USC School of Cinematic Arts News

Michael Fink Goes Virtual

Fri, 04 May 2012 14:17:34 PDT

From explosions, car chases and outer space, the use of green screen in production can be an excellent way to create a visual world. However, this task is hardly an easy one; it requires meticulous detail and technical knowledge to bring these stories and environments to life. For Professors Mike Fink and Peter Sollett, teaching students how to direct with a green screen and advanced visual effects while creating a world grounded in storytelling is top priority.

SCA Family Stories: Olivia Bonin

Fri, 04 May 2012 13:49:56 PDT

Olivia Bonin ’12, made the most of her time at SCA. The graduating senior not only completed degrees in Critical Studies and Neuroscience, but she found time to work at Trojan Vision, work with a Theatre Group and land a job.

Before exiting SCA, Bonin sat down with SCA Family stories to talk about her time and to give advice to incoming students on how to navigate the tricky job market.

So Cal in Beijing

Fri, 04 May 2012 13:14:41 PDT

When it comes to the movie business, USC School of Cinematic Arts Professor Jason E. Squire literally wrote the book. Having made his mark in American film, for the past five years he has made it his business to know China’s movie business. Over Spring Break, he traveled to Asia for a fifth time to teach in the Cultural & Creative Industry Management Program at Beijing’s Cheung Kong Graduate School of Business.

SCA’S IMD Reaches Uncharted Territory

Mon, 30 Apr 2012 15:12:15 PDT

Ranked the number one game design program for the third consecutive year by the Princeton Review and GamePro Media, the USC School of Cinematic Arts’ Interactive Media Division has paved the way for the innovative creation of interactive entertainment. Now, with the addition of leading game designer Richard Lemarchand to the faculty list beginning in Fall 2012, the bar has been raised even higher.

SoCal in Newport

Mon, 30 Apr 2012 11:55:43 PDT

Student films originating from the USC School of Cinematic Arts have a longstanding level of excellence and intrigue. Many of these films screen on campus as part of varying class showcases to celebrate these achievements; however, several student films are heading to coast to demonstrate their talent at the Newport Beach Film Festival.

Marvel Avenges Norris

Mon, 30 Apr 2012 12:24:15 PDT

Marvel Studios’ newest film The Avengers is just about as massive as a film can get. Heroes are assembled, villains are challenged and cities are destroyed. However, when the president of Marvel Studios, alumnus Kevin Feige ‘95 visited with Leonard Maltin’s 466 class on April 26th, he said that he still thinks about being economical.

Interacting with Nature

Thu, 26 Apr 2012 11:21:53 PDT

In France, cinema is often referred to as “the seventh art” because of its relatively short history compared to the other six humanities. On April 25th, video game design made a giant step on its way to becoming the eighth art when the National Endowment of the Arts announced it was providing an Art in Media grant to the video game Walden, a game. Walden was developed at USC’s School of Cinematic Arts Interactive Media Divisions’ Game Innovation Lab with IMD Chair Tracy Fullerton serving as lead designer.

SCA Family Stories: Jay Gammill

Thu, 19 Apr 2012 15:21:17 PDT

It takes a truly dedicated filmmaker to take on the responsibilities of creating a feature film, whether it’s their twelfth film or their first. As the industry changes and offers more opportunities for new directors to emerge in the independent scene, these responsibilities are no less challenging and require the utmost commitment to complete. For Jay Gammill, these experiences came firsthand with Free Samples.

Story @ SCA

Fri, 20 Apr 2012 14:21:32 PDT

Alumnus Tim Story is known for his candor when he speaks to students at the USC School of Cinematic Arts. On April 17th, the director of Barbershop, Fantastic Four and Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer visited with students in the Ray Stark Theatre for the second year in a row

Jason Segel Keeps his “Engagement”

Fri, 13 Apr 2012 15:33:14 PDT

Leonard Maltin’s class has hosted executives, directors, technicians, editors and countless other storytellers but, on April 12^th, they hosted a world-class puppeteer. Maltin held a panel for actor/screenwriter/executive producer Jason Segel (Popularly known for his roles in How I Met Your Mother, I Love You Man and The Muppets), director/screenwriter/producer Nick Stoller (The Muppets, Forgetting Sarah Marshall), and producer Rodney Rothman (Forgetting Sarah Marshall, Year One) to discuss their new film, The Five-Year Engagement.

