I know the cute guy at Hollywood Video looked at me funny when he saw the DVD in my hand. I wanted to explain myself and my taste in movies. In my head, I played out a quick conversation.

Cute Guy: So you like Katie Holmes?
Me: Oh no, I just picked First Daughter because I like watching movies that were filmed at UCLA.
CG: [weird look] Right.
Me: No really. I’m not much of a fan of Katie Holmes or predictable romantic comedies. Plus, this is “free” with the MVP pass.

In my imaginary conversation, I wasn’t being completely honest. I enjoy both cheesy romantic comedies and watching movies filmed at UCLA. I like to see how the set crew has transformed a very familiar place to look like a fictional or actual university (such as Harvard). I can often recall being inconvenienced by yet another filming on campus, especially if the film was shot within the last seven years.

First Daughter was filmed during the summer when there are less students on campus. I remember trying to walk from parking structure 4 across Bruin Walk to Kerckhoff Hall and being told by members of the film crew that I had to go around. Well, they didn’t have to tell me because after 5 years of being at UCLA (this was in 2003), I knew that you just have to be patient with the Hollywood crowd. I eventually got back to work at Kerckhoff, but during the breaks, I’d go back out to the front steps of the building to watch Forest Whitaker direct lanky Ms. Holmes and “President” Michael Keaton.

I watched the movie when I got home and was amused to see both the interior and exterior of Kerckhoff, a building where I’ve spent a lot of time in the last eight years (for work, student government and MEChA). Once again, I saw the door to the GSA office on screen. Coincidentally, last week I tried to get into the same office and was semi-blocked by film equipment and some crew members. My friend asked and found out that they were using the interior and exterior of Kerckhoff for the CBS series Cold Case.

Below is my favorite story to tell about a filming on campus. If you’ve seen Old School, you’ll know exactly what scene I’m referring to and find some inaccuracies I only learned of after watching the film.

Keep your pants on
Written 02.15.02 (with some recent minor edits)

Beep, beep, beep. Who called me? I checked the number on my phone, which told me only that someone called from on campus. As soon as I got out of my boring service-learning seminar I checked the message.

“Um, Cindy, its Eligio. I was just calling to ask if you could pick something up that I left at the GRO . I need it, but won’t be going back over there. It’s on the desk, you can’t miss it. I’ll call you later.”

I walked toward the other end of campus where my office is located. The campus was unusually quiet for a Thursday evening. It was only 7 but no one seemed to be around. Maybe they were all getting ready for their V-day plans. My Valentine was 400 miles away, but I had plans to go to dinner with some friends.

I met Chispa where she works on the first floor of Kerckhoff and asked her to accompany me to third floor so I could deliver some Monster’s Inc. Valentine cards to my co-workers and fellow council members.

We exited the elevator (we’re lazy, I know) to a hallway crammed with the film crew’s equipment. I’m used to filming on campus. My campus has been in everything from Scream 2 to Gilmore Girls (that wasn’t Harvard). Most of the time, the filming isn’t so close and they’re outdoors.

Lately, however, they’ve been unusually close. In January I sat at my computer at work and looked out onto an argument between a couple at the fictional Finchley College on Crossing Jordan. The film crew set up lights in the office, and the extras chilled on the couch. It didn’t bug much.

Yesterday was worse though. I entered my office and flipped the switch to find something I never expected. Directly opposite the door I looked out on the window and roof/makeshif balcony overlooking the Kerckhoff Patio. My friends and I climb out on the roof all the time when the offices feel cramped and we need fresh air or when someone wants to smoke.

Out on the two-foot high brick wall surrounding the roof stood 5 men of varying heights with their pants around their ankles. They faced the patio with boxes covering their crotches. Long shirts covered their butts, so all we saw were hairy legs.

Chispa and I picked up the “wallet” Eligio forgot in the office, a single long-stemmed rose on my iMac’s keyboard. We mouthed an awkward ‘sorry’ to the crew guys and pants-less actors for disturbing them with the light, and proceeded to go find an ATM to get cash for dinner.

I doubt I’ll ever find guys with their pants down again on the roof — at least I hope not — but I shouldn’t be too surpried since my campus often used by the nearby studios for movie and television filmings.

I know UCLA has been used in several other print ads, commercials, television shows and films, but these are all I could think of right now. Seeing Stars has more info on the UCLA-Hollywood connection.

Films

• Higher Learning, 1995
• The Nutty Professor, 1996
• Scream 2, 1997
• Mafia!, 1998
• Erin Brockovich, 2000
• American Pie 2, 2001
• How High, 2001
• Legally Blonde, 2001
• Sorority Boys, 2002
• Van Wilder, 2002
• Old School, 2003
• First Daughter, 2004

Television

• Alias
• Buffy the Vampire Slayer
• Crossing Jordan
• Gilmore Girls