News from 2011

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  December 13, 2011 USC Games Gets Hands On First Joint Demo Day Held at USC
  The USC School of Cinematic Arts and the Viterbi School of Engineering are known for their ability to make visions a reality, particularly in the design and production of video games. On November 7^th, SCA’s Interactive Media Division and Viterbi’s Computer Science Department hosted Demo Day, a presentation and hands-on demonstration of the new student-produced games of 2011.
  
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  December 7, 2011 SCA Family Stories: From the Archives Sandra Joy Aguilar and Dino Everett discuss their lives in the archives
  The USC School of Cinematic Arts is home to many incredible resources for artists and scholars of the moving image. Two of the greatest resources are the Warner Bros. Archives and the Hugh M. Hefner Moving Image Archive.
  
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  December 6, 2011 Poster Girl Brings Home Award Professor Wins IDA Award
  Poster Girltells the story of Robynn Murray, a woman who served in Iraq and returned with posttraumatic stress disorder. The film was directed by first time director Sara Nesson and produced by Peter Stark Producing Program adjunct professor Mitchell Block. The film was recently awarded the International Documentary Association’s Award for Best Short Documentary and is also nominated for the Academy Award.
  
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  December 5, 2011 Trojan Vision Marks Banner Year SCA’s Television Channel Marks First Year in HD
  In 1997, the face of media making at the USC School of School of Cinematic Arts changed forever when Trojan Vision signed on the air. Since then, the channel has remained at the forefront of student television production. In 2011, Trojan Vision produced the largest amount of content in the fourteen-year history of the channel and, on November 29^th, Executive Director Don Tillman spoke to the SCAN-NATOA conference on the success of the students who run Trojan Vision.
  
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  November 30, 2011 Hef @ SCA Legendary Publisher Visits Students
  When it comes to the topic of censorship, Playboy publisher, founder and Chief Creative Officer Hugh M. Hefner is never at a loss for words. On November 29^th, Critical Studies Division professors Dr. Rick Jewell and Dr. Drew Casper hosted the iconic American businessman in their censorship class for the eighteenth year in a row.
  
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  November 28, 2011 SCA Family Stories: Michael Koerbel and Anna Elizabeth James Majek Pictures Founders Discuss Their Process
  Many things can be said to introduce Anna Elizabeth James and Michael Koerbel. They are MFA students in the Production Division of the USC School of Cinematic Arts, they were speakers on the emergence of iPhone filmmaking at the TED@USC conference and they are successful entrepreneurs with their company Majek Pictures.
  
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  November 22, 2011 Comedy and Art Comedy@SCA Kicks Off with a Three-Day Festival
  Paul Feig ‘84 is a respected filmmaker. He executive produced the beloved show Freaks and Geeks, dozens of episodes of the Emmy Award-winning The Office and the summer blockbuster Bridesmaids but, when he was a student at the USC School of Cinematic Arts in the 80s, it was a different story.
  
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  November 16, 2011 SCA Family Stories: Joe Wallenstein Head of Physical Production Talks with SCA
  Joe Wallenstein has many names among the students of SCA. He’s known as the safety seminar guy, the permit guy, Professor Wallenstein and even, lovingly, Chairman Joe. The Head of Physical Production recently sat down with SCA Family Stories to talk about his long career in the entertainment industry, how students can navigate his office and his new book, Practical Moviemaking: A Handbook for the Real World.
  
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  November 14, 2011 From the Abyss to SCA Werner Herzog Visits with Students
  When filmmaker Werner Herzog visits the USC School of Cinematic Arts, the students can expect brutal honesty mixed with sound advice. On November 9^th, when the legendary filmmaker spoke at a Q and A after a screening of his new documentary Into the Abyss, he was as candid as ever.
  
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  November 11, 2011 A Picture Perfect Award Professor Linda Brown wins Kodak Educational Award
  On October 27^th, associate Producer Linda Brown took home the Kodak Education Award for her work teaching the next generation of filmmakers in the art and science of cinematography.
  
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  November 10, 2011 SCA Family Stories: Imran Shafi Recent Animation Grad talks about the Festival World
  Taking the first step after graduation can be a daunting task for any graduate. Like many grads, Imran Shafi ’10 went the festival route after graduation from the USC School of Cinematic Arts’ John C. Hench Division of Animation and Digital Arts. Shafi works as a Fulbright Scholar in Germany and attended the prestigious 2011 Varna World Festival of Animated Film on behalf of SCA.
  
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  November 9, 2011 An Evening with the Prosecutor SCA Hosts the International Criminal Court’s Luis Moreno-Ocampo
  Most presentations at the School of Cinematic Arts feature a media maker, scholar or executive fielding questions from the student body. When SCA hosted the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court, Luis Moreno-Ocampo on November 6^th, the tables were turned when the prosecutor began the evening by issuing a challenge to the students to help him explain to the public how the International Criminal Court was changing the paradigm of global human rights and how the moving image was effecting the process.
  