Ratner @ SCA

Fri, 13 Apr 2012 16:06:44 PDT

Brett Ratner can be called many things. He’s known as a director, producer, documentarian, and philanthropist but, one thing he’s not is know for is being shy about his opinions. When Ratner visited SCA on April 11, 2012, he participated in a Q and A filled with stories, lessons and cautionary tales about his work as a filmmaker. He talked about his career, his time at NYU as a film student and why every student should take advantage of their time at SCA.

SCA Family Stories: Joshua Dinner

Mon, 16 Apr 2012 09:10:38 PDT

Film students aren’t strangers to tackling tricky subjects. Religion has always been a topic of both interest and conflict. It can certainly be a tough topic to discuss, and Critical Studies alum Joshua Dinner ‘05 knows all about the trials and tribulations of making a reality-television series with the center being religion.

DKA Gives Back

Thu, 05 Apr 2012 09:24:47 PDT

Working in the entertainment industry certainly isn’t for the selfish. Every film, video game or media installation takes an army to produce, and collaboration is key to each project’s success. The men and women of the professional fraternity Delta Kappa Alpha have taken the concept of collaboration one step further by approaching the world of philanthropy. Recently, DKA members visited West Vernon Elementary School in order to teach short filmmaking to the next generation of media makers, or in this case, gifted fourth and fifth graders.

SCA Students Answer “Open Call”

Thu, 05 Apr 2012 18:18:53 PDT

The students at the USC School of Cinematic Arts know how to make films. In the end, what vexes some of the brightest minds at SCA is how to get a film out into the world once it’s done. On Thursday, April 5th, KCET will help a handful of students out by broadcasting their work as part of their Open Call series.

Dino and Martha De Laurentiis Honored at SCA

Tue, 03 Apr 2012 10:10:18 PDT

Everyone who met larger-than-life producer Dino De Laurentiis has a story to tell and, on April 1st, the USC School of Cinematic Arts hosted a panel including producer and widow Martha De Laurentiis, producer and daughter Raffaella De Laurentiis, director Michael Mann, director Jonathan Mostow and former Governor of California and actor Arnold Schwarzenegger

SCA Family Stories: David Jay Lasky

Tue, 03 Apr 2012 10:11:27 PDT

Although the most populous of the School of Cinematic Arts’ divisions, Critical Studies tends to be one of the most misunderstood divisions. Most assume that a Crit Studies student either wants to be a professor of a film critic. However, Producer David Jay Lasky not only challenges this perception but also proves that it is possible to use Critical Studies as a basis for a successful career as a producer.

Phase III Building “Beamed” Up

Fri, 30 Mar 2012 15:23:44 PDT

“Topping off” events have become a tradition at the USC School of Cinematic Arts. When the highest piece of steel in a new building is placed, students, faculty, alumni and friends get the opportunity to sign the beam before it goes up.

Beam signers for the new Phase III building included director George Lucas, Dean Elizabeth M. Daley, Chairman of the Board of Councilors Frank Price, CEO of EA John Riccitiello, director Tim Story, Associate Dean of Research Scott Fisher, Chair of the Interactive Media Division Tracy Fullerton, Senior Vice President for University Advancement Al Checcio, Chief Product Officer at Bebo Kevin Bachus, founder of Syndicate 17 Chanel Summers, Matt Construction head Paul Matt, professor and game designer Laird Malamed, Toper Taylor, Angelo Garcia and many others.

Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross Discuss the Details

Fri, 30 Mar 2012 13:48:45 PDT

Film is a collaborative effort requiring talented individuals to come together and make sacrifices for the greater good of the final project. One, often overlooked element is the meticulous nature of sound editing and the powerful effect it can have on the viewer. On March 27^th, Academy Award-winning composers Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross visited with Professor Jason E. Squire’s class to discuss their work on the music and sound of The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo.

