Film, Television, and Commercial Production on Campus

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Policy Number:
UW-202
Responsible Office:
Office of Strategic Communication

University Policy

Rationale/​Purpose:

UW–Madison is a beautiful, historic campus popular with alumni and visitors.  Accordingly, the university receives many requests to film, video or photograph campus for both commercial and personal use. This policy outlines when filming on campus is allowed.

Definitions:
Filming
Capture of moving or still images by any means or media (e.g., film, videotape, digital disk, internet).
University Property 
Publicly owned or leased buildings and grounds which are subject to the custody and control of UW–Madison.
Scope:

Any individual or organization seeking to film on university property.

Policy:
  1. Filming on university property for commercial, promotional, or professional purposes is generally   not permitted (e.g., documentaries, independent films, filming to promote a commercial product or service, filming intended primarily to benefit an individual or entity other than UW–Madison, social media posts).
  2. Prohibited Actions
    1. Filming of interior locations is not permitted when classes are actively being conducted. Filming during a class is not permitted without the prior written permission of the instructor and appropriate releases by enrolled students.
    2. Filming is not allowed in classrooms or libraries during midterms, finals, or other relevant times.
    3. Unmanned aerial vehicle (AV)/drone use, unless approved via UW-4005 Research Vehicle Safety Oversight (Autonomous Vehicles).
    4. Wedding photography, unless part of an existing venue contract with a campus location.
  3. Permissions and Process
    1. Filming for commercial, promotional, or professional purposes on university property requires advance, written permission from the Vice Chancellor for Strategic Communication or designee as outlined on the Office of Strategic Communication website.
    2. Additional approval and review is required, as coordinated by the Office of Strategic Communication, for filming or commercial production that:
      1. May pose safety and security risks.
      2. May disrupt research, education, or other functions of the university.
      3. May compromise privacy interests or the welfare of research participants.
      4. Takes place at a university location with unit-specific policies (e.g., Allen Centennial Garden, Arboretum, RecWell facilities, University Housing, Wisconsin Institutes for Discovery, Wisconsin Union, or any location of the UW-Madison Health Care Component).
      5. Uses names, trademarks, logos, and other indicia of the university as outlined in UW-205 Use of Institutional Names, Logos, Symbols, and other Trademarks.
    3. When filming on campus, external parties must provide a certificate of general liability insurance with the limitations outlined by Risk Management.
  4. Exceptions
    1. Non-Commercial Purposes
      1. This policy does not apply to the following:
        1. Filming for legitimate newsgathering purposes by the news media (excluding documentaries).
        2. Filming by UW–Madison students, faculty, or staff for academic purposes (e.g., including research, creative or scholarly work, teaching and learning).
        3. Filming by UW–Madison employees or agents for UW–Madison related internal purposes (e.g., training videos).
        4. Filming for personal use (e.g., non-commercial social media accounts) provided it:
          1. Does not suggest endorsement by the university.
          2. Is performed unobtrusively and without interrupting university programs
          3. Is not intended for commercial distribution or wide public dissemination
      2. Filming for these purposes may be subject to reasonable and appropriate restrictions imposed by the university (e.g., to preserve safety or maintain public order, to protect personal privacy, to avoid disruption to the university’s academic activities and official business, to comply with state or federal law, to honor contractual obligations).
    2. Any additional exceptions to this policy will be determined by the Office of Strategic Communication

 

Related UW-Madison Policies:
Related UW–Madison Documents, Web Pages, or Other Resources:
External References:

Policy Administration

Approval Authority:
Vice Chancellor for Strategic Communication
Policy Manager:
Assistant Vice Chancellor, Brand Strategy
Contact:
Assistant Vice Chancellor, Brand Strategy -- Tricia Nolan, tricia.nolan@wisc.edu, (608) 265-9005
Revised Dates:

01-15-2021, 02-27-2025,

Retrieved:
06-26-2025 16:47:17