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Sound Advice Beneath a bright blue canopy of cloudless sky, more than 10,000 members of the Class of 2004 — along with some 40,000 beaming parents, friends, and family members — celebrated the University of Southern California’s 121st Commencement on Friday, May 14. The USC School of Cinema-Television’s mid-afternoon satellite commencement ceremony was held at the Shrine Auditorium, its longtime home. Said Sonny Calderon, who received his M.F.A. from the Division of Writing for Screen and Television that day, “Having it [graduation] at the Shrine — which is gorgeous — somehow feels like you’re being initiated into the Hollywood community (even though we’re not — yet).” The festivities began on a high note, with a special screening of the School’s new 75th anniversary documentary, Honoring the Past/Creating the Future. Written and directed by Tiller Russell (’01) and produced by Jill Aske (’01), the documentary deftly traces the evolution of the School over 75 years through the use of a witty musical score and the skillful blending of rare archival footage and recent photographs and interviews. Dean Elizabeth Daley reminded graduates that they are linked to this illustrious lineage, which dates back to the dawn of the “talkie” era when Douglas Fairbanks Sr., the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences’ first president, urged USC to add film studies to its curriculum. “ From that pivotal moment, there was no looking back for Four Film Friends Reunite By Justin Wilson Rydstrom’s Words Inspire New Graduates 7-time Academy Award winner Gary Rydstrom told graduates to embrace the unexpected: “Knowing what’s going to happen next is boring in the movies, and it’s boring in life.” Back to School the country’s first university-based film education program,” said Daley. Daley invited alumnus Bill Mechanic, a member of the School’s prestigious Board of Councilors and former chair- man and chief executive officer of Fox Filmed Entertainment, to center stage to introduce the School’s featured commencement speaker. Daley noted that, under Mechanic’s leadership, Fox released such landmark pictures as Fight Club, The Full Monty, Quiz Show, Saving Private Ryan, The Thin Red Line, and Titanic. Mechanic’s new company, Pandemonium, has its first feature currently in post-production: the drama Dark Water, directed by Brazilian filmmakerWalter Salles (Central Station), another USC alumnus. Mechanic’s introduction was doubly meaningful because the School’s 2004 commencement speaker, legendary sound editor Gary Rydstrom (’81), had the added distinction of also being this year’s recipient of the Mary Pickford Outstanding Alumnus Award. The award, which is given at each commencement to an alumnus or alumna of the School, honors former students who have made an indelible impact on the entertainment industry. Previous recipients include William Fraker, the late Conrad L. Hall, Alan Ladd Jr., Michelle Manning, Walter Murch, Stacey Sher, David L. Wolper, Robert Zemeckis, and Laura Ziskin. “ The Pickford Award is the latest in a long string of welldeserved honors and accolades that have been conferred on this year’s commencement speaker,” said Mechanic. “Gary Rydstrom has received an incredible seven Academy Awards for his work in sound,” Mechanic continued. “No other USC alumnus owns as many of those coveted golden statuettes as Gary, and his 13 Oscar nominations surely put him a special category of filmmakers altogether.” In addition to his Oscar bounty, Rydstrom has been honored with two BAFTA Film Awards, three Golden Reel Awards, and a Career Achievement Award from the Cinema Audio Society. After receiving his degree from USC, Rydstrom began a long and fruitful association with Skywalker Sound, a division of Lucas Digital Ltd., and went on to amass a list of credits that, Mechanic said, “rivals in range and quality those of almost any filmmaker I can think of.” While many students can’t wait to leave university life behind and move on to “the real world,” others find a very real sense of meaning in memories that take them back to their college days. For alumni Jason Shuman, Chris Ridenhour, Herb Ratner, and Danny Strong, reliving those memories takes the form of a yearly visit to their old campus haunts — and to an off-campus favorite, La Barca restaurant on Vermont Avenue — every May 10. Shuman, a film producer (Little Black Book, Darkness Falls) whose company Blue Star has a production deal with Revolution Studios; Ridenhour, a talent manager at Evolution Entertainment whose clients include writer (and fellow alumnus) Stephen Susco; Ratner, a screenwriter whose credits include the upcoming film Mr. Lucky (also produced by Shuman); and Strong, an actor who has appeared regularly in films and such TV shows as Buffy the Vampire Slayer, all credit USC with providing them the tools they needed to succeed in their respective fields. “ We all had the best times in film school, that’s why we love to come back,” said Shuman. 