Comedy@SCA Makes a Big Bang

Mon, 09 Apr 2012 15:27:06 PDT

Two nerds living in an apartment talking about comic books, video games and science sounds like the average day in the life of a SCA student. When showrunner Bill Prady started The Big Bang Theory in 2007, he hit a nerve with the nerd subculture. On March 21^st, the writers of Big Bang visited with students from the School of Cinematic arts to talk about the trials and triumphs of writing for television as well as offering advice for aspiring TV writers.

Awards Season Roundup

Wed, 21 Mar 2012 14:30:07 PDT

USC School of Cinematic Arts
Alumni Nominations 2012

SCA Family Stories: Virginia Kuhn

Wed, 21 Mar 2012 14:27:01 PDT

It’s been a very big year for Assistant Professor of Cinema Practice Virginia Kuhn and the Institute for Multimedia Literacy (IML). After more than five years of working with supercomputing centers, Kuhn recently received an award to pursue her large-scale media analytics project as part of the National Science Foundation's Extreme Science and Engineering Discovery Environment (XSEDE). The startup allocation includes 30,000 service units on the first flash-memory supercomputer (think giant thumb drive), at the San Diego Supercomputing Center as well as one year of dedicated effort by experts at supercomputing centers around the country.

Anatomy of a Trapeze

Wed, 21 Mar 2012 09:33:52 PDT

On the script page, “She dives through the air and PHASES through multiple floors” seems simple enough. To the trained director, line producer or VFX supervisor, these words are a nightmare. In Eric Furie’s CTAN 565L class, Motion Capture Performance, these words were a challenge, but not impossible thanks to the technology in the Robert Zemeckis Center’s Motion Capture Stage. On March 15^th, Furie’s students suspended an actress from a trapeze rig to capture an action sequence as part of a student's final project.

Celebrity SC: CAPS Award

Fri, 09 Mar 2012 10:30:14 PST

Freshman film student Allison Tate-Cortese was recently named the receipent of a $9,500 award by the CAPS (Californians for Population Stabilization) sponsored awards competition CAPAs (California Population Awareness Awards).

Christine Lahti Gives Students “Perks”

Fri, 09 Mar 2012 11:52:28 PST

A film set can be a scary place. Filmmakers need to worry about safety, budget, lighting and a million other little problems but, on March 7^th, when actor/director Christine Lahti visited with students as part of the Production Perks lecture series, she told them that one thing they should never be afraid of is the talent.

SCA Family Stories: Dina Gachman

Fri, 09 Mar 2012 14:47:37 PST

Recent SCA graduate Dina Gachman ‘07 has taken on two seemingly impossible tasks: breaking into the film industry and dating in Los Angeles. After graduation, instead of taking the assistant or PA route, Gachman showed unique initiative by producing her own online graphic novel, Fling Girl. www.flinggirlla.com

Esq. Productions Makes it “Legal”

Tue, 06 Mar 2012 11:21:41 PST

For many students at the USC School of Cinematic Arts, the first step into the real world can be daunting. In addition to generating a good idea, executing the idea and getting the product into the right hands, students also have to worry about the business and legal ramifications of their creative work. Thankfully, on March 3^rd, Esq. Productions hosted a panel called Get it Right: Getting it Made Without Giving it Away at SCA to discuss common pitfalls of the first step into the real world. One theme of the morning was transparency.

Keeping it Diverse

Thu, 08 Mar 2012 12:48:26 PST

Tina Mabry ’05 and Eric Nazarian ’99 are two very busy filmmakers who graduated from the Production Division at the USC School of Cinematic Arts. Between the two of them, they have eight IMDb credits as writers, directors, cinematographers, actors and producers, primarily in the indie film world. This May, they are going to be able to add graduates of the Fox Writers Intensive to their long resumes.

SCA Family Stories: MediaHound

Fri, 02 Mar 2012 15:10:20 PST

With the end of the semester quickly approaching, it’s that time of year for seniors to begin deciding what choices to make with their lives beyond SCA. Whether it’s choosing a grad school, working as a freelance filmmaker or anything in between, the next step is sure to be an exciting yet intimidating one.

