whole movie!

The first of the Percy Jackson and the Olympians book series, The Lightning Thief, will soon be on the big screen. How do I know? I recently visited the movie set in Vancouver, Canada, where author Rick Riordan’s most famous creation is being filmed. The fifth and final book in the series, The Last Olympian, was released this May. The movie is set to be release in February 2010.

It was my first time on a movie set, and it was amazing! The scene being filmed the day I visited was when Grover and Percy walk out of the infirmary in Camp Half-blood. It’s the scene when Grover tells Percy that he, too, is a demigod. The setting of Camp Half-Blood is in Golden Ears Park, so there was an abundance of trees, moss, shrubs, and mosquitoes! 

The unit publicist, who was pretty much our tour guide that day, took my mom and me around the area so I could get a view of all the camera angles. I also got to hang out in the director’s tent where Director Chris Columbus worked setting up and reviewing the different shots on a computer screen. (Columbus also directed the first two Harry Potter movies.)

The entire 10-hour workday was spent on that one scene, which will end up being only about two-minutes long in the movie.  They had to get five different angles of the scene, and since the actors would forget lines or the lighting wasn’t always perfect, it took the whole day just to get it right.

The first half of the day, the director focused on getting the front and right side views of the scene. After a nice lunch in the dining tent, actors took about a half-hour break in their mobiles before getting back to work.  The last half of the day, cameras were focused on the left angle and the back. Cameras were set up behind the actors to film them while they walked.  This took only about half an hour, because you wouldn’t see the actors’ lips moving. It didn’t matter if they flubbed their lines for this!

You may think that one scene is easier or harder to shoot than the other, but not according to Columbus.

“I think on this film, every scene is a major challenge to create the reality of the Olympian world,” he said.

It was a great day and I learned a lot about how much work it takes to make a movie.

—Grace Choi

PHOTO: Grace and and Brandon T. Jackson, who plays Grover, on the set of The Lightning Thief in Vancouver, Canada, summer 2009. Photo Courtesy Grace Choi.

Comments

[Kid Reporter Danielle A.]

Hi Grace,

WOW! What a great assignment and a great story! I really enjoyed this story it was so interesting and fun to read.

[Kid Reporter Grace C.]

Thanks,

It was definitely a blast to do this assignment!

[breck]

i totally love the books.im so excited!!!!!

[Elizabeth]

WOW! You are sooooo lucky!! I have wanted to visit the set for soooo long!! Well I hope you had fun and took advantage of those moments to meet Logan Lerman!! Ohhhh... I hope I get on eventually!! I love those books!!

[Sharon]

Wow, I'm so happy for you that you got to visit the set! ^_^ I read all the books, and they will make a wonderful addition to the magic of movies. I'm an aspiring writer myself, and I can only hope my story idea will get as much attention as Rick's. ^^ Great job on the article.

[manga eyes]

wow ur SO lucky~

[manga eyes]

btw.say hi to rick for me if u ever meet him!!

[Lola]

WOW!!!! You are soooooooooooooooooooooo lucky! I'm a crazy PJ&O fan!!!!
Lucky you.
lola

[Kayla]

Wow! You are so lucky to have that experience! I am a big Percy Jackson fan and can't wait for the movie! Great article!

[*~Memz~*]

That sounds amazing! I hope you had a blast!

[Dibs]

Thats amazing! Did you meet the girl who plays annabeth?

[cmd]

I love the book and the whole series!

[Alexa]

Oh cool your so lucky to be a reporter with this opportunity!! I wish I could be a reporter like you!!

[*kk.s*]

I'm a big Pj&o fan!!! youre sooo lucky!!! Mrs. O'leary the hellhound is my fave...but shes in the only in the 4th & 5th 1 though...... :) :P :D
cant wait 4 the movie!!

[Belle]

LUUUUUKKKKKKKYYYY!

I'm so jealous :(

i can't wait till the movie!!!
ahhhhh!

but i was upset that the elevator scene(in trailer) was to dramatic, it was supposed to be funny! *raindrops keep falling on my head*
hm. and olmpus looks to dark sorta like the underworld, i mean what about STARS people, add some light!

[Vanni]

oh my gods!!! Brandon is a better satyr than i thought. well i love the article. you are extremely lucky. im more of a scientist/environmentalist myself, but you can certainly write.

[mary jo]

you are sooooooooooooooooooo lucky! do you realize how many kids (including myself) would do anything to swap places with you? i am very jealous!

[Godessgal]

U r soooooo lucky! I live for percy jackson!

[Kid Reporter Grace C.]

Hey everyone!

Thanks for all the great comments. I was so happy to see the first trailer when I was watching the latest Harry Potter movie, but did you know a second trailer has been released and it's even better! So check it out, because they even added a part in the trailer from the day I visited (when Grover says "the gods are real"). I'm just as excited about the movie as all of you guys, and there might be another article about my visit there coming out as the opening of the movie comes closer. So keep an eye out for that!

Grace

[Martha/Annabeth]

OMG grace you are so lucky. did you have fun visiting the set? i wish i could have come with you:( i cant wait to see the movie. i hope it isn't too much different from the book. i think it would be so cool to be part of the scholastic kid press. how do i become one?? please respond grace

[Kid Reporter Grace C.]

I did get to meet Annabeth. She wasn't on set that day but we met in her hotel lobby. She's so sweet! The set was exactly how I imagined the book to be like, and the actors and actresses could not be any better! Martha/Annabeth- the sign ups just passed a week or so ago, but I'm sure you can sign up next year! Just remember to check out this website often and see when opportunities show up!

[athena]

i love the percy jackson books nice job rick