NPHS makes it to movie screens, producing extra funds
In recent years, the Newbury Park High School [NPHS] campus has been the film set for a variety of movies and commercials, allowing students to view their own campus and classrooms through multiple released films, including “Freakier Friday” and “Incoming.” With this influx of inquiries and requests for filming, the CVUSD has gained some extra funding, placing it directly back into the schools.
Along with high-profile projects, NPHS is also home to many national commercials, student films, independent productions and smaller-scale commercial shoots. However, even with this increase in productions filmed at NPHS and other CVUSD campuses, the process for approval is extensive, which is where David Riccardi, CVUSD District Director of Maintenance & Operations, comes into the picture. With instruction being the focus for CVUSD schools, filming and photo shoots are coordinated with school staff, the production team and the location services company to ensure that the school’s schedule is not affected. “While the scope of projects varies, the common thread is that all productions are carefully managed to minimize impact on school operations,” Riccardi said. “These opportunities also highlight the unique appeal of our campuses, which serve as authentic and versatile backdrops for a wide range of creative projects.”
The revenue from filming is then collected under facility-use agreements and deposited into the CVUSD Deferred Maintenance account, helping to support the district by offsetting costs related to maintenance, custodial services, and utilities associated with the production. “In most cases, a portion of the funds is directed back to the school site where filming occurred in the form of a donation, which can be used for campus improvements or student programs. This ensures that both the district and the school community benefit from hosting filming projects,” Riccardi said. This is often an incentive for the school district.
While each school and the district ensures student instruction and activities experience minimal interruption, one change in event caught the attention of many students. Senior sunrise, typically held on the football field, took place in the quad this year on Aug. 22. According to Stephen Lepire, NPHS principal, the reason for this change was that a commercial was supposed to be filmed. However, the production company canceled at the last minute. “We didn’t get the notification that it wasn’t going to be filmed until afterwards, so we were still assuming they were filming. And so that’s why we moved the senior sunrise to the quad on that. It was a miscommunication error,” Lepire said.
Even though some shoots take place during the school year, most are typically held during breaks, as this is when students are not in class, resulting in additional revenue coming in and less of a physical impact on student life. “Our goal is always to balance production company requests with the district’s priority of maintaining a safe, distraction-free learning environment for students,” Riccardi said.