Games Number One

Thu, 01 Mar 2012 13:31:52 PST

For the third year in a row, The Princeton Review has named USC the top school in the nation for studying video game design for both undergraduate and graduate programs. USC has led the category every year since the list debuted in 2010.

Lisa Pollack Gives Students “Reality”

Thu, 01 Mar 2012 13:40:08 PST

To some students at the USC School of Cinematic Arts, “Reality” is a four-letter word. Years before the advent of reality television, the words Reality Ends Here were emblazoned above the archway of the building. On February 29^th, reality television agent Lisa Pollack spoke to students at a Student Industry Relations event about not being a snob against reality TV.

Rudy @ SCA

Mon, 27 Feb 2012 10:20:09 PST

It’s deep into the second semester for USC School of Cinematic Arts students. After long nights of editing, studying, writing and designing, the ability to keep moving forward can feel like a daunting task. In Ken Wannberg Endowed Chair for Music Editing’s advanced sound class on February 13th, former Notre Dame football player Daniel “Rudy” Ruettigger, an icon of motivation and effort, visited the students for a pep talk.

SCA Family Stories: Reed Simonsen

Fri, 24 Feb 2012 16:05:10 PST

Creating a student film is no easy undertaking, from gathering location permits to securing qualified actors, to each and every minute detail in between. To meet these conditions is a feat in itself; to go beyond them, remarkable. For USC SCA grad student Reed Simonsen, his recently award-winning student film Molly Goes West exemplifies this admirable effort.

IMD Professor Earns “Cred”

Fri, 24 Feb 2012 13:14:28 PST

The students of the USC School of Cinematic Arts are known for their good taste and, thanks to the work of the Interactive Media Division, promoting their new favorite bands is entering the digital age.

Smart Power Diplomacy Gets Oriented

Fri, 17 Feb 2012 06:59:42 PST

On February 11th, over fifty filmmakers, film experts and diplomats came together at the USC School of Cinematic Arts for the inaugural orientation of the American Film Showcase.

SCA’S “LUV” Child

Wed, 15 Feb 2012 09:54:16 PST

In the Sundance hit LUV, Woody, a young boy from Baltimore, is taken by his uncle Vincent around the streets of the city in order to learn what it takes to be a man. The gritty portrayal of the city is both grim and poetic which; according to writer/director Sheldon Candis ’03 is because it’s true.

Immersing in Sundance

Fri, 10 Feb 2012 13:44:17 PST

In Nonny De La Pena’s new immersive journalism piece Hunger in Los Angeles, the participants experience a dramatic incident at a local food bank where a man collapses in line while waiting his turn. Hunger in LA marks a major push forward in the field of Immersion, which the USC School of Cinematic Arts has been on the forefront of for years.

SCA Family Stories: Jonah D. Ansell

Fri, 10 Feb 2012 15:32:46 PST

The writer/director of Cadaver sits down with SCA Family Stories to talk about life after film school

Sling Baby Wins Big

Fri, 10 Feb 2012 13:43:36 PST

On the first day film school, students are told that working with babies or producing elaborate stunts is bad business in low-budget filmmaking so, naturally, when USC School of Cinematic Arts alumnus Jason Dennis ’03 decided to enter a commercial into the Doritos: Crash the Superbowl contest, the idea of flinging a baby on a slingshot came to mind.

An Evening with David N. Weiss

Thu, 09 Feb 2012 11:40:12 PST

Last night I got the chance to see the man who wrote my childhood.

CELEBRITY SC: Sushi Girl

Tue, 31 Jan 2012 09:18:46 PST

Celebrity SC: Yesterday evening the cast and crew of Sushi Girl visited USC as part of the SCA’s

So Cal in Park City

Tue, 31 Jan 2012 10:57:27 PST

For the twelfth consecutive year, the USC School of Cinematic Arts attended the Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah. Thirty-two USC alumni were featured on eighteen films with an additional four alumni and three films at the Slamdance Film Festival.

