Evolve Studios Weaves Behind-the-Scenes Footage Into Epic ‘Percy Jackson and the Olympians’ Documentary

Production company Evolve Studios recently took on the challenge of producing an exclusive behind the scenes documentary, delving into the making of Disney’s ‘Percy Jackson and the Olympians’ series. 

Entrusted with over a year’s worth of behind the scenes footage, Evolve had to first decide how best to present the content in a way that would feed into viewers’ natural curiosity for how the programme was made, showcase the remarkable journey of the actors throughout filming, and appeal to the franchise’s loyal fanbase. 

Realising that the extensive production process was a story in itself, Evolve unpicked 108 days’ worth of footage to carefully craft a narrative that would mirror the tension, action and energy that unravels throughout the series. Amelia Watson, story producer, said, “in structuring this piece, it was really a balance between the different aspects of production; casting, creature design, stunts. We wanted to feel a progression and a journey.”

The documentary highlights the evolution of the series, from initial casting to creature design and stunts. Beyond this, the longform medium gave Evolve the scope to explore the journeys of the actors involved, and show the audiences the personalities behind the talent on screen. Amelia comments on this decision, “For us, that meant really showcasing the personal growth and the personal journeys, and the bonds and friendships being formed - that’s really the real story of how this was made. That’s the making of Percy Jackson.”

To better understand the high stakes that came with appealing to, and appeasing such a large fanbase, Evolve took time off-set to attend New York Comic Con, to find out what the show means to the fans and the world as a whole. The team gathered first-hand insight into what the fans wanted to know, reflecting, “You just want to do right by the fans, and when Disney trusts you with one of their biggest properties, we knew we had to deliver.”

For Evolve Studios, the documentary was an opportunity to flex its creative muscles and showcase its numerous capabilities, whilst allowing many of the team to tap into their own childhood nostalgia and affinity for the franchise. Amelia Watson, story producer, commented, “I just went back to my inner child immediately, to combine this book series that is such a big part of my childhood, and my current passion for behind the scenes content was just like a dream come true project.” 

Joel Edwards, director and executive producer added, “We had 108 days-worth of footage. Multiple TERABYTES. It's hard to get your mind around. How do we craft a story that's compelling, that's emotional, that has its own story arc and its own character journey? That's tough to do if you don't do it on the front end, if you're not intentionally crafting and scripting from the beginning. This was very much a let's go mining for story gold and try to put that feature-length project together.”

You can stream ‘A Hero's Journey: The Making of Percy Jackson and the Olympians’ on Disney+ here.