Film, Photography and Video Requests
General Policy
Stanford is a private university. Stanford’s express permission is required for any filming or photography on Stanford-owned lands by professional, commercial or news photographers or filmmakers or by other campus visitors taking pictures or filming for commercial purposes. Photos may be taken by students, parents, faculty, staff, alumni and other campus visitors so long as (i) they are used exclusively for personal non-commercial purposes, (ii) the taking of such photos is consistent with this policy, including the wedding and portrait photography policy below and (iii) they do not interfere with the ongoing operations of the university.
Notwithstanding the foregoing, the university reserves the right to prohibit any filming or photography on its lands for any reason, including if the filming or photography creates the potential for: (i) disruption of academic, research, business or student activities; (ii) damage to or alteration of university property; (iii) inappropriate use of the Stanford name, marks or image; (iv) disruption of traffic, parking or pedestrian pathways; (v) other safety hazards; or (vi) violations of the university’s privacy policies.
Wedding and Portrait Photography
Wedding and portrait photography on Stanford lands is prohibited except for couples being married at Memorial Church or those with a Stanford connection, such as alumni, students, faculty and staff. Except for photography in connection with weddings at Memorial Church, all wedding parties and/or photographers of wedding parties must request permission to take photographs in writing at least five business days in advance. The process for requesting permission is described below.
News-related Photography
The university will consider reasonable requests for journalistic, news-related, non-commercial shooting, but reserves the right to deny permission for any reason. The subject of all news-related filming or photography must be directly related to the university.
Sports Event Photography
Requests to film or photograph sports events on Stanford’s campus should be directed to Stanford's Athletic Communications and Media Relations Department. For further information please go to http://www.gostanford.com/media-relations/.
Requests for Permission to Film or take Photographs other than at Sports Events
Requests to film or photograph news-related projects should be directed to the Stanford News Service, 650-723-2558, news-service@stanford.edu.
Non-news related requests should be made in writing at least five business days in advance by emailing Kate Chesley, associate director of University Communications, at kchesley@stanford.edu.
All requests for filming or photography at Stanford, whether news or non-news related, must include the following information:
- Name and description of the organization or individual making the request.
- Name, office and email address of the Stanford University individual or organization involved in the filming or photography.
- Project description, including the context and way in which Stanford is to be portrayed and the intended use of the resulting material.
- Date(s) requested.
- Time and duration of proposed shoot.
- Specific site(s) requested. (Requests absent specific locations will not be considered.)
- Number of people and amount and type of equipment involved, including vehicles.
- Potential disruption (sound, light, physical, etc.) of university activities.
- Proof of adequate insurance coverage and indemnity. (Certificates of liability insurance should name the Board of Trustees of the Leland Stanford Junior University, 450 Serra Mall, Stanford, CA, 94305)
- Location releases, if necessary, must be submitted for review by the university in advance.
Additional Policies
- Use of Stanford’s name, other trademarks and emblems, or images in connection with any photograph or film is prohibited without written permission by the university. For more information, see the web page describing Name use, seal or logo request.
- Indoor shooting at Stanford is prohibited without permission by university as described above and, in addition, permission by the university official or faculty member with responsibility for the space, especially in the residence halls, dining halls and classroom buildings. Indoor shooting is considered inherently disruptive of the functions of the university.
- Photography or filming in the Main Quad or Memorial Court, except by Stanford departments and organizations, is expressly prohibited. Stanford departments and organizations may film or do photography on the Main Quad and in Memorial Court providing the work is Stanford related and does not interfere with university operations. Consult the Policy on Use of Inner Quad for more information on use of the Quad and Memorial Court.
- Filming or photography on Stanford lands for academic purposes is limited only to Stanford University students, staff and faculty and others attending Stanford academic programs, Stanford sponsored programs and other programs which occur on Stanford’s campus and for which photography is part of the program. The resulting films and photographs may not be used for commercial purposes.
- Members of the University Communications staff are not available to scout locations.
For more information, contact the Office of University Communications at 650-725-8396.