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Application Procedures

The Film & Television Production program emphasizes exploration of the student filmmaker's creative voice through hands-on filmmaking. Students learn all aspects of cinematic storytelling from writing and producing to directing, post-production and cinematography.

The faculty panel evaluates applications for originality, clarity, personal insight and artistic excellence.

Application Deadlines

  • Freshman: December 1 (Fall Only)
  • Transfer Students: February 1 (Fall Only)
  • Current USC Students: September 1 (Spring Only)

Note to transfer students: Admission is granted on a space available basis. In order to be considered for admission, you must first obtain 48 transferable semester units(excluding AP & IB, but may include units in progress during the fall or spring semester).

View all Application Deadlines.

USC Admission Materials

The following items must be submitted to the USC Office of Admission for all programs:

  • USC Application
  • Official Transcripts
  • Official Test Scores

For more information, please see the USC Admission Materials Checklist.

Cinematic Arts Supplemental Materials (Clearly title all documents)

The following materials must be submitted directly to the USC School of Cinematic Arts (see address below) with the applicant's name and student ID number (if available) indicated at the top of each page. All required materials must be typed or legibly handwritten on standard 8.5 x 11-inch paper.

  1. Cinematic Arts Supplemental Application Form
    The Cinematic Arts Supplemental Application form is available online.
  2. Photocopy or Printout of the USC Application for Admission
    Send a photocopy or printout of the application you have submitted to the USC Office of Admission to The School of Cinematic Arts. Do not send the original application to the School of Cinematic Arts. It is not necessary to send the University's essay, quick takes, or short answers, althought transfer applicants should send the activity summary. Online applicants should print a copy of the application from their computer. A brief statement indicating submission of the online application is acceptable if you are unable to print the materials. (This requirement does not apply to current USC students)
  3. Cinematic Arts Personal Statement - (Both A and B are required)
    1. The personal statement will be read by the Film & Television Production Admission Committee as a measure of creativity, self-awareness and vision. There is no standard format or correct answer. We are looking for a sense of you as a unique individual and how your distinctive experiences, characteristics, background, values and/or views of the world have shaped who you are and what you want to say as a creative filmmaker. Be specific, vivid and focused. We are not interested in a laundry list of personality traits or a resume of accomplishments. We want to know your passions, your beliefs, and the kind of stories you want to tell. (1,000 words or less)
    2. The Production Program is committed to providing students with a broad understanding of both fiction and nonfiction filmmaking, in cinema, television and new media, and in the major creative roles of writing, producing, directing, cinematography, editing and sound. After being exposure to all of these forms and roles, students often choose to concentrate on a particular discipline. Given what you know now (and without committing yourself in any way) tell us which of the above aspects of filmmaking seems of particular interest to you and why. (200 words or less)
  4. Writing Samples (choose one) Clearly title which writing sample you choose
    1. An outline for a four-minute film that contains no dialogue. It can be fiction or non-fiction. The story has to be communicated visually. (no more than two pages)
    2. A dialogue scene between two people. Provide a one-paragraph introduction describing the two characters in screenplay format. (no more than three pages)
    3. Describe a concept for a feature-length movie, fiction or documentary, which you would like to develop. (No more than two pages)
  5. Visual Samples (choose one) Provide the URL for your visual sample
    • Video Option: Create a brief narrative video in which you had a major creative role. The video can be either live-action or animation, fiction or documentary, but it should reflect your aesthetic tastes and intellectual and emotional interests. (no more than five minutes)
    • Photo Option: Prepare a series of six photographs you have taken which, when viewed in a specific sequence, portray a unique and original character or which tells a simple narrative story. Also, include a two page narrative about the character that is being portrayed. The images may either be black-and-white or in color. (4x6 inches in horizontal format)
  6. Portfolio List
    The portfolio list is a written record of the applicant’s creative materials. It should include a concise description of each project, the month and year the project was completed, the applicant’s creative role and the purpose of the project. The material, which does not need to be film- or television-related, should give an idea of the range and depth of the applicant’s creative ability. Formal recognition—such as awards, publications, jobs and exhibitions—should be noted. The name of the institution or publication should be included when listing creative materials prepared for a class or publication. An example of the portfolio list is below:
    • July 2008, A Day in the Life, digital video, 12 minutes. Position: writer/director. A documentary on a homeless Iraq vet who has lived on the streets since his return from the military. Created for senior-year multimedia term project, San Raphael High School, Miami, Florida.
    • March 2008, Doorways, a series of 5 black-and-white photographs. Position: photographer. "Second Prize Winner" in the Des Moines Sunday Journal photo contest.
    • February 2007, Cellomorphosis, short story. Position: writer. A variation on the novella by Franz Kafka; published in Writing, vol. IV, 2007, at Amherst College, Amherst, Massachusetts.
  7. Letters of Recommendation (One letter must be an academic reference)
    Three letters of recommendation are required for admission consideration. Letters of recommendation should be sent to the address below. Applicants are responsible for verifying that their letters have been received.

Send the above materials—Cinematic Arts Supplemental Application Form, photocopy or printout of the USC admission application, Cinematic Arts personal statements A & B, writing sample, visual sample, portfolio list and letters of recommendation to:

USC Cinematic Arts Admission Office
Attn: Undergraduate Film & Television Production Program
University Park, SCB 105
Los Angeles, CA 90089-2211

Contact

Email: admissions@cinema.usc.edu
Tel: 213.740.8358
AIM: SCAdmission
Yahoo: SCAdmission

* Instant Message available Tuesday and Thursday 10am to 1pm Pacific

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