Shooting in an empty(working) High School

Chris Light

Chris Light

Veteran
I am putting together a personal project where i want to shoot in an empty high school either early in the morning, or just before sundown. have any of you tried to do this, and if so, what hurdles should i expect?...i don't work for anyone, nor will i be making any money with the project. i just want to get shots of empty classrooms, a gymnasium (lockerroom, etc), and such...obviously, i will be asking school administrators for permission, but do you think i will be hassled for a permit or anything?

thanks

Chris
 
I would expect that they might say "no." Why would they let someone walk off the street and shoot the premises. How do they know that you're not scoping the place out for a buglary or something worse? What if the footage turns up in a commercial production (you say it's personal but they are going to want more than your handshake on it).

I suspect that they would want to run it past the school's attorneys and might ask for liability insurance in the event you get hurt, hurt someone else or damage something. All of this is very unlikely but they will still take it into consideration. You should also get a location release to avoid problems later down the road.

Also consider: if it's before/after hours, who will open up the buidling for you and chaperone you when you shoot? Are they going to pay someone overtime to keep an eye on you?

As for logistics, expect a lot of ambient noise if you are collecting nat sound. Older wall clocks make a lot of noise when there are no kids in the room. Same with vending machines, copiers etc...the things youd expect to find in a school.
 
It has been my experience that the head Principal has say if you can shoot inside the school or not. It might be wise to contact a school with a video program, you can try and sell your idea to the school by offering to allow some students to come in and get some practical knowledge. Also, you can contact the video class teacher to propose he/she sponsor your project. Basically this means the teacher volunteers to be on school grounds with you during shooting and supervises the production and other students.

Alternatively, go on a college campus with a film program. There are plenty of classrooms, gyms, and any other high school looking stuff you might need. Plus if there is a film department no one will bother you because they will just assume you are a student working on a project.
 
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