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CU: Christopher Baffa, ASC
Finding Glee in Cinematography
November 06, 2009
Christopher Baffa '90 has earned the ASC that now comes with his name. A credited director of photography since 1994, Baffa has been dubbed a "Cinematographer to Watch" by Daily Variety for his myriad accomplishments in television and film. Baffa spoke with us on a recent visit to campus.

Representing
Journaling from the Rome International Film Festival
November 04, 2009
Two weeks ago I got the chance to represent USC's School of Cinematic Arts, the John C. Hench Division of Animation, at the Rome International Film Festival. It was really quite the experience. Everywhere I looked there were food stands, red carpets, theaters and plenty of people speaking Italian, a language of which I understand very little.

SCA Presents: An Evening with Matthew Weiner
Part of the Fall '09 semester of CTCS-467: Television Symposium
November 04, 2009
SCA events presented An Evening with Matthew Weiner and AMC’s MAD MEN as part of the Fall '09 semester of CTCS-467: Television Symposium.

It’s All in Fun
Mel Brooks Speaks at Jack Oakie Masters Lecture Series
October 20, 2009
USC School of Cinematic Arts students were treated to an afternoon with Oscar, Emmy and Tony Award-winning writer/producer/director/actor and master cat-screech expert Mel Brooks, as part of the Jack Oakie and Victoria Horne Oakie Masters Lecture Series.

Next Generation
Akira Mizuta Lippit Is New Critical Studies Chair
October 17, 2009
Thirty years ago, it was a different Lippit teaching at USC. Noriko Mizuta Lippit taught East Asian languages and culture and comparative literature, while her son, Akira Mizuta Lippit, a self-described "SC kid," got the lay of the land. He’d be back before long and now has the chance to further cement his family’s USC legacy as he continues his first semester as chair of the critical studies division.

Trojan Teamwork
First Team Brings SCA Alums Together
October 16, 2009
In an industry where countless opportunities come down to who-you-know, a new program has been introduced that will help Trojan alumni cultivate connections - First Team.

In Memoriam: Anne Friedberg
Internationally Renowned Visual Studies Scholar
October 12, 2009
Anne Friedberg, historian, theorist of modern media culture and School of Cinematic Arts professor, whose work pioneered the field of visual studies, passed away Friday, October 9, following a long struggle with colorectal cancer. She was 57.

Gold Standard
Six More Emmy Wins for SCA Alums
September 21, 2009
It was another banner year for SCA alumni at the 61st Primetime Emmy Awards as five Trojans walked away with six of the coveted statuettes in honor of their hard work in television. To date, USC alumni have amassed 125 victories and 2009 marked the 34th consecutive year of Emmy wins by members of the SCA family.

Alumnus Elected WGAW President
John Wells Wins Second Term, David N. Weiss Elected Secretary-Treasurer
September 17, 2009
The Writers Guild of America, West (WGAW) announced today that John Wells, Stark '82, has been elected president. Earning 52.8 percent of the vote, Wells ran against the Writers United slate, headed by presidential candidate Elias Davis.

In Memoriam: Richard Moore
Cinematographer and Co-Creator of Panavision
September 16, 2009
Richard Moore, USC alum, cinematographer and one of the pioneers of the widescreen 35mm Panavision film processes developed about fifty years ago, passed away in August. He was 83.

Star Treatment
Hollywood Honors SCA’s 80th
September 15, 2009
On September 10, the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce gave the legendary Hollywood Boulevard Walk of Fame a special detour along 37th Street to honor the School of Cinematic Arts with a coveted star for its 80 years of contributions to film, television and interactive media.

In Memoriam: Pierre Cossette
Legendary Producer, Father of the Grammy Awards
September 11, 2009
Innovative producer, philanthropist and USC alumnus Pierre Cossette, whose career included successes across the entertainment spectrum, died Friday, September 11 at the age of 85.

Reality Ends for Old Instructional Building
First George Lucas Structure Gives Way to a Park
August 14, 2009
The George Lucas Instructional Building, cinematic home to thousands of students from 1984 until 2008, did not go quietly into that good night.

Animation Alumnus & Single Dad
Jose Olmos ’09 Makes Most of SCA
August 03, 2009
Jose Olmos ('09) is and isn't your typical Trojan. He is 41 and a single parent.

SCA Alumnus Wins Student Oscar
Film Addressing Slavery Takes Home Gold Medal
July 07, 2009
Writer/director Gregg Helvey, M.F.A. '09, has turned bricks into gold with his film Kavi, which won the gold medal for narrative short film at the 36th annual Student Academy Awards on June 13.

Different Strokes
Sofian Succeeds Smith As DADA Chair
June 29, 2009
Over the past 14 years the animation program at USC has gone from a handful of courses to becoming the first named division in the School of Cinematic Arts, offering both graduate and undergraduate degrees as well as a minor. This fall, that progression continues apace as Associate Professor Sheila Sofian takes over the chair of the John C. Hench Division of Animation & Digital Arts (Hench DADA).

East Meets West
Celebrating the Japanese Publication of Squire's Book
June 18, 2009
East met West in terms of education, entertainment, global technology and a shared interest in their future when SCA Instructor of Cinema Practice Jason E. Squire traveled to Tokyo for two days of lectures and events celebrating the Japanese publication of his work "The Movie Business Book."

Interactive Showcase
M.F.A. Thesis Works Forge New Boundaries
May 28, 2009
When the Interactive Media Division presented its first master of fine arts thesis showcase in 2005, student projects set the precedent for challenging and propelling the bounds of game, immersive and mobile content. Taking place from May 9 to 15 on the Carson Sound Stage, ten titles in this year’s Look and Feel exhibit pushed those bounds to new creative frontiers.

Simply Mar-velous
Elepano Wins USC President's Award
May 21, 2009
In honor of over a quarter century of outstanding service to the school and the university, USC has bestowed one its highest honors upon Mar Elepaño,production supervisor in the John C. Hench Division of Animation & Digital Arts.

Pomp and Circumstance
SCA Students Receive Hard-Earned Degrees
May 19, 2009
The energy couldn't have been much higher at the Shrine Auditorium on May 15, as the School of Cinematic Arts, with the help of industry greats Frank Price, Shonda Rhimes and Laura Ziskin, lauded its most recent graduating class and celebrated the next generation of entertainment artists and professionals.

Games Go Global
Susana Ruiz To Attend 2009 APRU Conference
May 18, 2009
Susana Ruiz, a Ph.D. candidate in the interdivisional Media Arts and Practice (iMAP) program, will take her unique expertise in designing games that address pressing social issues to Japan this summer, when she represents USC at the 2009 Doctoral Students Conference of the Association of Pacific Rim Universities (APRU).

A Lasting Impression
Mary Beth Fielder wins 2008-2009 Mellon Mentoring Award
May 13, 2009
According to Greek mythology, when Odysseus left for the Trojan War, he entrusted the safety and upbringing of his son Telemachus to his wise friend Mentor. Though thousands of years have passed, the spirit of nurturing and inspiring others to succeed lives on in the USC Mellon Award for Excellence in Mentoring, which the university has conferred upon SCA Senior Lecturer Mary Beth Fielder.

Fast Talk
Students Make Most of First Pitch ’09
May 12, 2009
Representatives from 41 of the industry’s leading agencies, management firms and production companies got first crack at the latest scripts from SCA writing students on May 4, as 52 writers showcased tales from every genre during the eighth annual First Pitch event.

CU: Rian Johnson
A Filmmaker in Bloom
May 11, 2009
Rian Johnson, who seared his way into noir fans’ hearts with his award-winning debut film Brick, has sought inspiration in a new kind of criminal in his sophomore film, The Brothers Bloom starring Adrien Brody, Mark Ruffalo and Rachel Weisz.

In Memoriam: John Furia, Jr.
Founding Chair of the Writing Division, Union Activist
May 11, 2009
Venerated television and film writer John Furia, Jr., who founded the school's division of Writing for Screen & Television and was an ardent activist for writers across the industry, died Friday, May 9 at the age of 79.

Alex Richanbach
Summer Program Alumnus Finds Festival Success
May 04, 2009
Many people think of summer as the season to kick back and chill out. But aspiring filmmaker Alex Richanbach used his time at the School of Cinematic Arts 2008 Summer Program to shoot "Stealing Second," a comedy which has landed in three major film festivals and opened doors to a career in cinema.

Shattering the Celluloid Ceiling
First Look Films See Surge of Women In Top Slots
April 29, 2009
A longtime criticism of Hollywood is that there are relatively few females in top creative positions, but as the entries in the recently concluded First Look festival demonstrated, women are smashing the celluloid ceiling in a big way.

Reality Ends Here Special Offer
Limited Edition Book
April 27, 2009
Don’t miss your chance to grab a piece of history. The School of Cinematic Arts has published Reality Ends Here: 80 Years of USC Cinematic Arts, an exquisite, limited edition coffee table-sized book celebrating SCA’s 80th anniversary.

Transcending Text
Students Use Sound and Image to Shape New Meaning
April 20, 2009
Creating good cinema has always required extensive teamwork, but students enrolled in a new course at the Institute for Multimedia Literacy [IML] are taking collaboration to higher levels as they use sound, images and database materials to construct new endings (and new meanings) for a partially shot documentary about doctors in wartime Iraq.

Fest Bests
Top Animation & Digital Arts Projects Unspool at Adobe First Frame
April 20, 2009
A young girl wanders into a forest and meets a satyr, who becomes her best friend for life. Salome seduces an ancient king into beheading John the Baptist. A woman discovers the secret of her Aunt Nell when she finds an old, mechanical peep box. These stories and others were among the short animated films screened at Adobe First Frame 2009, engaging the audience that packed the Directors Guild of America Theater on March 5 with bold narratives and imaginative visuals.