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  November 9, 2011 John Carpenter Emerges from the Archives Legendary Horror Director’s Student Film Found
  All SCA students know John Carpenter’s canonical horror film Halloween. A masked man descends on a quiet, suburban home to kill his former babysitter. In the coming years, thanks to the efforts of SCA’s archivists, future generations will know John Carpenter’s first student film Captain Voyeur which features a masked man following his co-worker home to spy on her.
  
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  November 2, 2011 SCA Family Stories: Ted Braun SCA Professor talks about his upcoming event
  Professor Ted Braun can be described many ways. He’s an award winning writer/director whose film Darfur Now shaped the international conversation about Sudan, he’s a sought after professor, known for his passionate and detailed style, whose classes fill up quickly and always have a waiting list and he’s a proud SCA alumnus.
  
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  October 31, 2011 The (Cinematic) Art of Play Playstation visits SCA Campus
  The USC School of Cinematic Arts has been at the forefront of studying the theory and practice of video games for years. On October 31^st through November 2^nd. Sony’s Playstation Company will visit campus to speak to students about the future of the games industry and unveil the new game Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception.
  
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  October 13, 2011 Just Seen it Hitting Big Alumnus-run Web Show Picking Up Steam
  It’s impossible to come through the USC School of Cinematic Arts without viewing and analyzing dozens, if not hundreds, of films.  Alumnus David Freedman (2010) took the natural skills that students posses and turned it into a new web show Just Seen It, where “Industry Students” discuss films and TV shows they’ve just seen.
  
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  October 13, 2011 SCA Forges Partnership with Department of State American films will be used to engage international audiences
  Every student at the USC School of Cinematic Arts knows the power of film. Films are used to entertain, educate, inspire and on October 10^th, it was announced that the State Department would be teaming up with SCA to use the medium for diplomacy.
  
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  October 11, 2011 John Singleton on Abduction Alumnus/Director Visits SCA
  John Singleton knows film history. His new film Abduction might seem like a straightforward action film but, when Singleton visited students on Friday, October 7^th, he stated that his inspiration for the film goes back to Hitchcock.
  
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  October 5, 2011 Getting “Perspectives” With Mark Harris Oscar Winning Faculty Member Hosts New Show
  School of Cinematic Arts Professor Mark Harris has a long history in documentary filmmaking. He has been awarded three Academy Awards for documentary filmmaking in 1968, 1997 2001 for his films Redwoods, The Long Way Home and Into the Arms of Stranger: Stories from the Kindertransport. This Wednesday, Harris will be hosting the new show Perspectives on the documentary channel with the airing of Beah: A Black Woman Speaks on October 5^th. Harris curated the films and will be appearing on camera in the series.
  
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  October 4, 2011 Shawn Levy Gets “Real” Alum/Real Steel Director visits Leonard Maltin’s Class
  Real Steel is a story about massive robots that fight in a future world where mechanics have replaced boxers. When Leonard Maltin began the discussion of the film, Real Steel director/SCA alumnus Shawn Levy joked, “I wanted to make a small, intimate film.”
  
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  September 30, 2011 SCA Family Stories: Chris Rowe IML Student Discusses His Work with the Shoah Foundation Institute
  The USC Shoah Foundation’s Student Voices Film Competition is currently accepting submissions. The project involves students using the Shoah Foundation’s amazing archive of Holocaust survivor testimony to create a new film which discusses the topic of genocide.
  
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  September 27, 2011 Honoring a Legend SCA Establishes the Cecil B. DeMille Chair
  When it comes to Hollywood history, no names stand taller than that of Cecil B. DeMille and, on September 26^th, the USC School of Cinematic Arts honored his legacy with the establishment of the Cecil B. DeMille Chair for the Study of Silent Film, one of the highest honors in academia. Leaders of the USC School of Cinematic Arts, guests including CeCe Demille-Presley and Gretchen Wayne and students from the Critical Studies Division gathered in the Mary Pickford Lobby to share memories of his amazing work and life. Before the reception, an honorary screening of DeMille’s silent masterpiece The Cheat was held at Norris Theatre, followed by a Q and A with DeMille-Presley.
  
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  September 16, 2011 Don Hall Honored by Editor’s Guild SCA Professor to Receive Fellowship and Service Award
  SCA Professor Don Hall’s resume is long. In addition to being a respected and sought after lecturer and mentor to countless SCA students and graduates, he has more than ninety credits, an Emmy, a Peabody, a BAFTA Award, an MPSE Career Achievement Award, and the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences’ Jon Bonner Medal of Commendation. On October 15th, he will be adding the Editor’s Guild’s Fellowship and Service award to his long list.
  
