On January 27, the Latino Committee (LC) meeting was preceded by the discussion, Choreographing the Camera - A Conversation with Director Kenny Ortega.
In a dialogue moderated by Committee Co-Chair Eli Gonda, Ortega — a visionary Director, Producer, Choreographer and the two-time winner of the DGA Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Children’s Programs Award for High School Musical (2007) and Descendants (2016) — shared how his choreographic eye shapes how he blocks actors, works with DPs, and cuts a scene. He also discussed his commitment to Latino representation and how social causes shapes who he hires and what he makes during his four decades of thinking in movement.
Speaking about his creative process, Ortega revealed his love of collaboration and what that brings to the equation.
“I want to work with my DP as early as they become available to me and often other teams also want to come in to see what we are workshopping because it will influence their decision making. I love to do that with everybody. I like to create a workshop environment where the doors are open to anyone who wants to come in and observe what I’m doing. Occasionally, I’ll close those doors if I’m working on something that requires real concentration and privacy, but I like all departments to come in and feel connected to what is being built. That enables them to ask the right questions and helps me move the work forward, even to places I’ve never imagined myself. Over time I’ve learned how to put together an environment that could inspire the best end result. By fostering a safe space for everyone to create, there is joy present, enthusiasm present, confidence present — and all of that is the sizzle where the magic is buried.”
A DGA member since 1985, Ortega’s film and television directing credits include the features Newsies, Hocus Pocus and A Change of Heart; the movies for television The Rocky Horror Picture Show: Let's Do the Time Warp Again, Legally Mad and High School Musical 3: Senior Year; the documentary This Is It; and episodes of Julie and The Phantoms, Crazy Ex-Girlfriend, Gilmore Girls, Ally McBeal, Resurrection Blvd., Chicago Hope and Hull High. Ortega has received two DGA Awards for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Children’s Programs for High School Musical and Descendants and was also nominated in that same category for High School Musical 2. He has also won Emmy Awards for his directing and choreography on the XIX Winter Olympics Opening Ceremony, as well as a directing Emmy nomination and a choreography Emmy Award for High School Musical.
ABOUT THE COMMITTEE:
The Latino Committee was created as a networking group to advance career and job opportunities for Latino DGA members by improving craft skills, networking, and making Latinos better known to the Hollywood creative community.
