From ‘The Exorcist’ to ‘Legally Blonde,’ these unis are iconic film locations

In the age of computer-generated imagery (CGI) in films, most blockbusters today shift away from shooting at a film location in favour of shooting in the comfort of a studio in front of a green screen.

But while producers have been choosing the easier and more cost-effective route of using current filmmaking technologies, nothing beats filming on location using practical sets to bring the movie to life.

Just look at the “Lord of the Rings” trilogy, where they shot in New Zealand (and even turned it into a tourist attraction) and compare that with any outdoor location in “The Flash.”

This is why most movies with a college setting are still shot in a real institution because is nothing more embarrassing and, honestly, more disrespectful than spotting a fake school.

Some films even go as far as using real-life institutions to create fictional ones.

The most popular example is when parts of the University of Oxford were used to create Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry in the “Harry Potter” series. The stone staircase where Draco Malfoy first introduced himself in “Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone” was, in real life, leading into the Great Hall of Christ Church College. Hogwarts Library? That was actually the Duke Humfrey’s Library.

Most other films recreate schools to look like other schools.

A case in point is the hit TV series “Gilmore Girls,” where its film location of Pomona College is turned into Yale University. The majority of the show’s university scenes depicted in season three onwards were actually filmed at the private liberal arts college due to it being located just 40 minutes from the Warner Bros Studios lot where most of the episodes were filmed.

Some film locations use real-life institutions to create fictional ones, most recreate them to look like other schools, and on rare occasions, a film is fortunate enough to receive permission to shoot on location and is allowed to use its name. Source: AFP

On rare occasions, a film is fortunate enough to receive permission to shoot on location and allowed to use its name.

This is evident in “Kill Your Darlings,” a biographical film about poet Allen Ginsberg’s college days. The movie takes place at Columbia University and was filmed on location to retain the authenticity of the setting.

Cases like this, however, seldom happen due to licensing and copyright issues that most studios would avoid dealing with.

Harvard University has a no-filming policy on its grounds due to one movie’s doing – “Love Story.”

Filmed in just about every corner of the university, including the Tercentenary Theatre and the Bright-Landry Hockey Centre, the production of the 1970 romance movie not only caused significant physical damage to the campus but also disruption to its students there.

The film crew was kicked off Harvard University’s grounds shortly after they started filming, which resulted in a ban on all professional filmmaking, including using the university as a film location.

Ultimately, there’s no denying that film locations play an essential part in shaping a movie’s storyline.

Whether they are the centrepiece of the plot, like in “High School Musical,” or just for a quick fight scene, like in “The Dark Knight Rises,” these are real-life institutions that can be seen in famous movies and TV shows.

Due to Harvard University’s no-filming restrictions, the actual film location of “The Social Network” largely took place at Johns Hopkins University. Source: AFP

Johns Hopkins University – “The Social Network”

Although the true story of Facebook’s less-than-humble beginnings may have taken place at Harvard University as depicted in the movie, due to its filming restrictions, the actual filming of this Academy Awards-nominated flick largely took place at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, Maryland.

Most of the campus scenes were shot at the university’s Homewood Campus, while Latrobe Hall, Wyman Quad, and Shaffer Hall served as other film locations.

The closest the film has ever got to Harvard University grounds was at the nearby Thirsty Scholar Pub in the movie’s introduction scene.

The University of Southern California holds the record as the most filmed university in the world. Source: AFP

University of Southern California – “Legally Blonde”

Elle Woods might have gone to Harvard University, but part of the movie was filmed at the University of Southern California (USC). Its Bovard Administration Building was heavily featured in the exterior shots showing what is supposed to be Harvard Law School.

“Legally Blonde” is not the only movie to be filmed at USC — in fact, USC holds the record as the most filmed university to date, appearing in 69 films – including “Forrest Gump,” “Old School,” “The Graduate,” and more. 85 TV shows, and 115 commercials, to be exact.

Production companies often choose USC as a film location because of its Ivy League look and convenient placement in the heart of La-La Land.

Louisiana State University was used as the film location of all three “Pitch Perfect” movies. Source: AFP

Louisiana State University – “Pitch Perfect”

The fictional Barden University of the “Pitch Perfect” movie series is home to four rival acapella groups: the Barden Bellas, the Treblemakers, the High, and the BU Harmonics, all on a mission to win the International Championship of Collegiate A Cappella.

Though the acapella tournament exists in real life (Utah Valley University is its current 2024 champion), the university does not. Instead, Louisiana State University (LSU) was used as the backdrop of the movie and its two sequels.

An interesting fact about the movie is that LSU students themselves participated in the filming process, posing as extras for certain scenes.

Due to budget restrictions, “Good Will Hunting” was forced to move its film location from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology to the University of Toronto. Source: University of Toronto/Facebook

University of Toronto – “Good Will Hunting”

Although “Good Will Hunting” is set at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), budget restrictions forced production to film elsewhere.

While most of the exterior shots really did show MIT, the interiors were, instead, provided by the University of Toronto. The university’s Knox College, Whitney Hall, University of St. Michael’s College, and McLennan Physical Laboratories were all used as a stand-in for the movie’s version of MIT.

Emory University – “Stranger Things”

Set in the small fictional rural town of Hawkins, characters in the hit Netflix show “Stranger Things” attend Hawkins Middle/High School, which is actually a closed-down school called Patrick Henry High School in Stockbridge, Georgia.

The former school was rebuilt and remodelled for filming purposes and continues to appear for four seasons, with its finale planned for a 2025 release date.

However, it is the boxy Hawkins National Laboratory building that is the show’s most prominent film location that fans come to know as the gate to the Upside Down. Filmed at Emory University, specifically at Briarcliff Building A, the long-vacant psychiatric hospital was also remodelled to serve as the show’s most integral location.

Sadly, the building will be demolished soon.

Infamously known for having a series of mysterious accidents throughout the making of the movie, Georgetown University had the production, and its film location blessed several times. Source: AFP

Georgetown University – “The Exorcist”

Often lauded as the scariest film ever made, the 1973 horror flick “The Exorcist” was filmed on and around Georgetown University, even requiring help from 300 students to serve as extras in the film.

Infamously known for having a series of mysterious accidents throughout the making of the movie, the university even had one of its professors (who was also a reverend at the time) bless the production and film location several times to ensure things ran smoothly.

The famous staircase where one of the main characters falls to his death is now known as the Exorcist Steps.