SCA News

Lee Unkrich Q&A;
Leonard Maltin Goes In-Depth With Toy Story 3 Director
August 16, 2010
On June 13, the USC School of Cinematic Arts was treated to a special screening of Toy Story 3, along with an in-depth Q&A; with the film’s director, SCA alum Lee Unkrich, conducted by Leonard Maltin.

CU: Christophe Nassif
"Don’t try to tell a story you do not connect with."
August 12, 2010
Chances are that as you read this, Christophe Nassif, 3rd-year M.F.A. Production, is hard at work. In addition to recently completing an eight-week sound internship at Larson Studios through the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences Foundation, Nassif has been in pre-production since April for a 546 production he’ll be directing in the fall, and finds time to work with QueerCut, the LBGT cinematic arts group he helped found.

In Memoriam: David L. Wolper
Legendary Producer, "Mr. Documentary"
August 11, 2010
David L. Wolper, producer of the groundbreaking 1977 miniseries Roots, along with over 300 other films, died Tuesday, August 10. He was 82.

In Memoriam: Robert F. Boyle
Acclaimed Art Director/Production Designer
August 04, 2010
Robert F. Boyle ‘33, acclaimed production designer, with credits including North By Northwest, In Cold Blood, and The Birds, died in Los Angeles on Sunday. He was 100.

CU: Ryan Piers Williams
USC Alums Collaborate on "The Dry Land"
July 30, 2010
We speak to Piers Williams via email about the film "The Dry Land", the challenge of getting it made and how SCA has influenced him.

CU: Alice Brooks
‘A Passion for Light’
July 28, 2010
Being a dancing superhero is hard. Filming a dancing superhero? Just as hard, but it’s also a lot of fun, according to Alice Brooks, SCA alumna, and director of photography for the groundbreaking new webseries, The Legion of Extraordinary Dancers (The LXD).

Wins for ‘Wild About Harry’
Collaboration of SCA Alums and Faculty
July 14, 2010
Wild About Harry, an independent feature written, directed, produced and lensed by SCA alumni and faculty members, took home two awards at the 14th Annual CineGear Expo. Director and co-writer Gwen Wynne ’94, accepted the award for Best Feature, and SCA senior lecturer Chris Chomyn won the award for Best Cinematography.

Medal for Multiply
SCA Student Wins Academy Award
June 22, 2010
SCA Division of Animation and Digital Arts (DADA) student Emily Henricks took home the Silver Medal in the Alternative category at the 2010 Student Academy Awards on June 12. Henricks’ film, Multiply, utilizes a minimal amount of cycling frames to create a dizzying array of motion.

Red Sea Institute Graduates First Class
Only Cinematic Arts School in Middle East
June 11, 2010
The Red Sea Institute of Cinematic Arts (RSICA) celebrated the graduation of its inaugural Masters of Fine Arts class in a ceremony held at the Movenpick Tala Bay Resort in Aqaba, Jordan, on May 21, 2010.

In Memoriam: William Fraker
Renowned Cinematographer and SCA Alumnus/Instructor
June 03, 2010
William A. “Bill” Fraker, ASC, BSC, legendary cinematographer/director, and SCA alumnus and instructor, passed away Monday at the age of 86.

First Impressions
Student Work Wows
June 02, 2010
Sociologists, career advice experts and speed daters agree: you only have one chance to make a first impression. Fortunately, SCA students are making exceptional first impressions through an eclectic array of projects put on display as part of the School’s end-of-year programs.

2010 School of Cinematic Arts Commencement Day
Class of 2010 is go for launch
May 19, 2010
“Launch control, this is Houston. We are go for launch.” These words from 1995’s “Apollo 13” boomed over the sound system of the Shrine Auditorium on Commencement Day 2010 as the School of Cinematic Arts (SCA), along with industry friends Jeffrey Katzenberg and Jon Landau, celebrated the new graduates on the eve of their coming journey.

CU: Jacqueline Schaeffer and Rikki Jarrett
Indie Filmmakers Ask If True Love Comes With a Guarantee
May 06, 2010
What if a clock could count down to the moment you meet your soul mate? The new film, TiMER, by writer/director Jacqueline Schaeffer ‘04 and producer Rikki Jarrett ’06, examines this question and finds that the answer, as with most matters of the heart, is far from simple.

First Look Struts Indie Style
SCA Students Amp up the Indie Factor at First Look 2010
May 03, 2010
USC School of Cinematic Arts (SCA) students amped up the indie factor at this year’s First Look festival with entries including an animated foreign-language documentary and an official 2009 Sundance selection.

Presidential Medallion Goes to George Lucas
SCA Animation student Juan Camilo Gonzalez honored for his film Mecanismo Olvidador
April 28, 2010
USC alumnus, filmmaker and benefactor George Lucas ’66 was awarded the USC Presidential Medallion, the university's highest honor, by President Steven B. Sample on April 26 at the annual Academic Honors Convocation.