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  September 15, 2011 In Memoriam: John Calley Studio Head, Producer, Member of SCA Board of Councilors
  John Calley, former head of Warner Brothers, United Artists, and Sony, as well as a successful producer and recipient of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Irving G. Thalberg Award for lifetime achievement, passed away on September 13 at the age of 81.
  
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  September 13, 2011 Trojans at the Emmys 2011 is a Big Year With Over Fifteen Noms
  Academy of Television Arts & Sciences
  63rd Primetime Emmy Award Nominations
  
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  September 12, 2011 Stark Turns the Big Three-Oh Alumni Gather for Program’s Birthday
  In Hollywood, turning thirty can fill a person with dread. Fortunately, the Peter Stark Producing Program at the USC School of Cinematic Arts has a long list of accomplishments to look back on as it enters its third decade. On September 11, 2011, the Stark Program celebrated thirty years of success with a cocktail reception in the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Lobby at SCA.
  
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  September 6, 2011 SCA Family Stories: Steve Boman Author of Film School/SCA Alumnus talks to SCA Family Stories
  Every journey through the USC School of Cinematic Arts yields a story and, in Steve Boman’s case, it yielded a book and a television series. Boman graduated from the Production Division at SCA in 2009 and immediately went to work on the CBS Television series Three Rivers.
  
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  September 1, 2011 Granddaughter of Jack Warner Visits Archives Anne Terrail and her son Felix Bergeret visited Warner Bros. Archives

  Many students who dig through the Warner Bros. Archives at the USC School of Cinematic Arts have feeling of being connected with the long history of Hollywood. On August 22^nd, two visitors to the archives had the rare experience of digging through the archives and feeling more connected with their own family's history. The granddaughter of Jack L Warner, Anne Terrail and her son Felix Bergeret visited Warner Bros. Archives for the first time last month from Paris.

  
  
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  August 23, 2011 Rebirth SCA Alumnus Jim Whitaker Screens Doc
  SCA alumnus Jim Whitaker’s directorial debut Rebirth, premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in January of 2011. The full-length documentary is the result of a decade-long process of interviewing and collecting footage from survivors of 9-11 and watching the reconstruction of the disaster site.
  
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  August 23, 2011 The Nina Foch Course Beloved SCA Professor's Course on DVD
  For over 40 years SCA Professor Nina Foch (1928-2008) taught a distinguished generation of filmmakers at the USC School of Cinema-Television and the American Film Institute. In 2010, executive producers George Lucas, Randal Kleiser and Ted Braun released The Nina Foch Course for Filmmakers and Actors on DVD, which brings an experience that has been available only in the country's most select film schools to a wide audience.
  
  
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  August 22, 2011 Orientation: Thanks!
  Thanks to everyone who made orientation a success this year!
  
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  August 11, 2011 The Legend of Pancho Barnes Flying High Eight SCA Faculty and Alumni win Emmy
  Awards season is underway in Los Angeles and the documentary The Legend of Pancho Barnes and the Happy Bottom Riding Club is an early bright spot for SCA. On August sixth, the film which includes nine SCA alumni and faculty in key positions won the Los Angeles Area Emmy for Arts & Culture / History.
  
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  August 5, 2011 A Breakout Summer Short SCA Writer/Producer/Director Wins a String of Awards
  Winning awards isn’t everything for the student filmmaker, but it certainly doesn’t hurt. This summer, recent alumnae Mitsuyo Miyazaki ’11 continued the long tradition of award winners from SCA with her short film Tsuyako.
  
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  August 3, 2011 SCA Family Stories: Elliot Grossman Alumnus/animator gives advice to aspiring animators
  Elliot Grossman: ’07 is part of a new generation of graduates from the John C. Hench Division of Animation and Digital Arts who are leaving their mark on the world of animation. His thesis film Breaking the Ice won several awards on the festival circuit and helped him transition into the world of commercial animation with the company Heavy Iron Studios.
  
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  August 2, 2011 The Brave New World of DIY Films The Summer Program Hosts Micro-budget Filmmakers
  Predicting trends in filmmaking is a risky business. For every new craze that hits the entertainment industry, there are dozens if not hundreds of false predictions. One trend that has been on the horizon for years and is starting to shape the way that films are made is “Do it yourself” or DIY filmmaking. This semester, Jason E. Squire hosted the producers and director/writer/star of the indie film I am I as part of his class CTPR 428  "Under the Radar: Marketing and Distribution in the DIY Digital World.” They spoke to the class about the new phenomenon of crowd funding and what it takes to get a film made in the world of micro-budget filmmaking.
  
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  July 21, 2011 SCA Family Stories: Sheldon Larry The Directing Track Professor Talks about his Process
  At the School of Cinematic Arts, many students’ goal is to make a groundbreaking student film which will launch a long career in the entertainment industry. For many, the professor with them every step of their productions is Sheldon Larry.
  
