SCA Professor Brenda Goodman has worn many hats in her career. Political narrative wunderkind. Documentarian. Narrative filmmaker. Television producer. But to generations of Trojans, she has been an educator, mentor, advocate, and an integral part of the Production Division. Goodman has an earned reputation as a passionate, caring teacher with an open door and open ears to help students tell genuine stories.

"At the heart of it all, I’m interested in people," says Goodman. “I’ve learned that helping a student means truly listening. Getting to know who they are, how they view their potential, and helping them see what they are capable of achieving.”

From Politics to Filmmaking

Goodman’s career as a storyteller began in the world of Political communications. She showed a gift for crafting narratives for political campaigns after graduating college. Early in her career, Goodman took on the high profile role of Communications Director for Luther Hodges’ U.S. Senate campaign in North Carolina.

Her distinctive work in political advertising  caught the attention of David Sawyer, a renowned figure in campaign communications. Goodman moved to New York to work with Sawyer, initially producing and editing radio commercials for political candidates. Goodman demonstrated a natural affinity for crafting engaging, impactful stories. She transitioned into political commercials, working on commercials and campaigns for luminaries such as Chris Dodd and Ted Kennedy.

“At that time there were basically two people that had campaign communication companies,” said Goodman. “One was David Garth and one was David Sawyer. It was an environment where I was producing and writing and literally cutting audio spots with razor blades. Eventually I moved up to full commercials. We did campaigns all over the world. That’s really how I learned filmmaking. Before that time telling stories was a passion but getting that experience made it real.”

A Lifelong Passion for Film

While she climbed the ladder in political communication quickly, Goodman’s true passion has always been filmmaking. Spending her time thinking of stories to sell political movements turned out to be the perfect place to develop a filmmaking voice. Her transition to documentary filmmaking was natural. Still active as a filmmaker, her credits include directing and producing Sex(Ed) the Movie (2014) A Moment of Compassion 2018 and producing Sophie and the Rising Sun 2016,The Ballad of Little Jo (1993), and The Baby Sitters Club (1990).

A Bumpy Start to Teaching

Teaching at SCA started as a bit of a fluke for Goodman. She came to the School as a substitute in a large, group-taught filmmaking course (CTPR 546) to fill in for a friend and, in her own words, “Knew absolutely nothing about how USC worked.”

That brief stint as a substitute led to a stretch as an adjunct which led to an offer to be full time faculty. But Goodman learned early in her career that educating was a skill that needed to be practiced.

“When I first started, I wrote out entire lectures, including ‘Hello, my name is Brenda Goodman.’ on little notecards,’” she said. “I was so scared not deliver for the students. Over time, I gained confidence and found a more natural teaching style, focusing on key ideas rather than scripting everything.”

“When Barbara Corday first asked me to consider a full-time position, I was hesitant. I had never been the best student myself, so the idea of becoming a professor felt unexpected. But as I weighed the decision, I happened to see someone walking down 34th Street playing In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida on a tuba. I don’t know why but something about that moment made me think, ‘Maybe I do belong here. Maybe I can do this.’”

Impact on Students and Legacy

Joining USC was a life changing decision for Goodman. She was sure to bring her unique style to the students and be accessible in a way she hadn’t seen in her education.

“Once I joined the School full-time, I knew that building strong connections with students would be a priority for me,” said Goodman.  “As a student, I hadn’t felt particularly connected to faculty, and I never wanted my students to experience that same disconnect. I believe students need to feel seen and supported in their work, and when they know someone truly cares about their progress, they are more motivated to push themselves.”

Goodman’s passion for teaching includes helping students find out what stories they want to tell and to give them the confidence to move forward. Teaching has also helped Goodman connect to what made her want to be a filmmaker in the first place.

“Beyond collaboration, I emphasize helping students discover what they want to say. Film has always been an essential medium for exploring ideas and shaping cultural dialogue, much like literature once was. Growing up as a first-generation American Jewish student in a small southern town, film was my gateway to a larger world, showing me perspectives, I couldn’t experience firsthand. That’s why I believe in its power to engage audiences on political and social levels.”

Politics and Storytelling: A Full Circle

For the past three presidential election cycles, Goodman has become the faculty point for SCA Votes, the non-partisan drive to get SCA students registered to vote. With Goodman’s vision and leadership, each year the School hosts registration drives, video contests, and election viewing parties open to all students.

It may be a long way from her time in the political communications offices of New York doing every part of a radio commercial, but Goodman’s passion for politics, communicating, and her desire to roll her sleeves up and do the work hasn’t changed.