害羞草研究所淧ercy Jackson and the Olympians害羞草研究所� is an effects-laden adaptation full of Greek gods, mythical monsters and otherworldly landscapes, but its young stars say they didn害羞草研究所檛 have to rely on imagination to visualize their fabled scene partners.

Disney Plus says the British Columbia-shot series, based on Rick Riordan害羞草研究所檚 best-selling fantasy novels, uses cutting-edge technology that forgoes green screens.

It害羞草研究所檚 billed as the first project shot in Canada to use the technology, dubbed StageCraft. At its heart is a newly built virtual production stage in Vancouver, known as 害羞草研究所渢he volume,害羞草研究所� which consists of 28-metre LED video walls that immerse actors inside computer-generated environments in real time.

Actors on the stage see video projections of CGI backdrops and characters that would traditionally be added in post-production.

Designed by Industrial Light & Magic, a division of Disney害羞草研究所檚 Lucasfilm, the stage害羞草研究所檚 first project was 害羞草研究所淧ercy Jackson,害羞草研究所� but there are more to come.

害羞草研究所淸The volume] is just insane. The fact that we could be in New York one day and Los Angeles the next is crazy,害羞草研究所� says 14-year-old Walker Scobell, who plays the titular hero.

害羞草研究所淭hey even added built-in sprinklers to the ceiling of the volume stage because there害羞草研究所檚 so many raining scenes in the show.害羞草研究所�

Directed by James Bobin, the series follows a 12-year-old demigod and his friends as they travel across America to return Zeus害羞草研究所檚 lightning bolt and prevent a war from breaking out.

害羞草研究所淚t was definitely very surreal,害羞草研究所� adds Leah Jeffries, 14, who plays Annabeth Chase, Percy害羞草研究所檚 pal and the daughter of Athena.

害羞草研究所淚f you害羞草研究所檝e read the book and know all the details that are in it, the creators made sure it was all in there. Even small things like, 害羞草研究所楾here was a box with a red mark on the side.害羞草研究所� The volume made it more intense because you saw it come to life in 3D.害羞草研究所�

ILM has other volume stages in Manhattan Beach, Calif., The Walt Disney Studios in Burbank, Calif., and in London, England. The California-based stages were used for Disney Plus害羞草研究所檚 害羞草研究所淭he Mandalorian害羞草研究所� and 害羞草研究所淥bi-Wan Kenobi,害羞草研究所� while the London stage was used for this year害羞草研究所檚 Marvel Studios feature 害羞草研究所淎nt-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania.害羞草研究所�

害羞草研究所淚t takes a lot of pressure off your mind to constantly uphold what the show害羞草研究所檚 world looks like,害羞草研究所� says Aryan Simhadri, 17, who plays Percy害羞草研究所檚 half-goat quest mate Grover Underwood.

He recalls a pivotal scene from the pilot set in a cabin in Montauk, N.Y., but actually filmed from the stage.

害羞草研究所淎ny time you glance out of a window in the Montauk cabin, it害羞草研究所檚 nice that instead of being startled by a green screen you forgot was there, you can see the reds and blues of the sunset. It helps you stay in it.害羞草研究所�

The actors do have some reservations about the technology, though.

害羞草研究所淭he one small drawback was how hot it was,害羞草研究所� says Scobell, noting the lights from the screens could get quite bright. 害羞草研究所淚t got hot. But it was nice in the winter.害羞草研究所�

害羞草研究所淧ercy Jackson害羞草研究所� was filmed in B.C. from June 2022 to February of this year, but Scobell, a Los Angeles native, got his first taste of Canadian winter while filming 2022害羞草研究所檚 害羞草研究所淭he Adam Project害羞草研究所� in Vancouver, where he played a young version of Ryan Reynolds害羞草研究所檚 character. He says the 害羞草研究所淒eadpool害羞草研究所� star not only provided mentorship, but indirectly prepared him for his current role as a heroic demigod.

害羞草研究所淗e told me about a lot of great food places around B.C., one of which is related to Percy Jackson 害羞草研究所� Aphrodite害羞草研究所檚 Cafe,害羞草研究所� says Scobell.

害羞草研究所淭hey have, like, really, really good pie there. And it害羞草研究所檚 all Greek gods-themed, like Olympus. That was really cool.害羞草研究所�

害羞草研究所淧ercy Jackson害羞草研究所� isn害羞草研究所檛 all movie magic. Camp Half-Blood, the Greek demigod training facility in the series, was set at Minaty Bay, a coastal region along the Sea to Sky Highway.

害羞草研究所淚 don害羞草研究所檛 think they could have picked a better spot for Camp Half-Blood,害羞草研究所� says Scobell. 害羞草研究所淚t had this pure blue, glacial water. It was amazing.害羞草研究所�

There was also some good old-fashioned physical training involved in the series. Simhadri害羞草研究所檚 character has goat legs, which required him to master the art of the satyr waddle.

害羞草研究所淚 learned how to walk like a goat,害羞草研究所� says Simhadri.

害羞草研究所淭hat was an interesting two months. I was [walking] like that for, like, 10 months after we wrapped. It felt weird to put my heel down on the ground, so I had to manually teach myself how to walk like a person again.害羞草研究所�

害羞草研究所淧ercy Jackson and the Olympians害羞草研究所� premieres on Disney Plus in the U.S. and Canada on Dec. 20.

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