Doe Mayer Honored
Veteran Professor Accepts USC Award for Excellence in Teaching
April 15, 2009
For the past 22 years Professor Doe Mayer has been at the forefront of using the cinematic arts to educate, inform and entertain. She's taught film, been a pioneer in employing media as a tool for social change, and worked in various philanthropic fields. On April 14, that legacy of dedication landed her one of USC's most prestigious forms of recognition, the Associates Award for Excellence in Teaching.

World Premiere
Cinematic Arts Celebrates 80th Anniversary With All New Campus
March 31, 2009
With 80 years of history-making experience behind it, the School of Cinematic Arts celebrated the past and launched itself into the future with the unveiling of its new campus at a March 29 gala attended by university leaders, students, faculty, alumni, supporters, including filmmakers George Lucas and Steven Spielberg, Dean Elizabeth M. Daley and USC President Steven B. Sample.

Outside the Box [Office]
New SCA Screening Series Exposes Unexposed Films
March 11, 2009
It’s one thing to tell people “think outside the box,” but it’s another to actually show them how to do it. Thanks to the creation this semester of the Outside the Box [Office] screening series, students, alumni, faculty and other guests have that chance as they take in a unique roster of first-run films from around the globe that they might otherwise never see.

In And Out
Students Compete in the 2009 Ed Wood Film Festival
February 12, 2009
Twenty-four hours. That’s how long over 40 teams of students had to complete five-minute short films for the 2009 Ed Wood Film Festival. Ed Wood, the infamous B-movie director, best known as the titular subject played by actor Johnny Depp in Tim Burton’s 1994 film, earned his legend in part as a relentlessly optimistic filmmaker undeterred by low budgets, limited time, staff or a questionable, at best, degree of talent.

Steel Reels
Art Transcends the Ages at Rolling Stones Film Fest
February 08, 2009
In the 1960s, young people lamented the "generation gap," but four decades later the distance between the artists of that generation and the one currently learning the cinematic arts was clearly bridged during the school’s two-day film festival, The Rolling Stones On Film, held February sixth and seventh at Norris Theatre.

Digital Cribs
SCA Teams Get Real-World Experience In Cisco Contest
February 01, 2009
If you think delivering a term paper on time is a challenge, try creating a mini-documentary that goes from concept to creation to global distribution in four months.

Charlene Sun '06
Artist, Cinematographer, M.F.A. Alumna
January 31, 2009
2006 M.F.A. Production Alumna Charlene Sun, 34, who approached cinematography from the unique perspective of an artist painting images with a camera lens, died in tragic automobile accident in Los Angeles on January 27.

And Action!
New Cinematic Arts Complex Opens
January 16, 2009
The past, present, and future of Hollywood converged on January 10, 2009 as faculty, staff, and students got their first look at the brand-new School of Cinematic Arts complex. Over 400 guests attended the beginning of the semester open house and took the opportunity to comb through the George Lucas and Steven Spielberg buildings, which comprise the main components of the new complex.

CU: Josh Comen
VFX Magic On An Indie Budget
January 12, 2009
Is the economic downturn getting in the way of nailing that perfect traveling matte shot in the film that’s going to catapult you to fame, fortune and a three-picture deal? Meet your new best friend, Josh Comen.

Play-Tester Number One
Tracy Fullerton Installed As EA Endowed Professor
December 16, 2008
It was a typical night at the Interactive Media Division workspace: tiny men with umbrellas stopped time, white gardens were splattered with black paint, and samurais ventured through the middle kingdom. The special part of the evening came as Associate Professor and Director of the Electronic Arts Game Innovation Lab Tracy Fullerton was named the holder of the Electronic Arts Endowed Chair in Interactive Entertainment.

CU: Eric Nazarian
USC Filmmaker Wins Nicholls Fellowship
December 10, 2008
Try to imagine 5,200 bound screenplays: if you figure about an inch per screenplay, that’s a stack of brass-brad-bound dreams about 433 feet high. Now imagine being one of the five screenwriters in that 36-story pile to be recognized as the best of the bunch. If you’re having a problem picturing it, Eric Nazarian, B.A. Production ’99, winner of the prestigious 2008 Nicholls Fellowship for his screenplay Giants, can help.

Nina Foch Obituary
Hollywood Icon, SCA Lecturer, Mentor
December 08, 2008
Nina Foch, a widely respected lecturer at USC for the last 40 years and a veteran actress, whose credits stretch back to the golden age of Hollywood film noir, passed away on Friday December 5. She was 84.

Tracy Fullerton Named EA Endowed Chair
Electronic Arts CEO John Riccitiello to Keynote Installation Event
December 05, 2008
Associate Professor and Director of the Electronic Arts Game Innovation Lab Tracy Fullerton will be named the holder of the Electronic Arts Endowed Faculty Chair at a formal ceremony featuring a keynote address by John Riccitiello, CEO of Electronic Arts Inc.

SCA Strikes Back
Alien Robots Descend On The New SCA Complex
November 21, 2008
Though workers are still putting the final touches on the new School of Cinematic Arts Complex, the place is already being targeted by invading hordes of massive robots—virtually speaking, that is—as Visiting Associate Professor Eric Hanson gears up for a new live-action/visual effects class next spring.

Digital Youth
Online Time Important For Teen Development Finds USC/Berkeley MacArthur Study
November 20, 2008
Results from the most extensive U.S. study on teens and their use of digital media show that America’s youth are developing important social and technical skills online—often in ways adults do not understand or value.

CU: Jason Shuman
Smoke Gets In Your Eyes…
November 18, 2008
Jason Shuman, B.A. Production ’96, had a plan after graduation from the USC School of Cinematic Arts: to goof around for a couple of months. But a shared vice led to a slight change in that plan.

HPA Honors Daley
Hollywood Post Alliance Sites Work on Education & Technology
November 18, 2008
During a packed-house gala at the Skirball Cultural Center, the Hollywood Post Alliance [HPA] conferred the inaugural Charles S. Swartz Award on Dean Elizabeth M. Daley in recognition of her extensive work in cinematic education and support of emergent technology.

PowerPoint Counterpoint
Pecha Kuchas Rip Across The Screen At IML Event
November 10, 2008
For many people, PowerPoint has become the bane of their existence, with long, often tedious, presentations causing their eyes to glaze over. But as students and faculty learned during a recent Institute for Multimedia Literacy [IML] event, rapid-fire pecha kucha slide shows can be eye-opening indeed.

The Lying Game
Alumnus Uses Game To Keep Candidates Honest
October 28, 2008
Jeremy Bernstein is mad. While watching TV several weeks ago, he saw a campaign ad for one of the candidates in the upcoming presidential election that gave false information. Calling in favors from other designers and friends he’d worked with in the past, Bernstein whipped together Truth Invaders, which he describes as “Space Invaders meets Factcheck.org.”

Vote Film 2008
Election Screenings Spark Discussion
October 22, 2008
Hero/villain, life/death, war/peace, love/hate—every election cycle one of life’s greatest dramas plays out in the U.S. political process. In the run-up to the 2008 contest, SCA students, faculty and alumni saw that drama unfold on the big screen during the Vote Film screening series.

Hollywood Hero
Weekend Fest, Major Exhibit Honor John Wayne
October 03, 2008
A century after his birth, one of the great icons of Hollywood and America was back on center stage when USC celebrated the legacy of John Wayne with a three-day film series, panel discussions and the kickoff of a four-month exhibition of the Duke’s life and times.

Alternate Endings
SCA alumnus Greg Townsend’s high-def interactive movie bridges distances
September 24, 2008
On Monday September 15, SCA treated the attendees of a networking conference at the University of California, San Diego to a cutting-edge cinematic experience — a student-made interactive HD movie entitled Alternate Endings that was streamed live from Trojan Vision over a long-distance network.

TV Trojans
Ten Alumni Win Emmys
September 22, 2008
School of Cinematic Arts alumni cleaned up at this year's Emmy awards, with ten Trojans taking home a total of 12 statuettes. To date, USC alumni have amassed 119 victories, and 2008 marked the 33rd consecutive year that members of the Trojan Family have received the nod for television's highest acclaim.

Virtual Worlds
Second Life Takes SCA to New Frontiers
September 12, 2008
For current SCA students, the four R’s have become reading, writing, arithmetic, and rendering virtual worlds. When it comes to developing this new literacy, Linden Lab’s Second Life — an internet-based platform that enables to users to interact and communicate with each other as avatars in a metaverse — has provided the school with unique opportunities for international exchange, collaboration, and experimentation.

Semper Filmmaking
Wounded Marines Train to Enter Film Industry
September 10, 2008
For service members returning from combat in Iraq and Afghanistan, the transition to civilian life can be both physically and emotionally daunting. To aid in this process, SCA screenwriting instructor James Egan has brought his extensive background in documentary filmmaking to the Wounded Marine Careers Foundation, an organization dedicated to providing injured veterans with the skills and job placement assistance needed to find jobs in the entertainment industry.

Cinematic 70th
SCA Celebrates Herb Farmer’s Incredible Seven Decades
September 09, 2008
In 1938, a mere nine years after the USC cinema program was founded, Herb Farmer arrived on campus and began a lifelong association that continues to this day. At an anniversary celebration held in Carson Television Center Sound Stage on September 3, Farmer's colleagues, friends and family gathered to celebrate his 70 years of ongoing service to SCA as a student, alumnus, professor and archivist.

Assisting The Assistants
SCA Launches the Assistant Training Program for Television Writers
September 09, 2008
Success in the entertainment biz has always boiled down to two things: What and whom you know. With the founding of the Assistant Training Program for Television [ATP(tv)], eight recent graduates from the SCA writing division got the inside track on how to put their knowledge to work on the front lines of the television industry.

Margaret Mehring
Considered the Best by Her Colleagues
September 03, 2008
Dr. Margaret Mehring, a renowned scholastic writer, film director, and humanitarian, as well as a long-time professor in the School of Cinematic Arts, has died at 82.

