The school, which has been able to maintain much of its original architecture is one of the only Los Angeles schools with pre-WWII buildings remaining. Because its older architecture: the brick facades and wide hallways, its "unique east cost look", the school is an attractive place to film.[1][2][3] The administration, which allows filming during school hours, moves classes as needed and allows productions to make minor changes to the campus, has a long history of bringing in filming (and the money that goes with it) to the school.[4][5]
The usage of the school for filming is a controversial one.[6] Filming often takes place during school hours, and students and teachers are moved from classrooms and walkways are blocked off as needed.[4] The school often undergoes renovations for filming, anything from retiling and painting, to temporary removal of furniture and lockers.[5][7] These disruptions are a cause for students and teacher complaints. [3][6]
Past articles in the Wildcat addressed not only the distruption to students,[5][8] but how the money made from the constant filming is spent. Editorials have complained about the portion of the money that goes to the LAUSD,[8] and the way the money is spent by the school.[9][10]
University High charges the standard district fee for each day of filming (currently $2,500).[11] A portion of the money earned goes to FilmL.A., Inc., formerly named the Entertainment Industry Development Corporation[12], which acts as an intermediary between the LAUSD and the entertainment industry.[13] The name change, which followed the naming of a new president and finance chief[14][15] and came as the company was preparing to relocate its headquarters and implement a revised contract with the Los Angeles City Council, helped distance the private non-profit from it's "bureaucratic and scandal-ridden image."[16][17][18][19] In March of 2005, the LAUSD entered into a new three year contract with the EIDC, aftering soliciting bids from other vendors.[18][20] Ruben Rojas, the LAUSD's director of revenue enhancement, said that the district choose to continue working with the EIDC because of it's "its proven track record and ability to deal with complex film-permitting issues."[20]. Indeed, during that time, FilmL.A. expanded the number of schools that had hosted on-location filming from 19 schools to more than 200 schools: coordinating 1,500 film shoots at 250 LAUSD sites.[21][11] The LAUSD's filming profits for the 2003-2004 school year generated almost $1 million dollars, and the district is on target to for a annual film revenue increase to at least $1.5 million.[21][22][11] The doubling of the LAUSD's film revenue in the four years since FilmL.A. was original hired in March 2002 was a contributing factor to Burbank Unified School District's decision to hire Film L.A. in July of 2006.[23]
Under FilmL.A.'s current contract with the city, the company recieves "a 15% managment fee based on the total use fee".[24]. 75 percent of the remaining filming monies go to the individual schools that host the on-location shooting to be used at the school's discretion, and 25 percent goes to a district fund that benefits schools that do not generate film revenues of their own. [20][25][13] Uni High distributes among the departments the first $12,000 made each year from on-campus filming.[10] The Budget Committee makes spending recommendations for any additional monies.
Recent budget cuts have made filming at schools more attractive.[4][6][22] In 2004, the number of schools volunteering to be film locations grew from 19 to 160 and the district's annual film revenue doubled to $1 million.[4] In 2005, LAUSD officials revised the district's fee structure for the first time since 1992. The revision included extending a full day of shooting from 14 to 15 hours, and a daily rate increase from $1,700 to $2,500.[20]
Uni has been noted in the press as being one of the more popular schools for filming, even compared to other local schools with similar structure and appearance.[6][22] In 2003 and 2004 alone, 38 movies, TV shows and commercials were filmed at University High.[4] This popularity, with both its positive and negative impacts, is credited to the Assistant Principal who is responsible for the filming on campus.[6]
The Assistant Principal, Ali Galedary, who graduated from Uni High himself in 1978,[26][27] says, "Our kids understand, and our teachers understand, that filming is beneficial to University High School."[4] He also believes that the filming can be a good experience for the students. Student reporters have interviewed actors filming at the school and the drama students get to "observe the set". [28] Notably, one student's photo of Jim Carrey during the Bruce Almighty shoot ran in the Christian Science Monitor with a photo byline for her and the school newspaper (where the photo originally ran).[6]
