University Of Southern California School Of Cinema Television

Film school can wait. Officials at USC's School of Cinema-Television say they have decided to defer the scholarship prize for a Ventura County juvenile inmate's winning anti-drug video until after she is released next spring.

Officials from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced Wednesday that they are throwing the USC School of Cinema-Television a big party this fall for its 75th anniversary. The school was established at the suggestion of the academy in 1929. The USC School of Cinema-Television also announced the formal launch of a $75-million endowment initiative, the largest of its kind ever undertaken by a university film school.

Sometimes the people who've been around, stick around . . . loved, honored and listened to. At 76, Howard Koch is still producing movies and in his mid-70s Ray Stark is doing the same with his Rastar Productions. Walter Cronkite doubles as TV wise man in times of crisis. And George Burns is still doing stand-up. Even in the youth-tilt of show business, experience is occasionally valued and productivity for some can endure for the long term.

Three years after graduating, they meet again. They had been master of fine arts students in my class, a few months out of school and mostly out of work, when The Times first ran a feature on them. Since then, six other classes have gone through my course in writing episodic television drama at the USC School of Cinema-Television, each with its own angst and triumphs.

Mark D. Pesce, co-inventor of the virtual reality modeling language, has been named director of the USC School of Cinema-Television's interactive media program. "We'll be exploring the convergence of entertainment and technology," Pesce said. "We expect that graduates of this program will generate the best of the next generation of interactive works."

If you're looking for an unedited and uncensored look at Hollywood movie-making, where a quiet kid from Indiana may be a 16-millimeter film away from becoming the next Steven Spielberg, drop by USC's School of Cinema-Television for a one-hour tour any Friday afternoon. There are no tickets to buy, lines to wait in or trams to whisk you past shaking buildings, towering infernos and parting Red Seas. What you get is no-nonsense talk on the state of the art and the state of the filmmaker's mind.

Officials from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced Wednesday that they are throwing the USC School of Cinema-Television a big party this fall for its 75th anniversary. The school was established at the suggestion of the academy in 1929. The USC School of Cinema-Television also announced the formal launch of a $75-million endowment initiative, the largest of its kind ever undertaken by a university film school.

Academy Award-winning director Robert Zemeckis has donated $5 million to USC's School of Cinema-Television toward the creation of a digital arts studio. The $15-million facility, the school's first new building since 1984, will introduce students to high-tech production techniques that are increasingly vital in Hollywood, said Dean Elizabeth Daley.

AtomFilms' search for short films it can broadcast on its Web site will take it to USC today. The Seattle company is expected to announce an exclusive deal to distribute 100 films made by students at USC's School of Cinema-Television, including films done long ago by then-students George Lucas and Robert Zemeckis.

Three years after graduating, they meet again. They had been master of fine arts students in my class, a few months out of school and mostly out of work, when The Times first ran a feature on them. Since then, six other classes have gone through my course in writing episodic television drama at the USC School of Cinema-Television, each with its own angst and triumphs.

AtomFilms' search for short films it can broadcast on its Web site will take it to USC today. The Seattle company is expected to announce an exclusive deal to distribute 100 films made by students at USC's School of Cinema-Television, including films done long ago by then-students George Lucas and Robert Zemeckis.

Academy Award-winning director Robert Zemeckis has donated $5 million to USC's School of Cinema-Television toward the creation of a digital arts studio. The $15-million facility, the school's first new building since 1984, will introduce students to high-tech production techniques that are increasingly vital in Hollywood, said Dean Elizabeth Daley.

Mark D. Pesce, co-inventor of the virtual reality modeling language, has been named director of the USC School of Cinema-Television's interactive media program. "We'll be exploring the convergence of entertainment and technology," Pesce said. "We expect that graduates of this program will generate the best of the next generation of interactive works."

Saturday, Sept. 16, 1995, Ladera Park, Baldwin Hills, 9 a.m. -- The first day of rehearsals. Five tall, muscular black men, ranging in age from their middle 20s to early 30s, stand around on an asphalt court in torn T-shirts, gym shorts and high-top sneakers, shooting baskets. * "Larry Bird--that fool was overrated. Man, I hated all the Celtics." * "Hell, yeah. Especially that punk-ass Danny Ainge. I was glad when Ralph Sampson kicked his ass." * "That wasn't Ainge.

Film school can wait. Officials at USC's School of Cinema-Television say they have decided to defer the scholarship prize for a Ventura County juvenile inmate's winning anti-drug video until after she is released next spring.

Sometimes the people who've been around, stick around . . . loved, honored and listened to. At 76, Howard Koch is still producing movies and in his mid-70s Ray Stark is doing the same with his Rastar Productions. Walter Cronkite doubles as TV wise man in times of crisis. And George Burns is still doing stand-up. Even in the youth-tilt of show business, experience is occasionally valued and productivity for some can endure for the long term.

Saturday, Sept. 16, 1995, Ladera Park, Baldwin Hills, 9 a.m. -- The first day of rehearsals. Five tall, muscular black men, ranging in age from their middle 20s to early 30s, stand around on an asphalt court in torn T-shirts, gym shorts and high-top sneakers, shooting baskets. * "Larry Bird--that fool was overrated. Man, I hated all the Celtics." * "Hell, yeah. Especially that punk-ass Danny Ainge. I was glad when Ralph Sampson kicked his ass." * "That wasn't Ainge.

Facts and figures from four major film and TV schools. The alumni lists are illustrative only, and don't include all working alumni or screen credits associated with each school. Key: d--denotes director, w--writer and p--producer. Columbia University School of the Arts, film division. Established: 1965. (First film course offered in 1916.) Enrollment: 150 graduate students. Administrators: Richard Brick and Milos Forman, film division co-chairmen; Peter Smith, School of the Arts dean.

If you're looking for an unedited and uncensored look at Hollywood movie-making, where a quiet kid from Indiana may be a 16-millimeter film away from becoming the next Steven Spielberg, drop by USC's School of Cinema-Television for a one-hour tour any Friday afternoon. There are no tickets to buy, lines to wait in or trams to whisk you past shaking buildings, towering infernos and parting Red Seas. What you get is no-nonsense talk on the state of the art and the state of the filmmaker's mind.