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  July 20, 2011 A Return to China Jason E. Squire lectures at Beijing Film Academy
  SCA Professor Jason E. Squire’s teachings have touched almost every aspect of the entertainment industry. His former pupils are executives, writers, technicians and all other types of storytellers in the film industry. This summer, Squire’s influence broadened internationally when he travelled to Beijing to teach classes for Chinese and multi-national industry professionals at the Beijing Film Academy.
  
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  July 6, 2011 SCA Family Stories: Kathy Smith A Conversation with the Chair of SCA’s Animation Division
  Kathy Smith, the Chair of the John C. Hench Division of Animation and Digital Arts (Hench-DADA) at the USC School of Cinematic Arts is a respected artist and beloved educator whose work has been featured internationally and whose students have gone on to hold key positions in the animation and visual effects industry.Kathy Smith, the Chair of the John C. Hench Division of Animation and Digital Arts (Hench-DADA) at the USC School of Cinematic Arts is a respected artist and beloved educator whose work has been featured internationally and whose students have gone on to hold key positions in the animation and visual effects industry.
  
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  July 1, 2011 SCA Complex Wins Architecture Award Grand Prize at Los Angeles Architectural Awards
  The School of Cinematic Arts Complex has been the birthplace to many award-winning works of art. Each year, films, video games, scholarly articles and works from other media go on to win accolades from the entertainment industry. On June 30^th, the building itself became joined the ranks of SCA award-winners, being named the Grand Prize winner at the 41^st Annual Los Angeles Architectural Awards.
  
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  June 29, 2011 Imagineering a Better Future SCA students win Best in Show at Disney design contest
  USC School of Cinematic Arts students have won awards for writing, directing, cinematography, editing, game design, scholarship and just about every other aspect of storytelling for the moving image and, on June 17^th, three students added imagineering to the list by winning “Best in Show” for innovation at the Disney Imagineering’s ImagiNations Competition.
  
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  June 21, 2011 SCA Creates “Games for Change” USC Video Games Featured in NYC Festival
  In the past, video games were the realm of big guns, speeding cars and aggressive empire building but, in the constantly evolving environment of interactive media, that perception is changing. The USC School of Cinematic Arts’ Interactive Media Division is consistently on the cutting edge of new technology and experiences in interactive game design. At the 8^th Annual Games for Change Festival, three games with IMD students and staff on their design crews were recognized for pushing the paradigm of video gaming.
  
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  June 20, 2011 SCA Family Stories: Jenova Chen IMD Grad talks to SCA about the world of Indie Games
  The world of independent video games is constantly changing and, like all of the art forms taught at the USC School of Cinematic Arts, is a place of great opportunity for SCA students.
  
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  June 15, 2011 The Man Behind the Name McG Visits with SCA
  McG, the director of Charlie’s Angels, We Are Marshall and Terminator: Salvation, followed the path of many filmmakers who made the transition from music videos to feature films in the late nineties including Spike Jones, David Fincher and Hype Williams. When he visited the USC School of Cinematic Arts on June 14^th to speak as part of the YouTube Creator Institute, he drew parallels between the DIY aesthetic of music videos in the nineties and the content creators of YouTube today.
  
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  June 13, 2011 In Memoriam: Laura Ziskin ‘73 Pioneering Producer and Philanthropist
  Producer's Guild of America Visionary Award-winning producer, philanthropist, SCA Board of Councilors’ member and alumnae Laura Ziskin '73, died at her home in Santa Monica after a long battle with breast cancer. She was sixty-one.
  
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  June 10, 2011 Turning SCA into a “Fun Lab” Microsoft Hosts the Kinect for XBOX360 Innovation Event
  Three institutions of the interactive gaming design industry, the Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) conference, the USC School of Cinematic Arts and Microsoft’s Kinect Group, came together on Wednesday, June 7th to host the Kinect for XBOX 360 Innovation Event at the SCA Compex on the USC Campus. Attendees included creative director of the Microsoft’s Kinect, Kudo Tsunoda, Interactive Media Division Chair Scott Fisher, incoming chair of the Interactive Media Division Tracy Fullerton and members of the media.
  
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  June 2, 2011 Choreography on the Page Dexter/Twilight Writer Melissa Rosenberg Visits SCA
  Melissa Rosenberg has reached a level of success that most writers can only dream of. She has written all three adaptations of the wildly successful Twilight films, the original film in the Step Up series and is the showrunner/ executive producer on the Emmy award winning television show Dexter.
  