In November of 2006, Drillbit Taylor, starring Owen Wilson began filming at Uni. As of April 2007, the $90,000 received for this production is the most that the school has made on an individual filming contract. [5] Uni underwent massive renovations in order to prepare for the filming of Drillbit Taylor.[5] The interior and exterior of the main building were painted, and the main building was retiled as well.[5] The facade of the building was altered to read "McKinley High School," and plants and grass patches were added throughout the school.[5] These changes were unusual not only because the extent and timing of the changes meant that construction took place during the school year, but also because Drillbit Taylor production did not pay for the re-tiling.[7] The district had provided money to re-tile floors throughout the LAUSD,[7] so the re-tiling of the floors itself was not unusual or controversial. However, as the film's production needs guided the color choices for the re-tiling and the schedule for construction, many students were upset by the behavior of the movie company and the school.[7]
Below is an incomplete list of productions that have filmed at University High:
Movies
edit- Billie, 1965 [29]
- Pretty Maids All in a Row, 1971 [30]
- Jawbreaker, 1995 [31]
- Bruce Almighty, 2003 [32]
- The Battle of Shaker Heights, 2003 [33]
- Raise Your Voice, 2004 [32]
- Surviving Christmas, 2004 [34]
- The Hot Chick, 2004 [4]
- Freedom Writers, 2007, [35]
- Drillbit Taylor, 2008 [5]
Television
edit- My So-Called Life, 1994 [36]
- Oliver Beene, 2003 -2004 [6]
- 7th Heaven, from 1995 - 2007, University High served as Glen Oak High School [32]
- Lizzie McGuire, aired 2001 - 2004 [4]
- Joan of Arcadia, aired 2003 - 2005 [34][3]
- Arrested Development, aired 2003 - 2006 [37]
Indiviual Episodes
edit- The Flannerys, pilot, shot 2003 [33][38]
- High School Undercover, pilot, shot March 2004 [1]
- JAG, shot March 2004 [39]
- Filmore Middle, pilot, shot 2005 [40]
- Day Break, pilot, shot 2007 [41]
- The Division, season finale, shot May 2004 [2]
Other
edit- JoJo's music video Leave (Get Out), 2004 [32]
Notes and references
edit- ^ a b Shapiro, Regina (3/19/2004). "FBI Agents and Cheerleaders Shoot Pilot". Wildcat. Retrieved 2007-04-22.
{{cite news}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - ^ a b Simanian, Jessica (5/28/2007). "Lifetime Networks Films The Division on Campus". Wildcat. Retrieved 2007-04-22.
{{cite news}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - ^ a b c Barco, Mandalit Del (March 11, 2004). "Los Angeles schools benefit from Hollywood filmmakers using campuses for film shoots". NPR. Transcript accessed with LexisNexis 2007-05-26. Listen to the story at NPR.
- ^ a b c d e f g h Hayasaki, Erika (Dec 16, 2003). "Schools Ready for Close-ups; Administrators are welcoming movie and TV shoots to campus, seeing the financial benefits in an era of budget cuts". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2007-05-23.
- ^ a b c d e f g h Haber, Ben (11/21/2006). "Film Crew Sets Up Shop for Upcoming Movie". Wildcat. Retrieved 2007-04-22.
{{cite news}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - ^ a b c d e f g Austin, April (January 15, 2004). "Your School as a Film Star?". Christian Science Moniter. Retrieved 2007-04-23.
- ^ a b c d Tefolla, Joanna (10/20/2006). "LAUSD Re-floors Administration Bldg". Wildcat. Retrieved 2007-04-22.
{{cite news}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - ^ a b Berezin, Jacob (9/26/2003). "Filming Abates Budget Cuts". Wildcat. Retrieved 2007-04-22.
{{cite news}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - ^ Pan, Chenlu (11/21/2003). "Film Crews Arrive, Funds Misused". Wildcat. Retrieved 2007-04-22.
{{cite news}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - ^ a b Galedary, Ali (12/05/2003). "Film Donations Valued; Re: Film Crews Arrive". Wildcat. Retrieved 2007-04-22.
{{cite news}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - ^ a b c Kandel, Jason (2006). "Burbank gives new meaning to 'Film School'" (PDF). Daily News. Retrieved 2007-05-24. A text version of the article is available at the The Free Library by Farlex Inc.
- ^ McNary, Dave (Friday, December 9, 2005). "EIDC Redubbed L.A. Film". Variety. Retrieved 2007-05-25.
{{cite news}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - ^ a b Smith, Natasha N. (February 4, 2004). "Take Note; Starring Roles". Education Week on the Web (www.teachermag.com). Retrieved 2007-05-23.
- ^ McNary, Dave (August 11, 2005). "EIDC names new finance chief" (PDF). Variety. Retrieved 2007-05-24.
- ^ "EIDC Appoints Michael J. Bennett as Chief Financial Officer; Finance and Operations Veteran Brings Broad Skills and Experience to Nonprofit" (PDF). EIDC. August 11, 2005. Retrieved 2007-05-25. A text version of the article is available at the California Film Industy Magazine
- ^ Wolfe, Rosalind H. (December 12th 2005). "LA Film Permit Office Changes Name; From EIDC to 'Film L.A.'". Hollywood North Report. Retrieved 2007-05-24.