4 | in motion fall 2004 From Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom, his first Lucasfilm project, to last summer’s groundbreaking Finding Nemo, Rydstrom’s work has set the industry standard for excellence and innovation in sound. “It is not an Congratulations, Class of 2004! exaggeration to say that Gary Rydstrom has defined what we have heard at the movies for the past 20 years,” remarked Mechanic. In a thoughtful, compelling, and often humorous address, Rydstrom, who recently stepped forward to become a firsttime director at Pixar Animation Studios, talked candidly about “beginning a whole new career, in animation, at Pixar, where, a mere 27 years after leaving for film school, I’m a director.” Board of Councilors member Bill Mechanic, who received both his B.A. and M.A. degrees from USC, introduced commencement speaker and Mary Pickford Award recipient Gary Rydstrom. He exhorted graduates to embrace the unexpected. “Knowing what’s going to happen next is boring in the movies, and it’s boring in life … There’s more to discover on a crooked path,” Rydstrom opined. “I wouldn’t give up 20 years in film sound for anything. It was an added bonus that it turned out to be the fast track to directing,” he said with a smile. “ Gary Rydstrom was great,” said Calderon. “His speech was hilarious and inspiring. My wife wanted to see me walk at graduation, and I’m so glad I did.” Jeff Pickett, who just earned his M.F.A. from the Division of Film and Television production, concurred: “Gary Rydstrom’s speech was perfect — funny, inspirational, touching. It was certainly the best graduation address I’ve ever had the privilege of hearing,” said Pickett. “Now, it’s up to me to try my best to become a paid director, whether it happens tomorrow, or in 27 years!” Herb Ratner, Jason Shuman, and Chris Ridenhour in the George Lucas Building, circa 1996.
Renov Named Associate Dean for Academic Affairs By John Zollinger Professor Michael Renov, who has taught critical studies for over 22 years, 18 of them at USC, assumed the post of associate dean for academic affairs in August. He replaces Professor Richard Jewell, who is returning to teaching after a decade of service in the slot. Renowned at home and abroad for his expertise in the documentary film form, Renov is a prolific writer who has authored scores of articles and written or edited seven books, among them Hollywood’s Wartime Woman: Representation and Ideology and The Subject of Documentary, which was released this year. In addition, he is the co-founder of Visible Evidence, an annual international documentary studies conference. In conjunction with the USC Casden Institute for Study of the Jewish Role in American Life, Renov also created “Eye & Thou: Jewish Autobiography in Film and Video,” a series of events featuring screenings of Jewish autobiographical films, followed by on-stage dialogues between filmmakers and humanities scholars. Michael Renov Q: What exactly does the associate dean for academic affairs do? Renov holds a Master of Arts degree from San Francisco State University and a Ph.D. from UCLA in film and television studies. Renov: The associate dean for academic affairs is the point person for all faculty concerns, chief among them promotion and tenure, as well as the vital matter of curriculum — the content and coordination of all course offerings. The person in this position must also be devoted to the academic vision. Who are we as a school? We know we’re changing and growing, and we really have to be able to chart the course for the future. To that end, the associate dean must facilitate open communication among the faculty, help create consensus around shared goals, and move the School forward. Q: How has the School positioned itself to meet the future? Renov: We’ve just spent the last year putting together a strategic plan for the School, which allows us to look forward five years or so down the road, to see where we are as a school, evaluate ourselves in a very honest way — assessing our strengths and weaknesses — and project what we want for the future. I think any dynamic organization, any school, any business has to constantly be engaged in self-evaluation, and we’ve gone through that process in what seems to be a very effective way. “We really have to be able to chart the course for the future.” Q: What motivated you to take this post? — Michael Renov Renov: I came out of this strategic-planning year feeling that this was a great moment for the School and that I was ready to take a larger role in brainstorming ideas