Extremely Tiny and Incredibly Far Away

Fri, 03 Feb 2012 14:51:28 PST

If you need to see something very small, but it's in another city or country, and you want to see it live, and blown up to a theater sized screen, SCA research associate professor Richard A. Weinberg, Ph.D., can help. Weinberg is the project leader of a team thatwill receive the Innovations in Networking Award in the Experimental and Developmental Applications category for " Digital Cinema Microscopy" from CENIC , the Corporation for Educational Network Initiatives in California, during their annual conference in March. His work allows the streaming of live ultrahigh resolution microscopy from USC to locations ranging from San Diego to Tokyo.

Tartikoff’s Letters Coming to USC

Thu, 26 Jan 2012 14:01:10 PST

The late television and film executive Brandon Tartikoff’s vast collection of industry correspondences and effects is being donated in its entirety to USC’s School of Cinematic Arts by his widow Lilly Tartikoff.

Sundance Live Blog!

Fri, 20 Jan 2012 13:33:07 PST

sundance.usc.edu

A Day in the Life of Dr. Drew Casper

Fri, 20 Jan 2012 15:37:32 PST

Read the profile of SCA's legendary professor.

CELEBRITY SC: Play Publshed

Tue, 17 Jan 2012 16:05:23 PST

Second year MFA screenwriter David Murray’s play “Land O’Plenty: My Journey as the Only Boy in an All-Girls School” was recently published by Playscripts.

Anatomy of a Game

Fri, 13 Jan 2012 09:02:28 PST

SCA Launches new Alternate Reality Game - Reality Ends Here

SCA Family Stories: Brie DaSilveira

Fri, 13 Jan 2012 10:21:12 PST

The first year of undergraduate study is a daunting task. Between balancing an academic workload and a lifestyle overhaul, many incoming students to the USC School of Cinematic Arts can feel overwhelmed

Immersing in Emerging Cities

Fri, 13 Jan 2012 09:54:37 PST

Dean of Research and Founding Chair of the Interactive Media Division Scott Fisher has a long record of building immersive environments for educational purposes. This past year, Fisher’s work on planned cities under sixty years old was featured at the 2011 Shenzen & Hong Kong Bo-Coty Biennale of Urbanism Architecture as part of the 6 Under 60 exhibition.

The Wonderful Women of SCA

Tue, 10 Jan 2012 10:25:14 PST

Stacey Sher produces films that make waves — titles ranging from The Fisher King to Pulp Fiction, from Erin Brockovich to Contagion. But on the set of Gattaca, Sher herself was stirring the waters.

CELEBRITY SC: SCA Power Player

Tue, 10 Jan 2012 14:26:39 PST

USC School of Cinematic Arts Blog Profiles Matthew Quandt

USC Games Gets Hands On

Wed, 14 Dec 2011 14:11:56 PST

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.

SCA Family Stories: From the Archives

Fri, 09 Dec 2011 12:32:08 PST

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.

Poster Girl Brings Home Award

Tue, 06 Dec 2011 16:51:13 PST

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.

Trojan Vision Marks Banner Year

Mon, 05 Dec 2011 16:09:23 PST

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.

Hef @ SCA

Thu, 01 Dec 2011 16:54:27 PST

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.

SCA Family Stories: Michael Koerbel and Anna Elizabeth James

Tue, 29 Nov 2011 09:09:33 PST

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.

Comedy and Art

Wed, 23 Nov 2011 10:39:27 PST

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.

SCA Family Stories: Joe Wallenstein

Fri, 02 Dec 2011 10:14:27 PST

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.

From the Abyss to SCA

Tue, 15 Nov 2011 10:16:12 PST

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.

A Picture Perfect Award

Mon, 28 Nov 2011 10:43:27 PST

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.

SCA Family Stories: Imran Shafi

Thu, 10 Nov 2011 15:02:54 PST

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.

An Evening with the Prosecutor

Mon, 14 Nov 2011 08:58:27 PST

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.

John Carpenter Emerges from the Archives

Wed, 09 Nov 2011 16:36:09 PST

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.

SCA Family Stories: Ted Braun

Wed, 02 Nov 2011 15:21:20 PDT

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.

