Critical Studies Stories

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.