and planning for the future. I’m also eager to forge connections and create stronger collaborations with other schools and departments on campus. Q: Do you mean collaborations like the undergraduate minor in gaming that the Interactive Media Division began this semester with the Viterbi School of Engineering? Renov: Exactly. There are many USC faculty members who have a lot to offer and to gain from collaborations with us. We’re perfectly situated to create a greater synergy within our own faculty and with faculty from other schools. And why not? Why not make USC the best place possible when it comes to media studies and media production? Q: Stepping back for a moment, what do you think is the School’s importance to society? Renov: People love to go to the movies, but I don’t think they necessarily make the connection between going to the movies and solving pressing social problems, when, in fact, popular culture is one of the important ways that any society works through its conflicts, its tensions, its key issues. The School is in an ideal situation because we’ve created a laboratory environment in which we can try out new things, test our ideas, allow students to fail, encourage all kinds of experimentation, and take risks. We’re preparing the next generation of media practitioners — producers, writers, directors, cinematographers, scholars, animators, game designers. If we can instill values, stimulate critical thinking, and promote collaborations across various boundaries, encouraging diversity of expression and of ideas, we’re going to have a huge social impact. Because we’re developing the next generation, who will help set the cultural agenda and shape the future. Schools in Harmony Collaboration Hits a High Note By Margaret M. Dunlap Although the School of Cinema-Television and the Thornton School of Music stand only a few feet from each other, the gulf between student directors and student composers has historically been a difficult one to bridge. Said Assistant Professor David J. Bondelevitch, MPSE, “When I was a student at USC, it struck me as very odd that there was not a class about film music, which is, to me, one of the most important parts of the filmmaking process.” When he returned to the School of Cinema-Television as a member of the sound faculty, he proposed a solution in the form of a new course, one that eventually became CTPR 437: Directing the Composer. Recently, he also found an ally at the music school in Professor Brian King, a Thornton School faculty member since 1998, and now director and chair of the Scoring for Motion Pictures and Television Program. Since fall 2002, Bondelevitch and King have hosted meetings each semester to introduce students in the film and television scoring program to students directing or producing films. The most recent convocation in October drew approximately 70 students and resulted in several successful collaborations. Further strengthening this program, an endowed chair in music editing has been established at the School of Cinema-Television, and renowned music editor Ken Hall has joined the cinema-television faculty. King has also partnered with Richard Hyland, sound department coordinator for the School of Cinema-Television, to produce “Music Master Classes” for film and music students on the Spielberg Music Scoring Stage. Two workshops have been held thus far, one for string performance and another for percussion. For King, communication is the key goal. “Film students don’t necessarily speak the language of music. They’ll say, ‘I need a whoosh! here,’ or ‘I’m looking for something vaporous’, and that doesn’t always translate.” At the same time, it can take scoring students a while to develop a cinematic sensibility. “Most of the time, they just write too much music. They learn that they need to leave room for the silences.” Brian King (left) of the Thornton School and David J. Bondelevitch of the School of Cinema-Television are fine-tuning USC’s film and television scoring program. In spring 2004, Assistant Professor David Bondelevitch, MPSE, and Rob Cutietta, dean of the USC Thornton School of Music, were judges for a unique scholarship competition. Four graduate students from the School of Cinema-Television’s Division of Film and Television Production — William Seth Dalton, Soo Z. Hugh, Joshua Rous, and Adam Stein — were each awarded a grant to be used to produce a short film using music from a soon-to-be-released recording of Yo-Yo Ma playing film composer Ennio Morricone’s music. The four films will debut at a special concert on November 5, accompanied live by Ma and the USC Thornton Chamber Orchestra, and conducted by the composer’s son, Andrea Morricone, in Bovard Auditorium. fall 2004 in motion | 5
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