Making films at university
More and more universities on both sides of the Atlantic are being used as film locations. Many universities have stunning buildings, which stand empty during the long holidays. This gives filmmakers an uninterrupted period of time in which to shoot a film.
In most cases, the universities do not appear as they really are. Londoners were surprised to see American police cars patrolling outside the University Library, which was used as Gotham City Police Headquarters in all the Batman films. The University of London Library is a classic example of 1930s architecture and has become a highly sought-after location for numerous films and television series set in that era.
Generally, buildings are decorated so that they cannot be easily recognised. Thirty years ago, a lecture theatre at Brunel University was used in Stanley Kubrick’s terrifying film about the future, A Clockwork Orange. At the time, its huge grey blocks were considered very modern. Kubrick thought it would be perfect for the secret police headquarters. For three weeks, there were at least 200 people on site: electricians, carpenters, make-up artists, set builders. Everything went well until, some time later, Kubrick decided he wasn’t satisfied with his work and wanted to reshoot some scenes. They had to return, rebuild the set and shoot the scenes again. This caused many problems, as the academic term had already begun.
Oxford and Cambridge are the most popular universities among both students and filmmakers, and it is equally difficult to gain entry to both. Some excellent films have been shot there, the most recent being the Harry Potter films.
Across the Atlantic, several actors and directors are alumni of the University of Southern California. Perhaps that is why its buildings have been used in more major films than any other educational institution in the US. However, recently, American film crews have moved to Canada due to the lower production costs there. The University of Toronto has stood in for two other famous American universities: the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Good Will Hunting and Harvard in Skulls.
Universities encourage this alternative use of their buildings and see it as a useful way of generating additional income. From a director’s perspective, universities are fantastic locations for feature films, television series, adverts and still photography, such as fashion shoots.
Unfortunately, it is unlikely that being a student at one of these universities will be of much use for a future acting career. Most filming takes place during the holidays, and filmmakers always bring their own professional actors to play the students.
Ejercicio
Mira las siguientes frases sobre la realización de películas. Si la frase es correcta, marca «True»; si es incorrecta, marca «False».