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Editor's note: Article first published May 3, 2008

Movie director Kenny Ortega once again will channel the spirit of his former mentor, dancing legend Gene Kelly, when he begins filming the third "High School Musical" in Salt Lake City Saturday.

"Every once in a while, I feel his presence in the room with me, and I get a smile and a little, 'Atta boy,' " Ortega said during a press conference today announcing the start of shooting at East High School.

The cast and crew of the hit Disney franchise sat in a room full of entertainment reporters from around the country to mark the beginning of shooting on the third film, "High School Musical 3: Senior Year."

"One great thing I learned from Gene Kelly was how to design choreography for the camera versus designing choreography for the stage," Ortega said. "Gene used to say there should be a raison d'etre - a reason for being. What's at the center of everything?"

Shooting for the theatrical movie, which will hit screens Oct. 24, again will involve mostly a Utah crew and the same Salt Lake City-based producer, Don Schain. The crew is expected to take about 40 days to shoot the film.

In the third and final installment for this cast, teen sweethearts Troy (Zac Ephron) and Gabriella (Vanessa Hudgens) of the East High Wildcats must figure out the future of their relationship as each graduates and moves on to different colleges.

Utah dancers, as in the first two movies, will make up most of the extras in "Senior Year" and Bonnie Story, associate artistic director Salt Lake City-based Odyssey Dance Theater, again will be co-choreographer.

The first "High School Musical," which became a cable television hit when it debuted in 2006, was filmed mostly at East High as well as Murray High School. The second installment, which broke cable viewership records when it was released last year and followed the Wildcats to summer vacation, was filmed mostly at a country club in St. George.

The state provided $2 million in incentive money to the new production to ensure it would be shot here, the largest incentive ever given to a movie project in Utah.

Since the first movie, the franchise's executive producers, Barry Rosenbush and Bill Borden have shot a whole slate of films in the state, including "Animals," a horror movie, and "The American Mall," a new made-for-TV musical for MTV that debuts in August. A sequel to that film already is being planned and will again be shot in Utah.

About coming back to the state for a third time, Efron said: "I couldn't imagine filming anywhere else."

"We've done the first and second one here, and it brings back so many memories," Hudgens said. "Just being here feels like home - being back here with everyone, it's amazing."

For Disney Channel star Ashley Tisdale ("The Suite Life of Zack and Cody"), who plays the snooty Sharpay in the movies, it's a chance to escape the hectic Los Angeles life.

"It's really quiet and relaxing," she said. "Everyone's super nice here, too."

Director Ortega is even more familiar filming in Salt Lake City. In addition to the "HSM" franchise, he was the Emmy-winning director of the Opening Ceremony for the 2002 Salt Lake City Winter Games and a producer on the "Hannah Montana" 3-D concert movie, which was mostly filmed at the Energy Solutions Arena.

"This is like a great secret, and I'm just glad we're here before the whole rest of the world figures it out. The community here couldn't be more talented. The dance community here is the finest in the country," he said. "The food and the mountains - it's a beautiful place to be."