One of the coolest things about my school is that as Atlanta's movie scene grows, more and more films and shows are being shot on Oglethorpe's campus. While you've probably never heard of Oglethorpe University (OU), you've probably seen or will see pieces of it in upcoming movies and shows. Here are a few features that were shot on campus over the last few years:
1. "Satisfaction" - USA Network
When a big movie comes to campus, the first clue that something cool is happening is the email that is sent out to all students that parking is going to be an issue for a few days. They give us a time frame, point out alternate parking options along with a list of places that filming will occur, and whether it's a movie or a TV show. Then, if we really care what's going on, we go to the Internet and figure out what is filming. I've become very good at searching Atlanta casting and filming websites to find out locations. Even though I wasn't on campus for this, I'm pretty confident "Satisfaction" was being filmed a few days ago.
2. "Powers"- PlayStation Network
During my second month at OU, PlayStation Network began filming its new superhero show "Powers". I'm not sure how much they actually filmed on campus because I was busy trying to figure out how to survive freshman year, but it may be possible to catch a glimpse of the campus if you watch the show. Unfortunately, it is only available through streaming with a PS3 or PS4.
3. Vacation - New Line Cinema
This re-boot of National Lampoon's Vacation also had some shots filmed at Oglethorpe last fall. I remember sitting outside near the entrance as a blue car drove through the front gate, out the side gate, then back around. We couldn't figure out why this was happening and waved at the people inside when they rolled their windows down before going back to the main road. After a few times, we realized they were filming, but that didn't stop us from waving. Maybe when Vacation comes out later this year, you'll see me and some of my friends in the background of a shot. Another cool perk of having a campus with famous people filming things on it is that you could potentially meet one of them. My suite-mate met John Francis Daley when he was on campus scouting locations for Vacation.
4. "Constantine" - CBS (cancelled)
I remember exactly when "Constantine" was filmed on campus. I was in class and kept getting distracted because there was a giant production tent and huge camera crane out at the edge of the quad. There also happened to be a "dead" girl on the pavement and an ambulance. Later that night, they used our library to film some kind of party. Apparently the kids at Ivy University (which is what our campus was renamed for the shoot) aren't sure how to use a library.
5. "The Vampire Diaries" - CW
I wasn't around when "The Vampire Diaries" filmed on campus in 2010, but it's probably the most well known show that has filmed here. The scenes that were filmed at OU were in an episode from Season 2, and from my research, I'm pretty sure it was the episode "Bad Moon Rising." In the episode the characters go to Duke University, and the time of the shooting coincides with the dates that the filming was written about for an OU blog.
As an intern with Atlanta Movie Tours, I've become more aware of all of the filming that is going around me, and I've also become fascinated with the behind-the-scenes aspects of movies, especially ones filmed so close to me. And I can't wait to see what other films and shows shoot on campus while I'm there.