Meet Kelly And Cal
Offbeat Tale Takes Wing With First Team
April 27, 2010
Over the past year, SCA’s First Team program has had much success bringing together alumni writers, directors and producers in its inaugural run. Setting out this month under the First Team banner is Kelly & Cal, an offbeat dramedy about an unlikely friendship between a new mother struggling with her identity and a 17-year old in a wheelchair who’s been spying on her.

To Protect and To Serve
Ann Biderman Returns to SCA with her Southland Cast and Crew
April 02, 2010
Members of the cast and creative team of the acclaimed TNT series Southland joined SCA students for an in-depth discussion and Q&A; session, as part of Howard Rosenberg’s 467 Television Symposium, on February 22.

Katzenberg Named Commencement Speaker
Landau To Receive Mary Pickford Alumni Award
March 23, 2010
DreamWorks Animation CEO Jeffrey Katzenberg will deliver the commencement address at the 2010 USC School of Cinematic Arts (SCA) graduation ceremony at the Shrine Auditorium on Friday May 14, Dean Elizabeth M. Daley announced today. Jon Landau, producer of Avatar and Titanic and USC alumnus, will receive SCA’s prestigious Mary Pickford Foundation Award.

The Power of Yes
Ron Howard Speaks with SCA Students
March 02, 2010
A standing room only crowd packed the Ray Stark Family Theatre for an evening with Academy Award-winning filmmaker and SCA alumnus Ron Howard on February 25. The acclaimed director/producer spoke for over two hours, relating anecdotes from his lengthy career and emphasizing the importance of creative collaboration.

We're # 1
IMD Listed as Top Game Design Program
March 02, 2010
SCA’s Interactive Media Division ranks as the #1 game design program at U.S. and Canadian universities, according to The Princeton Review and GamePro Media.

Tribute to Re-Invention
USC Professors Honored by WIFTS
February 22, 2010
USC School of Cinematic Arts tenured professors Judy Irola and Georgia Jeffries have been honored by the Women’s International Film & Television Showcase (WIFTS) Foundation with International Visionary Awards for their respective bodies of work.

A Conversation with The Odd Gentlemen
SCA Gamers Launch Thesis Project
February 19, 2010
On February 18, USC School of Cinematic Arts celebrated the launch of The Misadventures of P.B. Winterbottom. The brainchild of two recent SCA graduates Matt Korba ’08 and Paul Bellezza ’08, Winterbottom originated as Korba’s thesis project – and with an assist from Bellezza, it is one of several games born at SCA to find success in the gaming industry in the last few years.

Hedgehogs and Herons
Legendary Russian Animator Visits SCA
February 09, 2010
A rainy week in Los Angeles did not dampen the enthusiasm of hundreds of USC students and animation devotees who were treated to a rare visit by world-renowned Russian animator Yuri Norstein.

Shuffle Up and Deal
First Team Trio’s Poker Pic Ready for Hollywood
February 08, 2010
Last semester, First Team kicked off with dozens of SCA alums meeting and mixing toward collaborations that might someday hit the big screen. Fast-forward to 2010 and a number of those teams already find themselves in prime positions thanks to the new program and their own hard work.

In Memoriam: D'Marco Ray Smith
Sound Expert, Class of '98
February 05, 2010
D’Marco Ray Smith, who graduated from SCA in 1998, and quickly forged a successful career as a sound supervisor and recordist, passed away Monday, February 1, following a long battle with cancer.

Q&A; with Jason Reitman
Award Winning Alum Returns to Campus
February 01, 2010
Reitman returns to campus to drop in on Leonard Maltin's class CTCS 466: Theatrical Film Symposium.

Remarkable Documentary Premieres This Week
"The Desert of Forbidden Art" Written, Produced, and Directed by Cinematic Arts Professor and Grad
February 01, 2010
"The Desert of Forbidden Art", written, produced, and directed by associate professor Amanda Pope and cinematic arts grad Tchavdar Georgiev ’00 premieres on Feb. 6 and 12 at the Santa Barbara Film Festival.

A Stellar Start
Semester Kicks Off With Guest Speakers
January 22, 2010
The School of Cinematic Arts’ spring semester has begun with a bang: the month of January has already featured three remarkable evenings with industry leaders and innovators, who have provided valuable insight for capacity crowds of students, faculty and staff.

Osher Heads Alumni Council
Veteran Exec Presides Over First Council Meeting of 2010
January 13, 2010
Bob Osher, president of the Digital Production division of Sony Pictures Entertainment, chief operating officer of Columbia Pictures Motion Picture Group, SCA adjunct faculty member, and newly installed chair of the SCA Alumni Council, conducted his first AC meeting on Tuesday, January 12.

In Memoriam: Mel Sloan
SCA Faculty Member for over 50 Years
January 13, 2010
Longtime School of Cinematic Arts faculty member Professor Emeritus Mel Sloan passed away, January 12, from pneumonia, at his home in Van Nuys, CA, at the age of 86. Sloan served on the SCA faculty from 1946 until his retirement in 1997.