Looking for something? The search bar on the right can help you find it all!

Reserving Gear & Stages

Reserving Gear and Stages

Before reserving equipment or stages for any SCA film production, students must follow the three-phase Greenlighting process through the SCA Production Office.


Step 1: Complete Required Training

All student filmmakers are required annually to:

  • Familiarize or refamiliarize yourself with all SCA production policies and safety standards


Step 2: Confirm Enrollment

  • Students must be currently enrolled in an SCA class to:

  • Reserve equipment or facilities

  • Participate on crew in key roles


Step 3: Use DePaul Email for All Communication

  • All correspondence regarding student films must use your DePaul email.

  • Check your inbox frequently while working on projects.


Step 4: Determine Your Project Type

Reservation requests fall into two categories:

Anytime Projects

Purpose: Lower-risk, independent filmmaking that supports experimentation, technical practice, and creativity, both inside and outside of coursework.


Criteria:

Anytime Projects are smaller in scope and do NOT involve:

  • Use of advanced equipment (requires certification)

  • Stunts (Level A or Level B)

  • Intimacy work (Level A or Level B)

  • Weapons of any kind

  • Filming in restricted or privately owned spaces, including:

- Public property requiring special permission or permits

- Blocking a city sidewalk or alley

- Public Parks (unless limited to one handheld camera)

- DePaul campus spaces including Cinespace Stages (indoor or outdoor)

- Yards/lawns/parking lots not owned by a student, including Cinespace

- Any vendor-rented equipment outside DePaul


Additional Guidelines:

  • Filming must take place at a personal residence or public property where access is open and not obstructed.

  • Anytime projects should be limited to teams of five people or fewer. Instructors, however, may assign group projects at their discretion, and those projects may involve larger teams as appropriate.

  • Projects that don’t meet these criteria should follow the formal Production Office "Greenlighting" Process.

  • All cast & crew must sign the one-time annual General Release Form prior to filming.

"Anytime Project" Equipment List

All Other Projects (Require Production Office Support)

Projects requiring Production Office support, include:

  • Campus space access

  • Insurance for private property

  • City permits

  • Compliance with SCA production safety guidelines


Requirements:

  • Must be tied to a current SCA class by the Project Owner

  • Must be currently enrolled in SCA

    Side projects not linked to a class require Independent Study enrollment


Exceptions:

  • Awarded grants or DHub-sanctioned club projects with faculty oversight may submit without a class number


Not Sure Which Applies?

  • If uncertain, assume your project requires the Greenlighting process.

  • If some steps aren’t needed for your project, the system will indicate this.

Course or Syllabus Projects

If you are working on a project for a class, there are two possible pathways for reserving gear and stages:

  • Anytime Project - For smaller-scale class projects that do not require Production Office support.

  • All other projects -For larger or more complex class projects that do require Production Office support.

When in doubt, start with the Greenlighting process by submitting the Project Information Form. This form will determine whether your project qualifies as an Anytime Project or needs to move forward with Production Office support.

Patron Portal - Reserving Gear & Stages

Last updated