Twilight: New Moon Films on Location at Vancouver High School

Students at David Thompson Secondary host the cast of Twilight: New Moon!

A strange syndrome recently swept across David Thompson Secondary in Vancouver – no, it wasn’t swine flu – but symptoms included sweaty palms, increased heart rate and shortness of breath.

So what was the cause? The same epidemic that’s been affecting millions of teenagers across North America for the past three years – Twilight fever!

On April 7th 2009, trailers were seen on the streets surrounding David Thompson as an “unknown” movie was filming on that date as well as the next. Barriers were set up around the staff parking lot and inside the school. Gaggles of students and a few adults peered into the empty set, hoping to get a glimpse of any celebrity.

News that a movie was going to be filmed at David Thompson first hit right after spring break and we were told that it was going to be an untitled sports movie. However, rumours and speculation flew that the film could quite possibly be New Moon, since the Twilight sequel was already filming in Vancouver. Kitsilano, Magee and Vancouver Technical were among the other high schools that New Moon was rumoured to be filmed at.

Soon, construction started up in the cafeteria – a trophy case was filled with items labeled “Forks High School,” the staff lounge was changed into a classroom and hallway lights were changed and dimmed to a bluish tinge –strengthening the possibility of the arrival of the cast and crew of New Moon. Even so, days before the filming, the school staff and movie crew continued to insist that all the setup was all for an untitled sports movie.

When filming began, the Vancouver Sun reported that the movie was indeed New Moon. Cast members of the popular movie were sighted near trailers on the school grounds and walking between sets.

Hordes of students were lined up along the perimeter, as well as others not from David Thompson (and not necessarily just students). The two days of filming were filled with a cult gathering of Twihards; some clutched their special edition Twilight DVDs tightly against their chest, hoping to have them autographed – one dedicated fan even came all the way from Utah to have hers signed by Robert Pattinson!

Although, when the actors and actresses moved from their trailers to the set, security eschewed the crowds with large black umbrellas. However, that did not deter fans, for whenever black umbrellas were opened, high-pitched screams erupted en masse from the fans.

As stealthily as they had arrived, the cast and crew finished filming, packed up and left overnight with the only traces of their existence in the form of workers packing up long black cords. Our cafeteria and the staff lounge were restored to their former appearance, and the hallway lights were changed back to the luminous orange colour.

With the excitement having died down, the school slowed back to its usual pace; students went back to class but there was still chatter about New Moon amongst them.

Although the filming process was quite a nuisance, dealing with the masses of fans, perimeters blocking off parts of the school and no access to the cafeteria, David Thompson got to be a part of the excitement of New Moon and will always have a place in the saga’s history. Just the knowledge that vampiric deities (albeit portrayed by actors) graced our school grounds with their presence will always fill Thompson students with a sense of pride.

See David Thompson Secondary make an appearance in New Moon when the film hits theatres in November 2009.