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  May 26, 2011 The Path from Film School to Pandora Avatar Producer/SCA Alum Jon Landau Speaks on Campus
  Jon Landau, the producer of blockbusters Titanic and Avatar, is a very busy man. In addition to being writer/director James Cameron’s producing partner for seventeen years and heading production on the next two sequels to Avatar, the highest grossing film of all time, he is overseeing construction of a massive Manhattan Beach studio, the MBS Media Campus which will house the production of the two films. Landau took time out of his hectic schedule on Wednesday, May 25th to speak to students as part of the YouTube Creator Institute’s speaker series.
  
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  May 23, 2011 2011 Commencement Photos
  Photos from the 2011 School of Cinematic Arts Commencement.
  
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  May 19, 2011 For IMD Students, Success is “Semi-Automatic” SCA games featured at the first annual UCLA Event
  iPad games are the bane of most student’s productivity but, for students of the Interactive Media Division at the School of Cinematic Arts, designing games for the iPad is serious academic work. On May 19^th, IMD students Sam Farmer and Asher Vollmer’s game Semi-Automatic was showcased at UCLA’s First Annual Intramural Game Carnival.
  
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  May 17, 2011 Education: Now in 3D SCA Alumni Represent Half of Panasonic/DirectTV 3D Contest
  If there was any doubt about the future of 3D filmmaking, Avatar, a film produced by SCA alum Jon Landau, proved that the technology is here to stay. This summer, six finalists were chosen to take a class using the state-of-the-art technology through the 2011 DIRECTV n3D Film Invitational Presented by Panasonic. Among the six, three were graduates of the USC School of Cinematic Arts.
  
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  May 17, 2011 SCA Family Stories: Quinn Saunders Award Winning Director/Alum sits with SCA
  Writer, director and SCA alumnus Quinn Saunders is on a bit of a roll. His 2010 film Cherry was recently an official selection at the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival, the Charleston Film Festival and won Best Producer honors at the Beverly Hills Film Festival.
  
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  May 11, 2011 First Look Festival Photos 2011
  Photos from the First Look Film Festival 2011
  
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  May 3, 2011 SCA’s Complex Begins Final Stage New Building Will Break Ground in August
  USC’s School of Cinematic Arts is no stranger to collaboration. Each year, hundreds of students work together to produce films, video games and academic projects, relying on each other to bring in the best results. Five years ago, when Dean Elizabeth M. Daley began the project of constructing the new SCA Complex she had the help of a stellar group of alumni and peers from the entertainment industry by her side.
  
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  May 2, 2011 God of Thunder Takes SCA by Storm Alumnus/Thor Producer Kevin Feige Visits Students
  Kevin Feige is the President of  Marvel Studios who has been on the production team for twenty-two superhero films; more than any other executive in history.  Before he was the man that deadline.com referred to as the “mastermind” of Marvel studios, he was a student at the School of Cinematic Arts following his dreams.
  
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  April 27, 2011 The “Casual Genius” of John Williams Composer for Star Wars and Jurassic Park Honored with Soundstage
  Legendary composer John Williams has been the recipient of numerous accolades and awards.  He has won five Academy Awards, four Golden Globes, seven BAFTA Awards, twenty-one Grammys, is a member of the Hollywood Bowl Hall of Fame, a recipient of the Kennedy Center Honors and is tied with Hollywood legend Alfred Newman for the second most nominated person in Oscar history behind Walt Disney.
  
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  April 26, 2011 SCA Professor Takes “Deep Blue Breath” Short film to debut at the Make a Film Foundation
  Making a film is a challenging prospect for any aspiring storyteller. In addition to writing a compelling narrative, being mindful of budget and corralling creative types into a schedule, middle-school aged writer/actor Clay Beabout had to undergo thirty-nine surgeries for Vertebral, Anal, Trachel-Esophigal and Renal Syndrome while planning the short Deep Blue Breath with the Make a Film Foundation.
  
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  April 22, 2011 SCA Family Stories: Chera Kee Critical Studies Ph. D. talks to SCA
  Chera Kee grew up in the suburbs of Oklahoma City and got her master’s degree from Harvard in East Asian Studies. In 2004, she joined the Critical Studies division at SCA. In 2006, she started her Ph. D. and was recently hired to be an assistant professor of film and new media at Wayne State University where she will be teaching film studies, including a class very similar to the popular 190 at SCA.
  
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  April 20, 2011 Tales From the Art Department Pixar Art Director Ralph Eggleston Visits SCA
  Pixar is known for being on the cutting edge of the technology and art of animation but, according to Academy Award winning director and art director Ralph Eggleston, the business model at Pixar harkens back to the old studio system. Eggleston spoke to students on May 15^th about the importance of trial and error, the role of technology in animation and the art of working in an art department.
  