Princess Grace Awards
Animation Students Receive Honors From Foundation
September 03, 2008
2008 marked the first year that the School of Cinematic Arts submitted animation students for the Princess Grace Awards, and both USC nominees won the prestigious honor. To fund their highly original thesis projects, graduate student Dave Horowitz earned a $5,000 honorarium and undergraduate Caitlin Craggs garnered a $15,000 award.

John Howe
Veteran Director/Instructor Passes at 81
August 27, 2008
Former production Associate Professor John Howe, who taught with SCA from 1983-1996, passed away on August 17 of natural causes at 81.

CU: Eric Kripke
From Fight On! to Fright On!
August 26, 2008
Stop me if you've heard this one. There's this production undergrad. With a burning passion to direct. When he finishes 'SC, he knocks on every door in town armed with his student films. He gets a deal. But it's not to direct. It's to write. And write. And write again—straight into development hell. And it's the best thing that ever happened to him.

Launching Legends
Opening Day Reception Brings Newest SCA Talent Together
August 26, 2008
Entertainment history is replete with stories of partnerships that trace their roots back to the single moment when two people’s paths crossed. And so it was on August 20, when hundreds of new undergrad and grad students came together for the first time in Queen’s Courtyard to meet the faculty and staff who will shape their educational experience, and perhaps the teammates who will be with them throughout their careers.

HPA To Honor Daley
Tribute Honors Impact On Education
August 21, 2008
The Hollywood Post Alliance (HPA) has announced it will be giving the organization’s first Charles S. Swartz Award to Dean Elizabeth M. Daley this fall, in recognition of her contributions to cinematic education and the industry.

EA CEO Joins Board of Councilors
John Riccitiello To Help Guide School
August 11, 2008
John Riccitiello, chief executive officer of Electronic Arts, Inc. (NASDAQ: ERTS), has joined the USC School of Cinematic Arts Board of Councilors. Riccitiello will play a key role in keeping the school’s artistic and academic initiatives at the cutting edge.

Bud Browne
Alumnus Made Surf Film History
July 28, 2008
Bud Browne, USC film school alumnus and surfing movie director, died July 25 at age 96. The creator of seminal surf films such as Gun Ho!, Going Surfin’, and Cat on a Hot Foam Board, Browne was renowned for both his athletic prowess in the water and his filmmaking skills, which brought surfing to the movie-going public.

Hitchcock Contribution
Director's Family Supports SCA Complex Construction
July 16, 2008
One of the greatest names in cinematic history is playing a major role in shaping the art form’s future with the Alma and Alfred Hitchcock Foundation donating $500,000 to help fund construction of the school’s massive new educational and production complex.

Student Oscars
USC Films Take Home Top Accolades
July 01, 2008
Students from the USC School of the Cinematic Arts were rewarded for months of late nights and hard work at the 2008 Student Academy Awards, where four Trojan films took home prizes, including two Gold Medals.

Wellness Partners Game
IMD Lands $200,000 Health Research Grant
June 11, 2008
A University of Southern California research effort co-lead by Marientina Gotsis of the Interactive Media Division has received a $200,000 grant from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) to explore how interactive digital games could be designed to improve players' health behaviors and outcomes.

CU: Kevin Feige
Will Hulk SMASH Box-Office Records?
June 05, 2008
Kevin Feige, Production ’95, president of Marvel Studios, has been in the business of translating comic books to the silver screen for 10 years. With the resounding success of Iron Man, and the upcoming buzz on The Incredible Hulk, Feige and Marvel are making good on their commitment to provide the world with heroes.

Highly Animated
Experimental Animation Screening Crosses Divisions
June 05, 2008
If you think animators only spend their days (and nights) sequestered in dark cubicles toiling by themselves, think again. As students from the John C. Hench Division of Animation & Digital Arts proved during the recent “2008 Experimental Animation Screening,” collaborating with counterparts in the School of Cinematic Arts and Thornton School of Music truly brought their animations to life.

Charles Gary Allison '60, '77
Publisher, Writer, Producer, Historian Passes
May 24, 2008
USC alumnus and cinema instructor Charles Gary Allison, a noted publisher, writer, producer and historian, who worked for both Democratic and Republican presidents and was an expert on the Olympics, died in Hollywood on May 13.

Commencement Day
School of Cinematic Arts Honors Over 500 Graduates
May 22, 2008
Despite searing temperatures outside, spirits were high at the Shrine Auditorium on May 16, as the School of Cinematic Arts, with the help of industry giants Robert A. Iger and Brian T. Grazer, lauded its most recent graduating class and celebrated the next generation of entertainment artists and professionals.

Oakie Masters Series
Comic Genius James L. Brooks Inaugurates Annual Lecture Event
May 13, 2008
USC students enjoyed a wide-ranging lecture and discussion with Oscar and Emmy award-winning writer/director/producer James L. Brooks on May 2 as part of the inaugural event of the Jack Oakie and Victoria Horne Oakie Masters Lecture Series.

Press Start
Interactive M.F.A. Projects Challenge Convention
May 13, 2008
This year’s Interactive Media Division (IMD) M.F.A. graduates challenged themselves to discover new technology mediated experiences that could keep pace with their imaginations. The result—an array of 11 projects that range from a videogame incorporating time travel to a new way to battle traffic congestion—are on display at the “Press Start” thesis show running from May 10 to 15 in the division’s atelier at 555 W. 23rd Street.

Hot Type
First Pitch 2008 Gives Industry Reps Inside Track On SCA Scripts
May 13, 2008
Representatives from 39 the industry’s leading agencies, management firms and production companies got first crack at the latest scripts from SCA writing students on May 5, as 48 writers showcased tales from every genre during the seventh annual First Pitch event.

Doniger Donation
Peyton Place Director Donates Archives to USC
May 07, 2008
Golden Globe nominee Walter Doniger, a creative force behind television classics like Marcus Welby, M.D., Ellery Queen and Night Gallery, has donated his personal archives of film and television memorabilia to the USC School of Cinematic Arts.

CU: Jon M. Chu
Stepping Up from SCA to The Industry
May 05, 2008
In Motion sat down with Jon M. Chu, director of "Step Up 2: The Streets" to ask him about USC, making a dance extravaganza in five weeks and the power of Miley Cyrus.

The World In 2050
IBM Research and Cinematic Arts Envision the Future
May 05, 2008
On the evening of April 30, five of IBM’s top research scientists joined with School of Cinematic Arts (SCA) students, alumni, faculty and members of the entertainment industry to brainstorm about the art of the possible—circa 2050. The reception and discussion kicked off a collaboration between SCA and IBM to inspire a new generation of film, television and interactive artists, as well as suggest creative directions for researchers.

TV Turns 10
Trojan Vision Celebrates A Decade Of Service
May 05, 2008
When it started 10 years ago, Trojan Vision was short on facilities, personnel and equipment, but long on the dream of what could be. A decade later, the dream has become reality, with the station serving the university, winning national awards and providing hands-on experience that has enabled students to launch their careers.

Alex Grasshoff '53
Alumnus Passes Away
April 29, 2008
Alex Grasshoff, who earned his bachelor's in cinema from USC in 1953 and then went on to a decades-long career directing and producing in film and television, passed away April 5 at age 79. Grasshoff died from complications arising from bypass surgery on a leg, according to his wife Madilyn Clark Grasshoff.

First Pitch 2008
Alumnus Matthew Weiner (Mad Men, The Sopranos) Hosts
April 21, 2008
The freshest film and television writing talent from USC will go one-on-one with reps from leading agencies, management firms and production companies during First Pitch, hosted on Monday, May 5 by alumnus Matthew Weiner, Dean Elizabeth M. Daley announced.

Key To Success
Music Videos Provide Creative Paths For Production M.F.A. Teams
April 01, 2008
When Heineken USA sponsored a contest last fall to create short music videos, the event turned out to have a long-term effect on the graduate students who took part, exposing them to production possibilities they might not have previously contemplated.

Screening Kudos
Industry Professionals At First Look 2.0
March 31, 2008
The School of Cinematic Arts hosted its annual student film festival, First Look 2.0, this weekend, incorporating for the first time an awards system to recognize top student films. Forty-six films debuted at the festival, which USC community members and entertainment industry professionals attended.

The Big Production
SCA Grad’s Award-Winning Film Screens At First Look 2.0
March 30, 2008
Riding a wave of success that recently garnered him second place honors at the 29th Annual College Television Awards, Preston DeFrancis ’07 screens his award–winning thesis film, THE BIG PRODUCTION at First Look 2.0.

Shanty Town
SCA Faculty Member Heads Kenyan Film Workshops
March 26, 2008
Young people from an African shanty town making films may seem unlikely, but not to Senior Lecturer Mary Beth Fielder, who along with the Nairobi-based Hot Sun Foundation is leading a series of film workshops for forty aspiring moviemakers from Kibera, Kenya.

RKO Expert
Rick Jewell Lands Academy Grant To Examine Classic Studio
March 25, 2008
Critical Studies Professor and Hugh M. Hefner Chair for the Study of American Film Professor Rick Jewell has been named one of two 2008 Academy Film Scholars by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and is one of two recipients of a $25,000 grant from the Institutional Grants Committee of the Academy Foundation.

Art Against AIDS
Hench-DADA Students Help To Prevent HIV/AIDS Among Youth
March 19, 2008
Working in partnership with doctors from the Keck School of Medicine, students from the John C. Hench Division of Animation & Digital Arts (Hench-DADA) have put their creative powers to use by generating a series of public service announcements to fight against the incidence of HIV/AIDS in youth.

Hecho En LA
Alumni Produced MADE IN LA Doc Takes On Sweatshops
March 13, 2008
An award-winning documentary, produced by Stark alumnus Robert Bahar, about garment workers who take a stand against the retailer responsible for their low wages and sub-standard working conditions, made its SCA debut at the Taper Hall of Humanities on March 11, 2008.

