Prospective Student News

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.