The (Cinematic) Art of Play

Mon, 31 Oct 2011 10:49:51 PDT

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.

Just Seen it Hitting Big

Thu, 13 Oct 2011 14:34:11 PDT

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.

SCA Forges Partnership with Department of State

Thu, 13 Oct 2011 13:01:36 PDT

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.

John Singleton on Abduction

Wed, 12 Oct 2011 14:04:01 PDT

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.

Getting “Perspectives” With Mark Harris

Thu, 10 Nov 2011 10:16:25 PST

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.

Shawn Levy Gets “Real”

Wed, 05 Oct 2011 11:10:44 PDT

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.”

SCA Family Stories: Chris Rowe

Tue, 04 Oct 2011 15:12:56 PDT

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.

Honoring a Legend

Wed, 05 Oct 2011 15:50:25 PDT

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.

Don Hall Honored by Editor’s Guild

Fri, 16 Sep 2011 12:38:30 PDT

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.

In Memoriam: John Calley

Thu, 15 Sep 2011 16:00:08 PDT

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.

Trojans at the Emmys

Tue, 13 Sep 2011 12:41:39 PDT

Academy of Television Arts & Sciences
63rd Primetime Emmy Award Nominations

Stark Turns the Big Three-Oh

Tue, 13 Sep 2011 14:27:25 PDT

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.

SCA Family Stories: Steve Boman

Thu, 08 Sep 2011 12:36:32 PDT

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.

Granddaughter of Jack Warner Visits Archives

Fri, 02 Sep 2011 11:01:16 PDT

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.

Rebirth

Thu, 25 Aug 2011 13:30:57 PDT

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.

The Nina Foch Course

Tue, 23 Aug 2011 11:52:01 PDT

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.

Orientation: Thanks!

Mon, 22 Aug 2011 10:46:45 PDT

Thanks to everyone who made orientation a success this year!

The Legend of Pancho Barnes Flying High

Thu, 11 Aug 2011 15:50:46 PDT

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.

A Breakout Summer Short

Tue, 16 Aug 2011 15:44:49 PDT

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.

SCA Family Stories: Elliot Grossman

Wed, 03 Aug 2011 11:51:15 PDT

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.

The Brave New World of DIY Films

Thu, 04 Aug 2011 11:11:45 PDT

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.

SCA Family Stories: Sheldon Larry

Thu, 21 Jul 2011 14:53:14 PDT

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.

A Return to China

Wed, 20 Jul 2011 15:48:29 PDT

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.

SCA Family Stories: Kathy Smith

Wed, 06 Jul 2011 10:34:45 PDT

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.

SCA Complex Wins Architecture Award

Fri, 01 Jul 2011 14:53:31 PDT

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.

Imagineering a Better Future

Mon, 11 Jul 2011 10:21:50 PDT

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.

SCA Creates “Games for Change”

Mon, 27 Jun 2011 08:57:37 PDT

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.

SCA Family Stories: Jenova Chen

Mon, 20 Jun 2011 15:16:26 PDT

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.

The Man Behind the Name

Wed, 15 Jun 2011 14:53:12 PDT

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.

In Memoriam: Laura Ziskin ‘73

Mon, 13 Jun 2011 11:24:50 PDT

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.

Turning SCA into a “Fun Lab”

Fri, 10 Jun 2011 11:49:58 PDT

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.

Choreography on the Page

Thu, 02 Jun 2011 16:39:17 PDT

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.

The Path from Film School to Pandora

Thu, 26 May 2011 16:10:49 PDT

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.

2011 Commencement Photos

Mon, 23 May 2011 11:49:20 PDT

Photos from the 2011 School of Cinematic Arts Commencement.

For IMD Students, Success is “Semi-Automatic”

Thu, 19 May 2011 16:36:24 PDT

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.

Education: Now in 3D

Thu, 02 Jun 2011 14:56:18 PDT

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.

SCA Family Stories: Quinn Saunders

Tue, 17 May 2011 10:14:02 PDT

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.

First Look Festival Photos 2011

Wed, 11 May 2011 15:03:58 PDT

Photos from the First Look Film Festival 2011