Entertainment Partners
Gift Funds High-Tech Production Lab
March 13, 2008
Entertainment Partners, the largest provider of production management services in the entertainment industry for more than 30 years, will provide students at the USC School of Cinematic Arts with state-of-the-art production management training thanks to a new 10-year partnership agreement and a technical and financial gift to create a teaching facility and high-tech production lab in the new Cinematic Arts complex.

Malvin Wald
Writer and Former Instructor Passes Away
March 11, 2008
Writer and former School of Cinematic Arts Writing Professor Malvin Wald, best known for co-writing the Academy Award-nominated screenplay for the 1948 film "The Naked City," died March 6, 2008 in Los Angeles. He was 90.

Critical Commons
Faculty Members Receive Grant To Promote Digital Fair Use
February 29, 2008
SCA faculty members Steve Anderson and Holly Willis have received a key grant from the from the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation to probe one of the digital era’s most pressing issues: fair use of protected assets in support of learning.

Oscar Win
Robert Elswit '75
February 25, 2008
The 80th Annual Academy Awards netted School of Cinematic Arts alumnus Robert Elswit ’75 his very first Oscar on February 24 for his outstanding work on THERE WILL BE BLOOD.

Academy Gift
AMPAS Donates $3 Million To The School of Cinematic Arts
February 22, 2008
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has donated $3 million to support the new complex construction at the USC School of Cinematic Arts marking the latest step in a relationship that began with the joint creation of the nation’s first university-based film program in 1929.

Winning Flow
USC Alumni Win A Game Developers Choice Award
February 21, 2008
Two USC alumni won a Game Developers Choice Award for Best Downloadable Game on Wednesday, February 20 for a game that involves no shooting, no earning points and no winner.

Healthy Entertainment
Probing The Power Of Health-Themed Entertainment Media
February 20, 2008
From television programs like GREY'S ANATOMY and HOUSE, to films like JOHN Q and PHILADELPHIA, medical themes can make compelling entertainment.But they are also great educational opportunities, as students recently discovered in a unique joint course of the School of Cinematic Arts and The Keck School of Medicine.

Tentacled Pirates
Oscar-Winning Alumnus John Knoll Shares Effects Techniques
February 15, 2008
Academy Award-winning alumnus John Knoll ’84 lent his visual effects mastery and creative advice to SCA students who filled Lucas 108 to capacity on February 13 for an engaging discussion of the groundbreaking work in the Pirates of the Caribbean trilogy.

Independent Woman
Polly Cohen '95 Makes Hollywood Power List
February 15, 2008
When Polly Cohen ’95 graduated from the Stark Producing Program, she readily admits the breadth of positions available in Hollywood were virtually unknown to her. Today, as her career with Warner Bros. has led her to the presidency of Warner Independent Pictures, The Hollywood Reporter has also recently recognized Cohen and named her among the ranks of the Power 100 of women entertainment executives.

First Look 2.0
Transforming SCA’s Premiere Festival
February 14, 2008
The hottest films to come out of the School of Cinematic Arts this year will hit the big screen during the First Look 2.0 festival, taking place at the Norris Theatre Complex from March 28 – 30. And for the first time ever in its history, the festival will present juried award winners at all of its screenings, including a Special Awards Ceremony at the Directors Guild of America on April 2.

24/7 Summit
Landmark Conference Draws Global Video Experts
February 13, 2008
Video creators, scholars, activists, policy makers, technologists and entrepreneurs gathered at USC to focus on the fate and future of visual media in the 21st century during 24/7: A DIY Video Summit—a first-of-its-kind international event held at an academic institution.

Sundance Shines
SCA Lights Up Park City Festival Scene
February 12, 2008
A touch of Southern California sunshine warmed the snowy landscape of Park City, Utah as the School of Cinematic Arts celebrated its most successful year of screenings ever at the Sundance and Slamdance Film Festivals.

Broccoli Donation
James Bond Legacy Fuels Record-Breaking 14th Endowed Chair
February 05, 2008
The Dana and Albert R. “Cubby” Broccoli Foundation has donated $2 million for a record-breaking 14th endowed chair at the USC School of Cinematic Arts. The chair, with its holder of extensive producing credits yet to be selected, will fund a faculty position dedicated to teaching the business and practice of film producing.

Golden Age Gold
Movie Memories And More At The Warner Bros. Archives
February 05, 2008
How do you build a small family business into a multi-billion dollar industry giant? Bit, by bit, as researchers have discovered over the past 30 years of combing through the School of Cinematic Arts Warner Bros. Archives, whose contents offer a unique glimpse into the Golden Age of the Hollywood studio system.

Front Line Lines
Oscar-Nominated Documentary Features Writing Alumnus
February 04, 2008
Deployed to Iraq with a detachment of the Army Reserves in mid 2004, writing M.F.A. Jack Lewis, Jr., ’94 has followed a circuitous creative route that’s led to his participation in one of this year’s Academy Award-nominated documentaries OPERATION HOMECOMING: WRITING THE WARTIME EXPERIENCE from first-time Oscar nominee Richard E. Robbins.

Marathon Run
A USC Collaborative Efforts Hits Theater Screens
January 24, 2008
Four years in the making, Spirit of the Marathon, the collaborative effort of three-time Academy Award winner Mark Jonathan Harris, Telly Award winner and marathon runner Jon Dunham ‘00 and producer/marathoner Gwendolen Twist premieres tonight.

Model Worker
Precision Is The Hallmark Of German Pinchevsky
January 22, 2008
In the early 1960s, German Pinchevsky studied the art of cinematography at the Moscow Film School, the oldest institute of its kind in the world. Five decades later, his unique craftsmanship and ingenuity is a key factor to ensure students at the oldest American cinema program keep on rolling.

Arthur Swerdloff '50
Alumnus Passes Away
January 15, 2008
Documentary filmmaker and USC alumnus Arthur Swerdloff passed away on January 14 in Los Angeles. He was 86.

Picture Perfect
Production Grads To Be Honored At ASC Film Awards
January 14, 2008
Production graduates Jesse Eisenhardt ’05 and Charlene Wang ’07 will join the roster of alumni from the USC School of Cinematic Arts who have garnered industry kudos for their creative camera work during the 22nd Annual American Society of Cinematographers (ASC) Outstanding Achievement Awards on January 26.

Holman Honored
SCA Professor Recognized By Peers
January 14, 2008
Professor Tomlinson Holman, whose THX theatre system revolutionized sound in movie theatres, has been recognized as a fellow by the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers for “contributions to the recording of cinema sound and its realistic reproduction in both cinema and home environments.”

Honoring Men
No Country For Old Men Writers Win Scripter
January 09, 2008
Pulitzer Prize-winning novelist Cormac McCarthy and Oscar-winning screenwriters Ethan and Joel Coen have won the 20th annual USC Libraries Scripter Award for No Country for Old Men.

Beatle Mania
USC Alum Rock The Latest Video From Ringo Starr
January 02, 2008
If anyone doubts whether the USC mafia is alive and well, they need look no further than a new video from music legend Ringo Starr. Liverpool 8, co-directed by Dave Stewart of Eurythmics and Seth Dalton ‘06 features four USC production alums in key roles as well as 12 other Trojans in various crew positions.

Met Live
Opera Presented In HD And 5.1 Sound
December 20, 2007
The School of Cinematic Arts joined in the live HD broadcast of the Metropolitan Opera's performance of Charles François Gounod's ROMEO ET JULIETTE, conducted by Placido Domingo on December 15.

Jack Gross '73
Writer Of Classic Television Shows Passes Away
December 17, 2007
Jack Gross '73, writer for many of the classic situation comedies of the 1960s and 1970s, passed away on December 14. He was 78.

Scripter Award
Jason Alexander Serves As Master Of Ceremonies
December 14, 2007
Tony Award-winning actor Jason Alexander will serve as master of ceremonies for the 20th annual USC Libraries Scripter Award gala to be held February 2 at Doheny Memorial Library.

Kudos Kathy
Kathy Fogg Retires From The Stark Program
December 07, 2007
The Peter Stark Producing Program will mark the end of an era this month, when 23-year veteran Kathy Fogg—long revered for her warm, personal attention—retires from her post as associate director.

Eyestorm Productions
Production Alums Make Some Noise With The Newest THX Trailer
December 04, 2007
Although Michael Klima ’03 and Kyle Ruddick ’04 say that their work at the School of Cinematic Arts was just as hard as any project created at their recently launched creative production company Eyestorm Productions, both admit the biggest hurdle before them is juggling multiple opportunities now that their latest collaboration—the next installment of the famous THX trailer gets ready to hit theaters nationwide.

Top Pen
Blockbuster Scribe Jack Epps, Jr., Helms The Writing Division
November 28, 2007
As his first semester at the head of the school’s Writing Division winds down, Associate Professor and Writing Chair Jack Epps, Jr., took a moment recently to reflect on how he sees his role in helping to educate the next generation of screenwriters.

Strike Impact
Writing Division Hosts Forum On WGA Work Stoppage
November 16, 2007
While the Writers Guild of America (WGA) strike is having an immediate impact on current television and film scribes, SCA students and recent alumni learned during a special forum hosted by the Writing Division that it can have long-term consequences on them as well.

Legendary Publisher
Hugh Hefner Donates $2 Million To The School of Cinematic Arts
November 15, 2007
Hugh Hefner, the multi-media entrepreneur and longtime supporter of the University of Southern California, has donated $2 million to the USC School of Cinematic Arts to fund the central exhibition space in the heart of the school’s new 137,000-squarefoot headquarters complex, as well as an archival repository that will house decades of student films, production-related records and other priceless historic resources.