{{cite news}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - ^ Verrier, Richard (Dec 9th 2005). "Film Permit Group Gets a Remake; Amid a slew of changes, the coordinator for Los Angeles is shedding its long name in favor of Film L.A. Inc". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2007-05-24.
{{cite news}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) A text version of the article is available at PR Newswire - ^ a b Hiestand, Jesse (December 09, 2005). "L.A.'s EIDC Rebuilt into FilmL.A." (PDF). Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 2007-05-24.
{{cite news}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) A text version of the article is available from BACKSTAGE.com; The Actor's Resource - ^ "EIDC Film Office Becomes FilmL.A., Inc.; New Name and Downtown Headquarters Underscore Response to Growing Worldwide Competition for Entertainment Production" (PDF). FilmL.A., Inc. Dec 9, 2005. Retrieved 2007-05-25.A text version of the article is available from PR Newswire
- ^ a b c d Hernandez, Greg (Mar. 22, 2005). "Schools profiting from screen roles". Daily News. Retrieved 2007-05-23.
{{cite news}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - ^ a b Kennedy, Mike (Feb 1, 2004). "The Big Squeeze". American School & University Magazine. Retrieved 2007-05-25.
{{cite news}}: External link in|publisher= - ^ a b c Boghossian, Naush (09-SEP-05). "LAUSD Schools Are Film-Friendly". Daily News. Retrieved 2007-05-25.
{{cite news}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - ^ "Entertainment Industry Development Corporation of Southern California; Financial Statment; June 30, 2003 and 2004 (With Independant Auditors' Reports Theron)" (PDF). Notes to Financial Statment; June 30, 2003 and 2004. EIDE. p. 5. Retrieved 2007-05-25.
- ^ Wiebe, Chris (July 7, 2006). "Board votes to Approve Film Deal; School district board to ink a contract with entertainment companies interested in filming at Burbank schools" (PDF). Burbank Leader. Retrieved 2007-05-24.
- ^ "LAUSD RENEWS EIDC CONTRACT TO MANAGE ON-LOCATION FILM PERMITTING; Production Grows as Source of School District Revenue" (PDF). EIDC. Mar 21, 2005. Retrieved 2007-05-24. A text version of the article is available at Digital50.com; An American Digital Networks Production
- ^ Mr. Ali Galedary's entry in University High School's Alumni Directory
- ^ Mr. Ali Galedary's profile in University High School's Staff Directory
- ^ Shorr, Pamela Wheaton (11/05/2004). "Bits & Bytes: Lights, Camera". Plugged In at Scholastic.com. Retrieved 2007-05-23.
{{cite news}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - ^ RunningMovies.com
- ^ News from me ARCHIVES at POV Online
- ^ Product Description at Amazon.com
- ^ a b c d Shapiro, Regina (9/23/2005). "7th Heaven Films Episode on Teen Pregnancy". Wildcat. Retrieved 2007-04-22.
{{cite news}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - ^ a b "'Shaker Heights' Films Battle on Campus". Wildcat. 3/21/2003. Retrieved 2007-04-22.
{{cite news}}: Check date values in:|date=(help); Unknown parameter|coauthors=ignored (|author=suggested) (help) - ^ a b Piterberg, Uri (4/11/2003). "Hollywood Films on Campus". Wildcat. Retrieved 2007-04-22.
{{cite news}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - ^ Piccalo, Gina (Jan 9, 2007). "Did 'Writers' get it wrong?". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2007-04-22.
- ^ My So-Called Life at the Internet Movie Database
- ^ Arrested Developement at IMDb
- ^ The Flannerys at the Internet Movie Database
- ^ Simanian, Jessica (3/26/2004). "JAG Swoops Into Campus, Bringing Drama and Intrigue". Wildcat. Retrieved 2007-05-23.
{{cite news}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - ^ Dubon, Lynda (4/29/2005). "Film Crews Cruise Uni's Halls". Wildcat. Retrieved 2007-05-23.
{{cite news}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - ^ Shapiro, Regina (3/24/2006). "Taye Diggs Films Pilot". Wildcat. Retrieved 2007-04-22.
{{cite news}}: Check date values in:|date=(help)
- Location Information for University High School from FilmL.A., Inc.
- Satzman, Darrell (March 25 2002). "LAUSD auditioning to land bigger role in Hollwood. (Up Front)". Los Angeles Business Journal. pp. 1–3. Retrieved 2007-05-25.
{{cite news}}: Check date values in:|date=(help)