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  April 19, 2011 First Look Reunion All Fifteen Years of First Look Reunite
  First Look Festival participants from the entire history of the event came together to celebrate fifteen years of SCA student filmmaking last Thursday, April 14th. The First Look Reunion Party was hosted by the SCA Office of Student-Industry Relations and sponsored by Fotokem. The event welcomed alumni from all of SCA’s student film festivals to the Harold Lloyd Lobby and Gallery in the School of Cinematic Arts complex, who mingled and took the opportunity to catch up on each other’s career developments and latest projects.
  
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  April 15, 2011 A View from the Top Fox CEO and Co-chairman Jim Gianopulos Visits SCA
  Jim Gianopulos is the co-chairman/CEO of Fox Filmed Entertainment and has had unprecedented success by greenlighting Avatar and Titanic. Along with longtime business partner Tom Rothman, Gianopulos was named Premiere magazine’s most powerful man in Hollywood but, as he told a group of School of Cinematic Arts students on April 12^th, he would happily go back to school.
  
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  April 12, 2011 SCA Family Stories: Lydia Green IML Graduate Named Fulbright Scholar for Work in Linguistics
  Lydia Green graduated from the SCA Institute for Multimedia Literacy’s Honors in Multimedia Scholarship program in 2009 with a B.A. in Linguistics. While still a student, she traveled to remote areas of Alaska to study and document a native language spoken by roughly 10,000 people. She recently caught up with SCA Family Stories via email to tell us about how technology is bringing academic disciplines to the public sphere.
  
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  April 11, 2011 SCA Family Stories: Drew Casper Critical Studies Professor Talks About His Career and New Book
  If there were a Mount Rushmore of SCA Professors, Dr. Drew Casper’s face would be front and center. Casper is the Alma and Alfred Hitchcock Chair of American Film in the Critical Studies division and the author of several books on cinema, which are widely used in film courses around the country.
  
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  April 11, 2011 Tommy at TED Student Produced Video Games and Films at TEDxUSC Conference
  The USC School of Cinematic Arts Interactive Media Division has been a leading advocate for video games to deliver both entertainment and an emotional experience since their inception. With the re-release of the “Apps for Healthy Kids” winning game Trainer, developed by twelve USC students, IMD has pioneered the use of video games as a means to deliver a positive message about nutrition.
  
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  April 8, 2011 The Oscar Winner’s Speech The Writing Division Hosts King’s Speech Writer
  David Seidler arrived in Hollywood at the age of forty when, as he put it, “most sane people leave.” Thirty-three years later, he became the oldest person to be awarded the Oscar for best original screenplay for The King’s Speech. He visited the School of Cinematic Arts on April 5^th to speak to students about the relationship between reality and narrative story telling as the closing event of the Writing Presents speaker series.
  
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  April 1, 2011 “In Captivity” Set Free Student Film at 32nd Annual College Television Awards
  In today’s world of social media and twenty-four hour news, sometimes it seems like people live their lives under constant observation. The student film, In Captivity, which tells the story of the first man to live his life as part of a museum exhibit, takes the concept to extremes.
  
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  March 30, 2011 Fox Sets the “Stage” for Dedication 20th Century Fox Dedicates Campus Sound Stage
  The School of Cinematic Arts complex is full of iconic names from the history of film. Students hold production meetings in the Mary Pickford Lobby, study the history of film technology in the Hugh M. Hefner Archives and analyze films in the Walt Disney Studios Screening Room. On Wednesday the 30^th, 20^th Century Fox added their name to the list of iconic institutions and artists affiliated with the School of Cinematic Arts at the dedication of the 20^th Century Fox Sound Stage.
  
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  March 28, 2011 SCA Family Stories: Eric Ruiz Writer/Director/Producer of Tribunal Talks About His Process
  Eric Ruiz was born in the Bronx and grew up in San Diego. At the age of eight, he told his mother he was going to be making movies one day. In 1999, Eric graduated from the School of Cinematic Arts with a BA in Production. Twelve years later, his first feature film, the detective thriller Tribunal is set to debut at the Montalban Theater in Los Angeles.
  
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  March 28, 2011 Sony Partners with SCA Students and Faculty receive laptops and cameras
  Technology and filmmaking have gone hand in hand since the beginning. Sony, with the support of Intel, is making sure the filmmakers of tomorrow have the technology that they need to tell the stories that they want to tell without financial burdens. On March 25^th, the Sony Electronics Scholarship Program awarded laptops, cameras and MP3 players to seven SCA students and faculty members.
  
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  March 24, 2011 Trojans a “Natural Selection” at SxSw SCA Graduates’ Film Wins Seven Awards
  In the world of filmmaking, it’s rare when the audience and the critic’s award are in sync. This year at the South by Southwest film festival, SCA alumnus Robbie Pickering ‘06 wrote and directed Natural Selection which took home seven awards including Best Narrative Feature, Best Screenplay, Best Editing, Breakthrough Performance for both Rachael Harris and Matt O’Leary, Best Score and the Audience Award for best Narrative Feature. Stark alumnus Brian Hambel ‘06 produced the film.
  