Beowulf Reigns
Alumnus Robert Zemeckis Brings His Newest Feature To USC
November 15, 2007
Academy-Award winning director Robert Zemeckis ’73 delivered an early holiday present to the School of Cinematic Arts with a special screening of his adaptation of the classic Old English epic BEOWULF in Leonard Maltin’s 466 course on November 1 followed by a benefit premiere of the film on November 5.

Bull Market
Mardik Martin Reflects On His Classic Film
November 15, 2007
After a roller coaster of a career, 70-year-old screenwriter Mardik Martin accepts his newfound accolades with a somewhat bothersome wave of the hand. These recent honors include the Writer's Guild of America naming "Raging Bull" as one of the 101 Best Screenplays of All Time; the ARPA Foundation's Lifetime Achievement Award, which Martin recently received at its latest International Film Festival; and a documentary of Martin's life, "Mardik: From Baghdad to Hollywood."

Dream Advice
Jeffrey Katzenberg Gives Students An Inside View Of The Industry
November 12, 2007
Undergrads and grads alike took advantage of the unique opportunity to ask questions and solicit advice from the DreamWorks Animation SKG CEO, who visited campus on November 2.

Risk Taker
Richard Kelly ’97 Spins A New Story With Southland Tales
November 07, 2007
Though he arguably says that age 25 is too young for a first feature deal, Richard Kelly ’97 will be the first to admit he was crazy enough to make the risks somehow pay off for him. Today at 32, Kelly’s long journey for his latest film Southland Tales is set to culminate in the movie’s opening in New York and Los Angeles on November 14.

Serious Laughs
The Wonder Years Meets Homeland Security In Aliens In America
November 02, 2007
Striking a balance between story and message is a daunting task for any TV show, especially a sitcom, but the CW’s Aliens In America is taking that challenge head-on as it chronicles the trials and tribulations of a teenage boy and a nation coming of age in the post-9/11 world.

Darfur Now
Ted Braun's Story Of Hope In One Of Humanity’s Darkest Hours
October 26, 2007
Bringing to life the conflict in Darfur and the people living through what the United Nations has described as “the world’s greatest humanitarian and human rights catastrophe,” Writing Assistant Professor Ted Braun’s new documentary Darfur Now shines a light on tragedy and illustrates how the actions of single individuals can make a difference to millions.

YouTube Channel
SCA Videos Now a Part of Popular Web Site
October 19, 2007
The School of Cinematic Arts has created its own sub-channel on YouTube, as part of the university's initiative to harness the power of the world's leading online video community.

Most Active Alumni
USC Honors Herb Farmer ’42
October 17, 2007
USC’s Half-Century Club honored Emeritus Professor Herb Farmer ’42 with its Most Active Alumni Award at the club’s luncheon for the class of 1957 during Trojan Parents’ Weekend on Friday, October 12.

Eisenstein Award
Celebrating and Honoring the Work of Costa-Gavras
October 09, 2007
Director, screenwriter, and producer Costa-Gavras presented with Eisenstein Award.

THE GRADUATE
40 Years Later, Larry Turman Reflects On His Iconic Production
October 04, 2007
Producer Larry Turman reflects on a film that still resonates with audiences today, forty years after its debut.

Global Picture
Thinking Outside The [U.S.] Box
October 03, 2007
For years Hollywood success meant topping the U.S. box office, but mastering today’s entertainment world means thinking about the entire world, said Ignacio Darnaude, executive vice president of International Creative Marketing at Sony Pictures Releasing International, during a recent on-the-lot session for Peter Stark Producing students.

Mad Men
Alumnus Matthew Weiner's Hit Show Probes Where The Truth Lies
October 03, 2007
1960s Madison Avenue advertising firms would be the last place you’d expect to look for the truth, but with his new hit Mad Men, Matthew Weiner ’90 has tapped an emotional current that transcends the decades and exposes the reality of life then and now.

Big Ticket Item
NATO of CA/NV Boosts Support
October 02, 2007
The National Association of Theater Owners of California/Nevada boosts scholarship support for the School of Cinematic Arts.

Cagney & Lacey
New Book Tells The Tale Behind The Emmy-Winning Series
September 27, 2007
In a contemporary telescape filled with strong female leads, it’s hard to believe there was a time when a program about two women detectives would be considered groundbreaking. But as producer Barney Rosenzweig recounts in his new memoir, the 1982 launch of Cagney & Lacey turned programming, and the industry, on its head.

Media Of Choice
USC Institute for Multimedia Literacy Fuses Image, Sound and Text
September 18, 2007
Since its founding, the IML has worked with over 100 faculty members at USC and beyond, in addition to scores of teachers from K-12, to hone the philosophy and the teaching methods of a literacy based on multiple media—from text to moving- and still-images, to audio files and other databased resources.

Robert Enders
In Memoriam
September 18, 2007
Writer, director and producer Robert Enders, who taught as an adjunct faculty member at the School of Cinematic Arts for 14 years, passed away on September 7 in Los Angeles.

The Producers
Michael Peyser and John Watson Join Production Faculty
September 07, 2007
Seasoned producers Michael Peyser and John Watson, whose credits are among some of the most recognized titles in contemporary film, have joined the faculty of the school’s Film & Television Production Division

Studio System
Stark Producers Benefit From State-Of-The-Art Connection
September 07, 2007
Producers and other filmmakers need information, and Baseline StudioSystem trades in information. The company contributed to this natural alliance by donating use of the online database to the Peter Stark Program students.

Div Docs
New Ph.D. Program Spans All The School’s Divisions
August 28, 2007
A new degree is the second doctoral track in the school, joining the Critical Studies Ph.D., which became the nation’s first Cinema Ph.D. in 1958.

August Director
Veteran Writer John August Helms His First Feature
August 24, 2007
With some of Hollywood’s biggest blockbusters to his credit, Peter Stark Program alumnus John August ’94 has long enjoyed prominence in the upper echelons of Hollywood screenwriters. Now he's set for a whole new experience when his directorial debut THE NINES opens in Los Angeles and New York on August 31.

Complex Cam
A Bird's-Eye View Of The School's New Facilities
August 14, 2007
Over the course of the summer, visitors to the University Park campus have watched the construction on the new cinematic arts complex make great strides. Now, as construction heightens, any one can track its development thanks to a 24/7 camera.

Winning Writer
Naomi Foner Gyllenhaal To Head Scripter Committee
August 09, 2007
Naomi Foner Gyllenhaal brings her entertainment-industry acumen and her talent for interpersonal observation to the USC Libraries as she prepares to chair the selection committee for the coveted USC Libraries Scripter Award.

Reel Talent
New DVD Compilation To Benefit The School of Cinematic Arts
August 08, 2007
On August 21, a new DVD from Fox Home Entertainment will treat film enthusiasts to a rare glimpse into the formative early works of nine directors who, in addition to having made unique and indelible impressions upon the industry and the movie-going public, can all trace their roots to the School of Cinematic Arts.

William Tuttle
In Memoriam
August 04, 2007
William J. “Bill” Tuttle, the pioneering makeup artist who received an honorary Academy Award in 1965 for his groundbreaking work in 7 Faces of Dr. Lao and former adjunct professor at the USC School of Cinematic Arts passed away on July 30. He was 95.

Lionel Schaen
Former Production Instructor Passes Away
July 27, 2007
Lionel Schaen,former adjunct professor in the School of Cinematic Arts who devoted time and energy to numerous industry-related endeavors passed away on July 25 in Los Angeles. He was 72.

Festival Bests
Summer Screening Of Recent SCA Films Thrills Audiences
July 25, 2007
In a first of its kind event, the Office of Alumni Relations in cooperation with the Office of Student-Industry Relations brought students, alumni, faculty and other movie fans together for a summer screening of short and feature films by SCA alumni that have played at recent international film festivals during “Best of the Festivals” at the Frank Sinatra Hall in the Eileen Norris Cinema Theater Complex on July 22.

Big Dig
Complex Construction Heats Up
July 12, 2007
The confetti from last October’s formal groundbreaking for the new Cinematic Arts complex had barely been cleared before construction crews began burrowing down some 25 feet to excavate the footprint of the massive 137,000-square-foot edifice.

Experimental Animation
A Unique Opportunity To Experience Different Realms
July 11, 2007
If you’re ready to discover how your creative mind works and create productions that cross over into realms you haven’t imagined, then get ready to stretch the boundaries of your work this fall with a combination of music and animation.

America’s Filmmaker
Two USC Alumni Compete For The Deal Of A Lifetime
June 21, 2007
When the votes are counted on the new Fox series On The Lot, one of two very fortunate 2005 M.F.A. production graduates could very well be signed to a $1-million development deal at DreamWorks.

Prison Cel
Hench Associate Professor Draws The Light On Social Justice
June 21, 2007
Using methods most people attribute to movies involving green ogres and penguin habitats, a new documentary from John C. Hench Division of Animation & Digital Arts Associate Professor Sheila Sofian entitled Truth Has Fallen is set to highlight a crusade to free those wrongly convicted of capital crimes, while educating audiences on the current state of the American justice system and its issues including racism, the death penalty and the susceptibility of eyewitness testimony.

Interactive Politics
Launching An Anti-Gerrymandering Video Game
June 14, 2007
An interactive media research team from the University of Southern California, supported by members of Congress from both sides of the aisle and key political reform groups, launched The Redistricting Game on Capital Hill on Wednesday, June 13, 2007.

Quick Draw
Hench Team Competes In 32-Hour Animation Marathon
June 08, 2007
Three M.F.A. students from the John C. Hench Division of Animation & Digital Arts will put their skills—and their bodies—to the test this August when they attempt to create the best character-driven animation possible, from scratch, in less than 32 hours.

Perfect Timing
Jerilyn “Cookie” Clayton Goes From Pay Sheets To Musical Beats
June 05, 2007
Dealing with the time sheets and personnel issues of over 400 bi-weekly schedules that comprise the student workers and staff of the School of Cinematic Arts, payroll coordinator Jerilyn “Cookie” Clayton could very well be dubbed the queen of everything OTIS.

