Sarnia, Ont., seniors get funky in tribute to hit Bruno Mars video

A group of seniors in Sarnia, Ont., have become social media darlings for their remarkably accurate re-creation of the Mark Ronson/Bruno Mars music video for Uptown Funk.

To paraphraseMars himself: Don't believe us? Just watch.

The tribute video was conceived by Janice Horley, executive director of Landmark Village, a retirement community in Sarnia, as a surprise for a company vice-president.

"He loves that song," explainedTania Bergen, sales and marketing director at the facility. "He does a corporate video for our Christmas party every year, and she thought it would be a wonderful surprise if we develop this video ... as a surprise for him."

Despite a lack of familiarity with Mars or the hit song, 50 residents showed up for the initial casting call in August.

• Burlington sound engineer heads to The Grammys for Uptown Funk

• Awesome elderly couple bust out dance moves to Uptown Funk

• 'O'Town Funk' parody video celebrates graduates

"After we showed the [original] video, I think a lot of them got scared off, [so] we had a group of about 15 people that came down and were actually participating in the video," Bergen said.

Video features computer-generated dinosaur

Dress rehearsals were held threetimes a week, with filming taking place over three days in October. Goodwill Industries donated costumes, and Picker's Alley, alocal music shop, loaned musical instruments.

Terry Currie, a Petrolia, Ont.-based video producer, was hired to shoot and edit thevideo.

He said Uptown Funk"is such a hard video to do, especially for seniors," he said. "I tried to to talk them into doing something that was a little easier to do."

But the stars of the video were up forthe challenge.

"It was hilarious, they were havinga lot of fun they were working real hard at it," Curriesaid.

When asked why he decided to add a computer-generated dinosaur and chicken neither of which are part of the original music video Currie laughed.

"I don't know why I stuck it in ... why not?"

Bergen said the residents, who often enjoyed pizza and wine during the project, had a ball putting the video together. "They said, 'Oh, we're going to miss this when we don't have our practices anymore!'"

The vice-president whose love for the hit song inspired the creation of the video was "speechless"when the video was played at the company Christmas party.

"He was so surprised," Bergen said.

A week before thatparty, a screening was arranged for cast members, their families and friends.

"They just loved it, they ... thought it was a hoot," Bergen said with a laugh.

The retirement home is hoping that Mars will watchthe video.