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  March 23, 2011 A Dialogue with Aaron Sorkin Professor Jason E. Squire hosts Oscar Winning Writer
  Writer/producer Aaron Sorkin has won one Oscar, Four Humanitas Prizes, three Emmys, three Producer’s Guild Awards and two WGA Awards but he still considers himself a Hollywood outsider. He used these emotions to channel the portrayal of Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg for The Social Network.
  
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  March 23, 2011 Unkrich Continues Win Streak Director of Toy Story 3 Takes Home First Oscar
  SCA alumnus Lee Unkrich was humble as always as he accepted his first Oscar at the 83rd Annual Academy Awards on Sunday for Toy Story 3. Unkrich won the Oscar for Best Animated Feature and was nominated for Best Adapted Screenplay. The film was a
  
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  March 18, 2011 Animation and Music Take Miami SCA Students and Faculty Produce 15 Pieces for Symphony Building Opening
  Thirteen students and alumni from the USC School of Cinematic Arts Hench Division of Animation and Digital Arts, five massive screens, two established animation directors/professors, and one world-class conductor came together at the Grand Opening Gala for the New World Symphony’s new structure January 29th in Miami.
  
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  March 18, 2011 Redstone and Unkrich to Speak at Graduation Oscar winner and media titan to send students into the real world
  There are many ways to address Sumner Redstone which are accurate; founder of Viacom, entertainment legend, board member of the Paley Center and Senior Executive at CBS. On May 13^th, he will be able to add School of Cinematic Arts commencement speaker to his long list of honors. SCA alumni and Oscar winner Lee Unkrich will receive that Mary Pickford Alumni Award at the ceremony.
  
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  March 14, 2011 Southern Cal in Central France SCA has strong showing at Clermont-Ferrand FIlm Market
  The short film has been the corner stone for aspiring storytellers at SCA since the school was founded. This year, at the Clermont-Ferrand Film Festival, USC crossed a milestone in the medium by representing ten percent of the American films at the world’s largest international short film market.
  
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  March 11, 2011 From Subs to Storytelling SCA Partners with Subway to Produce Web Content
  Subway sandwiches have been a long time staple in all night editing sessions at the School of Cinematic Arts and now, the sandwich maker has joined into a partnership with SCA to produce short series for the web called the Subway Fresh Artist Filmmakers Project.
  
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  March 11, 2011 Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross Get “Social” Oscar winning composers visit SCA
  The musical score for The Social Network won both the Oscar and the Golden Globe for best musical score this year but according to composers Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross, it almost didn’t happen. When the two Oscar winners visited Jason Squire’s class on March 8th to speak to students about their process and the importance of music in film, Reznor revealed that when he was first approached with the project, he passed.
  
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  March 11, 2011 YouTube Partners with SCA SCA and CCC Launch The YouTube Creator Institute
  The School of Cinematic Arts is the alma mater to many masters of storytelling for the big screen. This summer, a group of ten contest winners will get the opportunity to study storytelling for the small screen. On March 10, YouTube, the School of Cinematic Arts and Columbia College Chicago announced the new YouTube Creator Institute program, which will give a small group of aspiring storytellers the chance to create content for the video-sharing giant.
  
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  March 10, 2011 High Score Interactive Media Division Ranked #1 for Second Year
  For the second year in a row, GamePro Magazine and The Princeton Review have designated USC’s Interactive Media Division (IMD) as the top game design program in North America.
  
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  March 10, 2011 Replay: Game Developers Conference 2011 IMD has landmark year in San Francisco
  Students, faculty and alumni from SCA’s Interactive Media Division joined a record-setting audience of 19,000 for the 25^th edition of the Game Developers Conference (GDC), held at San Francisco’s Moscone Convention Center. The five-day conference, which featured over 450 panels, lectures and discussions, several of which were led by IMD/USC faculty or alums, is the largest and longest event of its kind.
  
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  March 8, 2011 In Memoriam: Eugene Moriarty SCA Alumnus/Lecturer and WWII Veteran
  USC School of Cinematic Arts alumnus and lecturer Eugene Moriarty ‘47 passed away on March 2, due to complications from cancer. He was 91.
  
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  March 8, 2011 SCA Family Stories: Mary Sweeney Writing Division Professor Discusses Her Intuitive Process
  Mary Sweeney, the interim chair of the Division of Writing for Screen and Television, has had a long and varied career as a writer, director, producer, editor, and educator. Most recently, Sweeney has been hitting the festival circuit as the producer, director and writer of the indie hit Baraboo about a dilapidated resort in Wisconsin and its unique inhabitants.
  