Global Reach
SCA Teams Teach Abroad, International Students Trek To LA
May 29, 2007
Just because the regular school year has ended doesn’t mean the lazy days of summer have come to the School of Cinematic Arts. With teaching teams deployed around the globe and scores of international students arriving over the next two months—including a contingent funded by an exclusive State Department grant—the SCA has become one of the summer’s hot spots.

Interactive Showcase
Spotlight Shines On M.F.A. Thesis Projects
May 15, 2007
The promise and variation of interactive design was on display at this year’s Interactive Media Division (IMD) thesis show, “Are You Here.”

Commencement Celebration
SCA Confers Degrees On Over 500 Graduates
May 11, 2007
Joined by an Oscar-winning special effects master; a legendary actor, director, producer and composer; and a world-renowned pioneer of electronic games, the School of Cinematic Arts celebrated the past, present and future of entertainment as it heralded the arrival of its newest graduating class on May 11.

Script Scouts
Three Alums Seek Out Emerging Film Talent.
May 11, 2007
When three Cinematic Arts majors started their film management and production company while undergraduates, their assets were beyond meager. Hollywood connections? Zero. Family money? Forget it.

Reel Talk
First-Ever Women of Cinematic Arts Conference
May 08, 2007
In their first major conference, the Women of Cinematic Arts brought current students, recent alumni, faculty, and other interested members face-to-face with successful professionals working in the industry who shared their experience, insight, and inspirational stories during the May 5 “Reel Talk” at the Zemeckis Center for Digital Arts.

Pitch Perfect
Writers Tell Their Stories During Sixth Annual First Pitch
May 04, 2007
If you think speed dating is a nerve-wracking way to meet the potential person who may change your life, just think what it feels like to have five minutes in front of someone who could be the catalyst to your entertainment career.

Honorary Alumnus
SCA Bestows Award On Clint Eastwood
May 03, 2007
Acclaimed actor, director and producer Clint Eastwood will receive the first Honorary Alumni Award ever conferred by the USC School of Cinematic Arts during its 2007 commencement exercises on May 11.

I Heart Stark
More Than Love In The Air For Two SCA Alumni
May 02, 2007
Each year the Peter Stark Producing Program exposes 25 students to the full spectrum of the entertainment business, enabling them to refine and define their individual career goals, but for a pair of 2003 graduates, it was the catalyst for more than just industry success.

Trio Trust
Why Three Stark Alumni Love Mandy Lane
April 30, 2007
For Keith Calder, Felipe Marino, and Joe Neurauter—three 2004 graduates of the Peter Stark Producing Program—attending the School of Cinematic Arts not only gave the trio an opportunity to discover all aspects of an industry they love, but it also resulted in the creation of one of the industry’s hottest new production companies.

First Look
Annual SCA Filmmaker Showcase Draws Industry Attention
April 25, 2007
As in years past, First Look 2007 proved a resounding success, drawing hundreds of entertainment executives, agents, managers and general audience members to the Directors Guild of America Theater where they took in a broad array of film and animation projects from the latest generation of SCA filmmakers.

No Cuts
Lindsey Shockley Shoots Non-Stop Thesis
April 23, 2007
The average eight to ten days of a thesis film shoot could very well be the most important and stressful time spent on a set for any SCA production student, so when third-year M.F.A. candidate Lindsey Shockley cut that schedule to three days and added the challenge of capturing the entire film in one take, the pressure was enormous.

Rollercoaster Ride
Eric Anderson '01 Charts The Ups And Downs To Success
April 16, 2007
Entertainment industry lore is filled with scores of “overnight sensations,” but in reality success is often the culmination of years of persistent effort, as Eric Anderson ’01 is discovering with his animated short Horses on Mars.

Alternate Endings
Audiences Decide With A One-Of-A-Kind Thesis Film
April 12, 2007
Getting a thesis film written and produced is a daunting challenge for any graduate student, but with a film that encompasses 16 storylines and five different endings, third-year production M.F.A. student Greg Townsend has taken the process to unique heights. Now, after two years in the making, his non linear narrative Alternate Endings is set to be the first of its kind to premiere at the Norris Theatre on April 21.

Monster Maker
Legendary FX Artist Ray Harryhausen Receives Pickford Award
March 30, 2007
Ray Harryhausen, creator of the special effects that made mythological monsters come to life on the big screen, will receive the Mary Pickford Foundation Award at the USC School of Cinematic Arts 2007 commencement ceremony, Dean Elizabeth M. Daley announced today.

Gemini Max
Ben Shalom’s Thesis Uses Full Palette of Digital Animation Tools
March 27, 2007
While the movies have often brought women searching for Mr. Right to comedic or terrifying heights, Animation M.F.A. graduate student Ben Shalom has mixed his imagination with high end animation software and digital arts science to take the familiar scenario to new levels of animated proportions.

In Stride
Alumnus Russell Brown Hits His Pace With Race You To The Bottom
March 26, 2007
Writing about films and making movies, writer/director Russell Brown ’97 is living his dream. Now, 10 years after graduating from USC with a B.A. in critical studies, the creator and co-editor of the entertainment and political online critical magazine The Simon.com is getting ready for a whole new experience with the Los Angeles release of his first feature film Race You To The Bottom on March 30.

Will Wright
World Renowned Game Designer Named Commencement Speaker
March 23, 2007
Interactive media pioneer, engineer and writer Will Wright, whose Sims game series is recognized around the globe, will be the featured speaker at the USC School of Cinematic Arts 2007 commencement ceremony on Friday, May 11, Dean Elizabeth M. Daley announced today.

Future Of Film
LA Conference Unites Film and Technology Decision Makers
March 13, 2007
Film and technology decision-makers are set to network and share ideas with over 300 of the industry’s most innovative digital media insiders at the very first Future of Film conference in Beverly Hills on March 21, 2007.

Career Czars
Student-Industry Relations Puts Jobs In Focus
March 13, 2007
If you’re wondering what life will be like after graduation, then in the corner of the courtyard at the School of Cinematic Arts is an office under the auspices of Associate Dean Larry Auerbach that, although small in size, will make a huge impact on your career in the industry.

Collaborative Filmmaker
Ron Howard Shares His Viewpoint On Movie Making
March 05, 2007
Ron Howard returned to the School of Cinematic on Wednesday February 28 with a jovial request to refrain from asking about Fonzie’s hair or Aunt Bea’s apple pie, and shared his viewpoint on what it means to be a collaborative filmmaker with a group of graduate students from the school’s production and writing divisions.

Proving Providence
A Lost Journal Is A Team Effort For A Group Of M.F.A. Students
March 05, 2007
While the weight of a person’s soul may seem to solve the question of faith for a doctor in smallpox-plagued colonial Boston, for a team of production graduate students, the man’s doubt as well as film festival success just may be realized in The Lost Journal of Vice Marceaux.

USC MVP
NAACP Honors “Friday Night Lights” Writer Aaron Rahsaan Thomas
March 01, 2007
When Aaron Thomas’ name was among those nominated for Outstanding Writing in a Dramatic Series with the NBC drama, Friday Night Lights at the 38th annual NAACP Image Awards, Thomas had his own unique response.

Oscar Gold
Three Alums Win Academy Awards
March 01, 2007
The 79th Annual Academy Awards on Feb. 25 were kind to three USC alums, who netted golden statuettes for best actor (Forest Whitaker, USC School of Theatre ’82), best live action short film (Ari Sandel, USC School of Cinematic Arts ’05) and best achievement in visual effects (John Knoll, USC School of Cinematic Arts ’84).

Film Family
USC Alumna Continues Legacy With “Jesus Camp” Oscar Nomination
February 14, 2007
Despite being surrounded by generations of cinematic artists throughout her childhood, Jenna Rosher had no intention of entering the entertainment industry when she graduated with a journalism degree from the USC Annenberg School for Communication in 1995.

E. Russell McGregor II
Production Professor Was School's First Interim Dean
February 13, 2007
Dr. E. Russell McGregor II, the first interim dean of the School of Cinematic Arts and former professor in the Division of Film & Television Production, passed away on February 7, 2007 in San Luis Obispo. He was 76.

Charles S. Swartz
Entertainment Industry Leader Passes Away
February 13, 2007
Charles S. Swartz, respected throughout the entertainment industry and academia for his role in shepherding innovations that broke new ground in cinematic content, distribution, and display, passed away on February 10 from pneumonia, his family announced today.

Super Secrets
Heroes Creative Team Gives Students Inside Scoop On Hit Series
February 08, 2007
In an era when network economics are skewing prime-time fare toward reality shows and infotainment programming, launching a big-budget, large-cast, theatrical-quality series would seem a super-heroic feat. But, like the individuals he’s created for NBC’s Heroes, Tim Kring draws his power from the basics: Great characters, solid stories and a clockwork production schedule.

Film Scholar
David James Ph.D. focuses on the link between music and movies
February 06, 2007
David E. James, professor in critical studies at the USC School of Cinematic Arts, has been named one of two 2007 Academy Film Scholars by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.

Musical Mastery
West Bank Story Takes Ari Sandel From Sundance To Oscar Night
February 06, 2007
From the freezing temperatures of Sundance, to the multinational markets of Dubai, to the mountain scenery of Switzerland, director Ari Sandel ’05 has traveled the world showcasing his musical comedy West Bank Story. But on February 25, no place can compare to the glitz and glamour of Hollywood when the School of Cinematic Arts production graduate walks the red carpet as one of the five nominees for Best Live Action Short at the 79th Annual Academy Awards.

'SC Got Game
Provost's Office Establishes USC Games Institute
February 02, 2007
As the study of video games spreads across disciplines, the University of Southern California is establishing a new USC Games Institute to unify and represent USC game research on and off campus.

