Special Productions

The Stark Program provides funds for selected Stark students to initiate and produce two or three 20-minute films. Second-year Stark students, alone or in teams, originate these projects.

Special Productions are selected on a competitive basis. Decisions are made by the Program Director, and by industry professionals who serve as advisors on the productions. The Stark producers then "hire" director and crew from the Stark Program, or the Production Programs. An individual Stark student may assume only one major role — Writer, Director or Producer. Completed films are screened at the School of Cinematic Arts First Look series. They have been selected to show at outside film festivals from Sundance to Deauville.

Special Productions Advisors

Tony Bill

Tony Bill graduated in 1962 from the University of Notre Dame with majors in English and Art. He began his career in the film industry as an actor, being chosen for films by directors including Steven Spielberg and Francis Ford Coppola. Bill made the transition to producer in 1971, and gained a reputation for discovering new talent. In 1973, his feature The Sting (1973) became one of the highest grossing films in history and brought him an Academy Award for Best Picture. Bill made his directorial debut in 1980 with My Bodyguard. He has since directed a number of other pictures including Flyboys (2006) and the recent Hallmark Hall of Fame production Pictures of Hollis Woods. He has also directed numerous commercials and episodes of television series.

Robert Cort

Currently head of Robert Cort Productions, Robert Cort has produced 52 films, including Outrageous Fortune, Three Men and a Baby, Hand That Rocks the Cradle, Cocktail, Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure, Jumanji, Runaway Bride and Mr. Holland’s Opus, and the Emmy-winning TV movie A Mother’s Courage: The Mary Thomas Story. He is author of the book Action! about three generations of a Hollywood family. He is a graduate of the University of Pennsylvania, where he also earned a master’s degree in History and an M.B.A. from the Wharton School.

Robert Shapiro

President of Robert Shapiro Productions, Robert Shapiro began in the mail room of the William Morris Agency, eventually becoming vice president and head of the International Motion Picture Department. President of Warner Bros. Theatrical Production Division for six years, his producing credits include Pee Wee’s Big Adventure, Arthur 2: On the Rocks, Black Beauty and Dr. Jekyll & Ms. Hyde. He executive produced Steven Spielberg’s Empire of the Sun.

Larry Albucher (Physical Production Mentor)

Larry Albucher has had a long career in all aspects of physical production: as former vice president, Feature Production, at Paramount Pictures; vice president, Production, at Columbia Pictures Television; and before that, a unit production manager/assistant director for over 30 years.

Contact

Graduate Peter Stark
Producing Program
School of Cinematic Arts
Richard Shepherd, Associate Director
University Park, SCA 366
Los Angeles, CA 90089-2211
Phone: 213.740.3304
Fax: 213.745.6652
pstark@cinema.usc.edu