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  March 2, 2011 Writing Division Gets "Modern" Writing Division Hosts Modern Family Writing Staff
  Students, alumni and guests of SCA’s Division of Writing for Screen & Television got the chance to see the inner workings of an Emmy Award-winning show as part of the Emmys from the Trenches speaker series.
  
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  February 24, 2011 Award Season Roundup The SCA Family scores big with over Fifty Noms
  Read the list of School of Cinematic Arts alumni were nominated for awards this season.
  
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  February 23, 2011 Bringing Little Movies to Big China SCA Professor Teaches Film Course in Guangzhou
  When most people think of Chinese cinema, the last thing that comes to mind is intimate indie films but, according to USC School of Cinematic Arts professor Jason E. Squire, that’s going to change very soon. Squire recently traveled to Guangzhou, Ch
  
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  February 18, 2011 Danger Copter to the Rescue Interactive Media Students Take Third in Design Competition
  Interactive media design took a big step forward earlier this month and five students from the USC Interactive Media Division were front and center. Danger Copter, a game utilizing both real and generated visuals, placed third in the 2010 Augmented Reality Developer Challenge. Qualcomm, a developer of 3G and next-generation mobile technologies, sponsored the event.
  
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  February 14, 2011 The Annual SCA Freshmen Video Awards Welcome Home takes the Grand Prix Award
  The winners of the SCA Alphies 2010 were announced in November following a brief presentation and screening of all submissions. The Annual SCA Freshmen Video Awards are open to all SCA freshmen. Participants were challenged with the creation of a two-minute visual story based on the theme, “Expect the Unexpected.”
  
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  February 11, 2011 WCA Holds First Annual Film Festival Event Showcases Young and Veteran Storytellers
  The Women of Cinematic Arts held their first WCA Film Festival on Saturday, February 5th at the School of Cinematic Arts. The event featured eight short films and a screening of Sundance darling On the Ice with a Q and A with Lynette Howell, the producer of the film
  
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  February 10, 2011 SCA Brings Home "Mad" Awards Multiple Awards for Multiple Trojans
  The 2011 Writers Guild of America Awards was a big night for the SCA family with two wins for Erin Levy ‘05 for her work on Mad Men and one win for Matthew Weiner ‘90 who executive produces the show. Levy’s episode, “The Chrysanthemum and the Sword” won for TV Episodic Drama and Mad Men won for Best Drama Series.
  
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  February 7, 2011 Pug Attack Scores Big at Superbowl USC Alumni Awarded One Million Dollars for Superbowl Win
  SCA alumni and students scored big at the Superbowl with the number one ranked USA Today Ad Meter commercial “Pug Attack.” The commercial was produced as part of the Doritos Crash the Superbowl contest and makes history as the first consumer-created commercial to top the Ad Meter list.
  
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  February 3, 2011 Oscar Race Begins SCA Scores Big with Academy Award Nominations
  The SCA family has continued its run of award-season success, with four alumni receiving nominations for Academy Awards. Since 1973, not a year has passed without an alumnus or alumna being nominated for an Oscar.
  
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  February 1, 2011 Trojans at Sundance USC Finds Success in Park City
  Braving the Park City cold, SCA alumni, staff and students attended both the Sundance and Slamdance Film Festivals to showcase their latest projects and network with industry leaders from the world of independent cinema. Several SCA-related films were screened as part of both festivals.
  
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  January 19, 2011 Pug Attack at the Superbowl SCA Alums Produce Finalist Doritos Commercial
  A team of SCA alumni’s Doritos commercial Pug Attack has placed as a top five finalist for a Doritos/Frito Lay “Crash the Superbowl” competition. The winning commercial will play nationally during this year’s Superbowl game on Sunday, February 5th.
  
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  January 18, 2011 SCA Alumnus Lee Unkrich Wins Golden Globe Toy Story 3 Receives Best Animated Feature Award
  Alumnus Lee Unkrich was awarded the 2011 Golden Globe for Best Animated Feature for Toy Story 3 on January 16th at the Beverly Hilton Hotel. Unkrich directed the film and accepted the award on behalf of everyone at Pixar.
  
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  January 11, 2011 Katzenberg Honored by Shoah Foundation CEO Named as Ambassador for Humanity
  A spray of stars and supporters of the USC Shoah Foundation Institute came together on Dec. 9 in Hollywood’s famed Kodak Theatre to honor American film producer, CEO of DreamWorks Animation, philanthropist and humanitarian Jeffrey Katzenberg.
  
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  January 5, 2011 In Memoriam: Daniel Pfisterer Respected Director of Photography, Class of 98
  Daniel Pfisterer, who graduated from SCA in 1998 and had a successful career as a cinematographer and camera operator, passed away this week. Pfisterer worked as a cinematographer in both film and television, with credits including The Oprah Winfrey Show and Undercover History. He was known for his work on socially conscious documentaries and his calm presence on set.