Scene at Sundance
SCA Films Screen at Prestigious Festival
January 30, 2007
Though Park City temps were sub-zero, School of Cinematic Arts (SCA) alumni, students, and faculty were in the glow as they celebrated the official USC screenings selected for this year’s Sundance Film Festival.

Cinema-Tech
Vince Gonzales Captures The Art of Motion Picture Technology
January 30, 2007
While a magic lantern might seem like it belongs with Aladdin and his flying carpet, in reality, the classic piece of pre-cinema history from the late 1700s is coming to life as part of a unique photography show by SCA staffer Vince Gonzales.

Wave Reviews
Public Radio Host James C. Taylor Critiques Global Theatre
January 22, 2007
For some, attending film school is a chance to delve deeper into their cinematic passion, while for others, like alumnus James Taylor ’97, the discovery of what lies before them is a journey filled with experiences of operatic proportions. Now, 10 years after graduating from USC with a B.A. in production, Taylor is one of Southern California’s most provocative reviewers and commentators on the performing arts.

Golden State
USC Project Examines The History Of Jews In California
January 17, 2007
Though the roles of Jewish people throughout California are undeniably important to the state’s cultural development, until now, Jewish California has been a little studied aspect of American history. That’s all about to change as a new interactive media project gets underway.

Cinematic Arts Women
SCA Alumnae Network Boosts Awareness and Access
January 17, 2007
From reporting the latest industry news to the hottest entertainment gossip, reporters have continually stirred a plethora of reactions and measures over what they’ve written amongst industry professionals. And in 2005, following the publication of a New York Times article entitled “Hollywood’s New Old Girl’s Network,” a group of USC women turned something potentially damaging and depressing into something exponentially rewarding by forming the Women of Cinematic Arts group.

Female Forum
Women In Film Salutes Dean Daley
January 17, 2007
Elizabeth Daley, dean of the USC School of Cinematic Arts, was honored last fall at a ceremony celebrating the contribution of women in the film industry.

Page To Screen
Children Of Men Wins Scripter Award
January 16, 2007
The author of Children of Men and the screenwriters of the film based on the book have won the 19th annual USC Libraries Scripter Award.

Entertainment Leader
Hollywood Veteran David Wertheimer To Lead ETC
January 16, 2007
The Entertainment Technology Center at the University of Southern California (ETC-USC), a neutral, non-partisan research organization in the School of Cinematic Arts that studies entertainment technology developments that are critical to the creative community; production companies; content owners, distributors and exhibitors; and technology companies has tapped entrepreneur, technologist, and Hollywood veteran David Wertheimer to lead the organization.

Let’s Make A Deal
Writers Tout Their Tales During Last Year's First Pitch
January 16, 2007
Ever wonder what it would be like to boil down a script that you’ve worked on for months into a five-minute presentation that could launch a career lasting years? Nearly 50 soon-to-graduate students from the Division of Writing for Screen & Television did exactly that as they delivered their film and television ideas in rapid-fire fashion to entertainment reps during last year’s 5th annual First Pitch.

Cinema Manifesto
Documentary Examines Filmmakers '70s Exploits
January 12, 2007
In the early 1970s in San Francisco, Judy Irola, now the head of cinematography in the USC School of Cinematic Arts, was part of a groundbreaking Marxist filmmaking collective called Cine Manifest.

Exporting Expertise
International Students Experience Global Success
January 12, 2007
As an entertainment epicenter, Los Angeles and USC have a long history of drawing artists from around the nation to learn about the cinematic arts. Now those lessons are carrying well beyond the U.S., as scores of undergraduates and graduates from abroad bring the lessons learned at the School of Cinematic Arts to an international audience.

Price Is Right
BOC Chair Is Nominee For Council On Arts
January 10, 2007
Frank Price, a USC Life Trustee and Chair of the Board of Councilors for the School of Cinematic Arts, has been nominated by President George W. Bush to a six-year term on the National Council on the Arts. The council advises the chairman of the National Endowment for the Arts on grants to be made by the endowment.

Capture This
Filmmaker Robert Zemeckis Teaches Performance Capture Class
January 09, 2007
What’s it like to make a live-action film with characters and settings that can never be filmed? This spring, a group of 12 School of Cinematic Arts graduate students will learn just that when director Robert Zemeckis ’73 and SCA Digital Systems Specialist Eric Furie teach the inaugural semester of CTAN 599: Motion Capture Performance.

Listen Up
Professor Tom Holman Receives IEEE’s Ibuka Award
January 08, 2007
The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) has named School of Cinematic Arts Professor Tom Holman as the recipient of its 2007 Masaru Ibuka Award, recognizing Holman’s contribution to the development of advanced audio and cinema multi-channel playback systems.

Reality Road
One Cinematic Arts Alumnus’ Successful Survival In Television
January 03, 2007
For students at the School of Cinematic Arts, the informal school motto “Reality Ends Here,” is often tinged with the fact that what may seem to stop actually begins when they cross the stage at graduation. And though the future before these talented women and men can pose some daunting questions, for Executive Producer of Survivor Tom Shelly ’87, it was a genre of television ironically dubbed reality that was the perfect choice.

Animation Dedication
John C. Hench Bequeaths $5 Million To Animation & Digital Arts
January 03, 2007
The legacy of using creativity to both inspire and inform people around the globe thrives at the USC School of Cinematic Arts in the John C. Hench Division of Animation & Digital Arts, which was officially named after the great Disney artist on September 10 through a $5 million endowment gift from the John C. Hench Foundation.

Savage Screenplay
Bringing Murder To Life On The Big Screen
January 03, 2007
One of the hallmarks of the School of Cinematic Arts is an environment where theory and practice interact—even, at times, collide. For faculty who balance careers in the industry and university, it can prove an interesting juggling act. Just ask Howard A. Rodman, who’s spent the past year chairing the writing division and teaching, while at the same time penning a pilot for HBO and edging his adaptation of the 1985 nonfiction book Savage Grace toward the big screen.

Screening Excellence
Alumni Sweep The 12th Annual DGA Student Film Awards
January 03, 2007
Four production graduates of the USC School of Cinematic Arts have gotten the jump on this year’s award season with an impressive showing at the 12th Annual DGA Student Film Awards.

Colliding Worlds
Bringing A Secret World To The Screen
January 03, 2007
When an idealistic reporter uncovers a sex-trafficking ring, it does more than expose the horrors of everyday existence for millions of young women around the world, it brings award-winning recognition for one USC filmmaker.

Much Ado About Dodos
Two USC Filmmakers And A Flock Of Extinct Birds Put The Debate On Evolution And Intelligent Design In Focus
January 03, 2007
The dodo, that famously dumb and dead bird, has been brought back from extinction in a feature film garnering praise everywhere it plays since its world premiere at the 2006 Tribeca Film Festival in New York City. Now, the acclaimed film will have a special USC screening on February 10, 2007 at the Norris Theatre.

Character Study
Alumnus Jadrien Steele Parlays TV Role Into A Multifaceted Career
December 19, 2006
Whether it’s Lana Turner at the Schwab’s Drugstore counter or Vivien Leigh’s pivotal introduction as Atlanta burned in the background for the cameras, tales of being discovered in the industry are the stuff of popular legend. But when an executive producer from Ryan’s Hope(1975-1989) needed a baby to play “Little John Ryan” on the classic daytime serial, living right next door was indeed a true discovery: five-month-old Jadrien Steele ’99.

In To Africa
Students Trek To Kenya To Shoot The Knife Grinder’s Tale
December 01, 2006
Malaria scares, military guards with AK47s, and an imposing African Kingpin are not your typical encounters to filming a movie on the streets of Los Angeles, but for two third-year production graduate students at the USC School of Cinematic Arts, it’s all part of the process as they bring a Kenyan short story to the screen.

Enticing Extras
SCA Historians Share Their Perspectives On Screen Gems Of The Past
November 08, 2006
Most film historians are known to a limited audience. Their essays in scholarly journals might be read by professors and university students who number in the thousands. But with the advent of bonus features on DVDs in the past few years, studios have been turning to academics to supply voice-over commentaries and participate in documentaries.

Grid Unlock
SCA Team Collaborates On High-Speed CineGrid Streaming Test
October 25, 2006
In collaboration with teams around the Pacific Rim, a School of Cinematic Arts team headed by Richard Weinberg has successfully proven that ultra-high resolution image and audio files can be effectively streamed across the globe, a development that has major implications for cinematic distribution.

Record-Breaking Groundbreaking
School of Cinematic Arts Celebrates New Name and Complex
October 05, 2006
With hundreds of students, alumni, faculty, and supporters on hand, USC’s cinema program made history on October 4, celebrating a record-breaking $175 million gift from George Lucas’ Lucasfilm Foundation that will fund new buildings and launch a major endowment campaign.

Historic Signing
Marking The Creation Of The Red Sea Institute Of Cinematic Arts
September 21, 2006
King Abdullah II of Jordan presided over a ceremony in New York City on September 20th marking the creation of the Red Sea Institute of Cinematic Arts (RSICA) in Jordan’s Red Sea resort town of Aqaba.

Script To Screen
New Database Brings Cinema-Television Talent Together
August 29, 2006
In a move to unite students who write screenplays with students looking to make them, the School of Cinema-Television has established the Script Database, an online listing of stories penned by writing division grads and undergrads.

School Honors Montes Awardees and Donors
August 21, 2006
On August 16, ten recent recipients of the Rodolfo Montes Awards and its three principal benefactors, got together to meet each other and screen many of the students’ films.

Movie Maestro
Composing A Different Tortured Tale Of Beethoven
August 17, 2006
As pirates and superheroes usher out the summer, one film from the Division of Film & Television Production Chair Michael Taylor about a musical genius is set to take audiences back in time.

