About

Dean Elizabeth M. Daley

Welcome to the USC School of Cinematic Arts, where we invite you to explore and expand the power and potential of film, television and new media.

For time immemorial, the desire for humans to imagine and create characters, environments and adventures has been a universal catalyst that binds people, cultures and entire civilizations; giving us common hope, purpose and direction. It is a venerated tradition that spans time and distance, from the hand drawings in the Caves of Lascaux to the great oral tales of Homer to the vignettes transmitted on the screens of today’s cell phones.

Throughout the 20th century and now in the 21st, the School of Cinematic Arts has nurtured and inspired the writers, directors, scholars, entrepreneurs, producers, animators, interactive designers and others who have developed an unparalleled mastery in cinema, television and new media.

Our programs provide a one-of-a-kind opportunity for women and men such as yourself, from regions as diverse as Europe, Asia, Africa and the Americas, to explore and expand your creative potential.

At the heart of their success is the knowledge and experience gained from the school’s unique and time-tested philosophy of forging a nexus where cinematic theory and practice meld with one another.

Since its founding in 1929, the school has served as a dynamic crucible where students and faculty transform their dreams into the new philosophies, technologies and artistic movements that influence how we entertain, educate and express ourselves.

Our programs provide a one-of-a-kind opportunity for women and men such as yourself, from regions as diverse as Europe, Asia, Africa and the Americas, to explore and expand your creative potential. From the very moment you arrive in Los Angeles, you will be immersed in the latest techniques and methodologies, as well as the history and lore that anchor the art form.

With hundreds of course offerings from which to select, you will readily discover the bounds for personal and artistic expression are limited only by the scope of your imagination. Drawing on the wisdom and vision of industry and academic leaders who provide hands-on guidance and direction, the School of Cinematic Arts experience covers virtually the entire creative process.

The breadth and depth of this environment will challenge you to draw from the world within you and the world around you. In doing so, you will hone your vision and add your voice to one of humanity’s grandest and most enduring traditions. I very much look forward to experiencing the result.

Elizabeth M. Daley
Steven J. Ross/Time Warner Professor and Dean

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