The movie was filmed at East High School in Salt Lake City, Utah. Students still use Sharpay's pink locker.
Zac Efron's singing voice was that of Drew Seeley, who tested for the role of Troy. Seeley sang the entirety of "Get'cha Head in the Game" and the reprise of "What I've Been Looking For." Efron only sings the first four lines of "Start of Something New," the first sentence of "Breaking Free," and during the scene on the balcony. The reason for this is that Efron's natural voice was too low for that of a tenor, and the producers wanted a tenor to match the role. However, Efron sang in the sequels, as all the music in those films had been tailored specifically for his voice.
The falling snow in the New Year's scenes was potato flakes.
The cell phone ring that gives the class detention has the tune of the song "Start of Something New."
Casey Bartholomew: a popular radio talk show host from KFI in Los Angeles, WDBO in Orlando, and New Jersey 101.5 in New Jersey, is in the crowd of the championship basketball game.