This summer, from July 31 to August 2, 2007, the upcoming Disney Channel movie “College Road Trip” was shot on the Choate Rosemary Hall campus. Actress Raven-Symoné and actor Martin Lawrence star in the movie. Many people from the area as well as several members of the Choate community witnessed
the filming.
Filming took place in several locations on campus, including the Paul Mellon Arts Center, the Carl C. Icahn Center for Science, and the Community Safety office in Steele Hall. From the Community Safety office, Mrs. Robin L. Short observed the making of the film. “They even filmed a scene in my office,” she says. “They took down all my pictures and
put up new ones, and they turned it into a jail cell.” Mrs. Short also commented on how kind, soft-spoken, and humorous Martin Lawrence was, and how twenty-one-year-old Raven-Symoné came several days prior to the filming just to sign autographs and take pictures with fans. She even set up a special appointment with Mrs. Short’s daughter. Also, Mrs. Short mentioned that the film’s director pulled her onto the Science Center Bridge so she could watch Raven shooting a scene just feet away from her in front of the Science Center, which served as the college’s school store in the movie.
Most of the surveyed Choate students say that they can’t wait until the movie premieres in March 2008. In fact, some are complaining that it is such a long time away! “I think it will be so cool to see my school on TV,” says Lily McCarthy ’11. “I can watch the movie and be like: ‘Hey! I just went there today for class!’” Since it was shot on campus, everyone seems to be excited to see it: “I probably wouldn’t watch it if it was just another Disney Channel movie,” says Lanya Tseng ’11. “But because it was filmed on campus, I can hardly wait to see it!”
“College Road Trip” might not end up an award-winning movie, but it is bound to be a Choate Rosemary Hall campus hit.