Picture of Health
Keck and SCA Offer New Minor For Medical Professionals
August 17, 2006
Without first-hand knowledge of cinema-television production, researchers and clinicians often find establishing clear lines of communication with television and movie producers a difficult and challenging situation.

Pam Douglas' Upcoming Art Show
August 01, 2006
Writing Associate Professor is featured artist at Malibu Art Show.

Finding Focus
July 14, 2006
For eight weeks each summer, The Cosby Summer Youth Institute at the School of Cinema-Television, takes youngsters out of the maelstrom and puts them behind the camera, where they have the chance to explore their creative potential.

CNTV Participates in Student Animation Festival in Croatia
June 15, 2006
Mar Elepano, animation production supervisor for CNTV's MFA program was invited to serve as a juror at the 17th annual animation festival in Croatia, from June 12 through June 17.

School Hosts Three-Day Electronic Arts Workshop
June 14, 2006
Videogame company, Electronic Arts co-hosted a three-day workshop on the theory and practice of storytelling, critiquing, project pitching, the principles of entertainment, the use of humor and fun, and a game structure team design.

SC / Sino Cinema
Chinese Film Students Pair With USC Counterparts
June 05, 2006
Summer has proven a busy time for six men and women from the School of Cinema & Television at the Communication University of China (CUC) who have spent the past five weeks working one-on-one with six USC counterparts to produce a series of short documentaries on the Chinese community in Los Angeles.

Culture Clash
Perceptions of Arab & American Films
June 04, 2006
The ways a group of 12 USC students – half from American and half from Middle Eastern backgrounds – view and understand the same films is focus of Projecting Culture: Perceptions of Arab and American Films, a 27-minute documentary just released by Cinema-Television faculty and staff.

Agent Extraordinaire
Marking The Installation Of The School's 13th Endowed Chair
May 12, 2006
At a star-studded gala that began with the fanfare of the Trojan Marching Band, friends, family, scholars, students, and supporters of Associate Dean Larry Auerbach marked his installation as the school’s record-breaking 13th endowed chair on May 10.

Launch Pad
Inaugural Event Puts Students On Career Trajectory
May 05, 2006
In a major initiative to facilitate the transition from academia to industry, the School of Cinema-Television has kicked off a new career seminar series, bringing hundreds of soon-to-graduate students and recent alumni face-to-face with leading professionals who shared their experience and insight on entering the entertainment job market.

Digital Dimensions
Showcasing Games, Immersive Environments and Mobile Media
May 01, 2006
The power for electronic games, immersive spaces and mobile media to transform and press the boundaries of our physical and virtual worlds is on full display this week at dimension 9, nine unexplored territories, this year’s version of the Interactive Media Division’s annual M.F.A. thesis projects.

Prof Rodman's Novel Opens in Italy
April 03, 2006
Writing Chair Howard A. Rodman's novel, Destiny Express, opens in Italy.

Freedom Focus
ACLU Series Probes the Struggle for Freedom—Past and Present
March 29, 2006
In the run up to the Revolutionary War, Benjamin Franklin extolled his compatriots with an eloquent yet profound thought, one which was meant to open their eyes to the threat looming before them: “They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety."

The Power Of Love
USC Grads Capture The Heart Of The Student Emmys
March 21, 2006
When a love letter ultimately wins the girl’s heart, along with a student Emmy, it’s a sure sign that something besides amour is in the air for three USC filmmakers.

Cinema-Television Research Professor Streams Live Digital Animation
January 19, 2006
Richard Weinberg's project was streamed live from Tokyo to a conference in San Diego.

Critical Studies Professor Named Editor of Prestigious Quarterly
January 19, 2006
Associate Professor is the first person of color to serve as editor of American Quarterly.

Critical Studies Student Receives University Award
January 19, 2006
   

EDITING INSTRUCTOR RECEIVES MAJOR AWARD
January 19, 2006
Kate Amend was awarded the first international award for documentary editing. 

Entertainment Technology Head Delivers Keynote Address
January 19, 2006
Executive Director Charles Swartz presented the keynote address at a major electrical engineering conference.

New Montes Scholars Named
January 19, 2006
Seven Latino Cinema-Television students have been awarded Dr. Rodolfo Montes scholars.

Student-Made Video Game Receives Accolades
January 19, 2006
A new non-violent video game developed by Interactive Media students has attracted much attention and downloads. 

Sloan Award Winners Announced
November 19, 2005
Four Cinema-Television students are receiving major grants for writing, production and animation. 

Cinema-Television Production Instructor Producing New Film
October 26, 2005
Bruce A. Block is producing a new feature film starring Cameron Diaz and Kate Winslet.

Cinema-Television Receives Major Research Grant
October 26, 2005
Critical Studies Professor Receives Annenberg Foundation grant to study cultural perceptions of American and Egyptian students of their cultures based on films.

Critical Studies Professor Joins Editorial Board
October 26, 2005
Dr. Ellen Seiter will be part of a new journal on children.  

Entertainment Technology Center's Exec Co-chairs Digital Cinema Symposium
October 26, 2005
Charles S. Swartz spoke at recent Venice Film Festival on digital projection. 

Interactive Media Professor Invited to Korean Workshop
October 26, 2005
Julian Bleecker participates on panels  about emerging technologies.

New Director of Summer Program Named
October 26, 2005
Marketing Executive and teacher is named to replace outgoing Summer Program Director.  

Production Instructor Working as Music Editor on New Feature Film
October 26, 2005
Kenneth Hall is the music editor on CHEAPER BY THE DOZEN 2.

Professor Emeritus To Be Honored by Cinematographers
October 26, 2005
Former Cinema-Television professor and cinematographer Woody Omens will receive special award from the American Society of Cinematographers

Professor Presents at International Conference
October 26, 2005
Critical Studies Professor gave the keynote lecture at a recent conference in the Czech Republic.

Professor Receives Fulbright Honor
October 26, 2005
Doe Mayer gets special status from the Fulbright Scholar Program.

Student Awarded Microsoft Scholarship
October 26, 2005
Interactive Media student receives one of five scholarships to attend special game conference. 

Writing Chair Named Artistic Director
October 26, 2005
Cinema-Television Writing Chair Howard A. Rodman has been named Artistic Director of a prominent screenwriting lab.

THE NATIONAL ASSOCIATION FOR THE ADVANCEMENT OF COLORED PEOPLE (NAACP) AND THE CBS TELEVISION NETWORK CREATE NEW FELLOWSHIP AT USC SCHOOL OF CINEMA-TELEVISION
October 06, 2005
As part of on-going efforts to broaden the diversity of talent emerging from the USC School of Cinema-Television, the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People and the CBS Television Network have united to create the NAACP/CBS Fellowship, a partnership that supports, encourages and educates new voices within the industry, it was announced today by Dean Elizabeth Daley.

Cinema-Television Professor Named to Prestigious USC Initiative
October 05, 2005
Critical Studies Chair Tara McPherson is named by USC Provost to chair a special committee. 

Critical Studies Professor Accomplishes Much
October 05, 2005
Akira Lippit, who holds a joint appointment in Critical Studies and Comparative Literature, completes essays, participates in symposiums, and lectures throughout the world. 

New Critical Studies Faculty Book on Colonial Film Due Out Soon
October 05, 2005
Priya Jaikumar's book deals with British and Indian cinema in the late colonial period.

Production Professor Directs 10 Films for ACLU
October 05, 2005
Noted director Jeremy Kagan is producing and directing series for the American Civil Liberties Union. 

Sound Professor Travels to Chile To Speak
October 05, 2005
Noted sound innovator Tomlinson Holman speaks on surround sound.

Student Film Nominated for Special Award
October 05, 2005
The documentary has been nominated for the IDA/David L. Wolper Award. 

Writing Professor Publishes New Book
October 05, 2005
The new Pamela Douglas book on writing the television drama appears in bookstores.

"The OC" Creator Josh Schwartz Endows Inaugural Scholarship for Television Writing Students at USC School of Cinema-Television
September 14, 2005
USC School of Cinema-Television alumnus Josh Schwartz, creator/executive producer of the hit Fox series “The OC”, has endowed the School with its first ever television writing scholarship.

Animation Students Receive Honors
August 26, 2005
Three animation students are honored for their short films.

Critical Studies Adds Faculty
August 26, 2005
Several new faculty have joined the Critical Studies division for the 2005 school year.

Critical Studies Instructor To Publish New Book on Sound Design
August 26, 2005
The book chronicles the rise of sound design and its relationship to science fiction cinema. 

Critical Studies Professor Highlighted in Several Media Arenas
August 26, 2005
Critical Studies professor Todd Boyd was quoted in several national publications and appears as a regular commentator on both television and radio.

Critical Studies Professor receives Two Research Awards
August 26, 2005
Anne Friedberg has been awarded a faculty fellowship and a special research award.

Interactive Media Division Introduces New Faculty
August 26, 2005
The Interactive Media Division adds three new adjunct instructors to its growing faculty roster.

Peter Stark Producing Program Adds Faculty
August 26, 2005
The Peter Stark Producing Program, a graduate program for students interested in the producing or executive side of the entertainment business, has added three instructors for the 2005 school year. 

Recent Graduate Grabs Filmmaking Honor
August 26, 2005
Ari Sandel receives Grand Prize for his short film.

Sound Department Completes Significant Upgrades
August 26, 2005
The sound department made several hardware improvements over the summer. 

Writing Division Adds Three New Adjunct Faculty
August 26, 2005
Experienced screen and television writers join Writing faculty for 2005 school year

USC School of Cinema-Television Holds Special Filmmaking Workshop in Jordan
July 29, 2005
In conjunction with the Jordanian Royal Film Commission, Cinema-Television faculty taught a three-week intensive production workshop to 12 young aspiring Jordanian filmmakers.

Congratulations to our 2005 Award Nominees
March 04, 2005
The USC School of Cinema-Television is proud to congratulate our friends and alumni on their successes and nominations this season.