Kate Burton Prepares USC Students for Stage and Screen
“Through the ages, actors have provided entertainment, education and inspiration to the world,” says the Emmy Award-winning actress.
Latinos lose out when it comes to Hollywood films
A study from the USC Annenberg Inclusion Initiative finds top films lag far behind the population when it comes to representing Latino characters.
Hip-hop or country? USC student’s AI tool analyzes ‘Old Town Road’
According to a PhD student’s artificial intelligence tool that analyzes lyrics and chords, Lil Nas X’s record-setting hit really does cross genres.
Driven to celebrate the underrepresented, former pre-med major embraces arts
USC Dornsife senior JaBrea Patterson-West changed her major — and her life’s trajectory — to support underrepresented artists, earning a prestigious fellowship in the process.
Choreographer Tony Testa uses USC residency to craft Olympic opening ceremony submission
As part of their New Movement Residency, Testa recently took over USC Kaufman studios to rehearse dance numbers that he plans to submit for the 2022 Beijing Olympics.
Loyal KUSC listener leaves $8 million to USC Thornton and the station
Edward Judd Zobelein, a lifetime lover of classical music, has left gifts of $6 million to the USC Thornton School and $2 million to KUSC.
USC School of Cinematic Arts to share in $50 million gift from Patricia W. Mitchell Trusts
The gift, split among three universities, honors television trailblazer John H. Mitchell and will support major initiatives in diversity, ethics and film preservation.
Top Hollywood Blockbusters With Trojan Ties
From Star Wars to The Avengers, USC alumni have created some of the most successful movies in history.
A Tale of Two Oscar-Winning Documentaries Made by Trojans
Short films made by School of Cinematic Arts moviemakers bookend more than 65 years of Academy Awards.
The Strong Women Who Broke Ground (and Barriers) at the USC School of Cinematic Arts
A 28-year partnership between Elizabeth Daley and Marlene Loadvine helped shoot the school to the top.
Celebrate Nine Decades of Cinematic Arts History
As the school hits 90, it’s about much more than movies.
How letters to and from an incarcerated father became an intimate audio documentary
Melissa Dueñas grew up writing to her father in prison. Now, the USC Annenberg student has turned those letters to and from her dad into a very personal project that experiments with the audio form.
Despite positive trends, women remain underrepresented in animation
A new USC Annenberg study examines the ecosystem of the animation industry and finds pluses and minuses for women in the field.
Film and TV miss the mark in portraying mental health conditions
A new study from the USC Annenberg Inclusion Initiative finds popular media underrepresents and misrepresents characters with mental health conditions.
Five Trailblazing Interactive Games that Started as USC Student Projects
These titles garnered awards and industry attention — several before their creators even graduated from USC.
USC Thornton organist/composer gets special moment in the spotlight — and shines
Thanks to the generosity of a world-famous organist, grad student Thomas Mellan recently took the stage at Walt Disney Concert Hall for an experience he’ll never forget.
Alice Schoenfeld, renowned violinist and longtime faculty member, 98
USC mourns the noted teacher and generous philanthropist, who died May 25. Schoenfeld taught countless students and underwrote music scholarships and renovation of the school’s orchestral rehearsal hall.
In memoriam: Robert R. Scales, former dean of the USC School of Dramatic Arts
An acclaimed designer, technical director and educator, he remained involved with the life of the university after his retirement, including serving as a leader with the Emeriti Center.
For this USC Thornton graduate, the music business is all about family
After years on the road with artists like Michael Bublé, Rob Perkins started a curated music programming business called On the Beat that is fueled by fellow USC Thornton grads, faculty and even current students.
USC grad tested his love of filmmaking in the jungles of Peru
Inspired by an animation class, 2019 graduate Amri Rigby embraced filmmaking, directed a Sundance-winning short film and was commissioned by Werner Herzog to shoot a documentary in Peru, all as a USC student.
USC Game Innovation Lab to bring award-winning video game into the classroom
Thanks to a $300,000 grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities, Walden, a game will go from educational virtual adventure to potential teaching tool.
University awards its first degree in dance to 33 graduates of USC Kaufman
The first group of students to attend the USC Kaufman School of Dance was taking a risk. Friday, that risk was rewarded, as friends, family, faculty and Mikhail Baryshnikov sent them off into the world with degrees.
USC senior’s artwork gives a voice to the underrepresented
With commencement a week away, graduate Tola Oseni reflects on her use of graphic design, music and video to share untold stories and open the art world to previously excluded groups.
The 21st-century ballerina: Graduating senior hopes to inspire future brown dancers
As a child, Lenai Wilkerson was told she couldn’t be a ballerina because of how she looked. Now, as she prepares to graduate from the USC Kaufman School of Dance, she wants to further the conversation on diversity in dance.