USC Cinema-Television Alumni Development Council Formed

Nearly two dozen leaders from across the entertainment arts have founded the USC School Of Cinema-Television Alumni Development Council to guide and advise the school on reaching its academic and funding goals, as well as assist students and recent graduates to transition into their professional roles, Dean Elizabeth M. Daley announced today.

Featuring alumni from classes that stretch from 1976 to 1999, the 23-member advisory group is made up of writers, editors, producers, cinematographers, directors, agents, executives and other entertainment industry professionals.

“This is another manifestation of the intimate relationship between the school and its alumni,” Daley says. “I can’t think of a better way to help guide the school’s future than to have this group share their wisdom and experience with us, and our students.”

Andrew Marlowe (class of 1992: screenwriter of “Air Force One,” “End of Days,” “Hollow Man,” and the upcoming “Manhunt”), who chairs the council, says: “So many of Hollywood’s best business and creative leaders got their start at USC’s School of Cinema-Television. We owe a large part of our success to what we learned in those classrooms. Now, my colleagues and I want to bring our experience and creative energy back to the school, to find new and innovative ways to serve and strengthen USC’s already remarkable legacy.”

The council initially plans to help expand programs that transition students and recent graduates into professional positions in the entertainment industry. The group is focusing on two key initiatives: the creation of a job board, and a career seminar series.

Members of the USC School of Cinema-Television Alumni Development Council

John August, M.F.A. ’94, Peter Stark Program
Writer/producer (Big Fish, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Charlie’s Angels)

Polly Cohen, M.F.A. ’95, Peter Stark Program
Senior Vice President, Theatrical Production, Warner Bros. Pictures

Robert Greenblatt, M.F.A. ’87, Peter Stark Program
President, Entertainment, Showtime / Executive Producer (Six Feet Under)

Tom Hoberman
Partner, Hansen, Jacobson, Teller, Hoberman, Newman, Warren, Sloane & Richman, LLP

Ramses Ishak, B.A. ’92, Annenberg
Agent, William Morris Agency

James Ishii, B.A. ’76, Cinema
Entertainment Consultant

Aaron Kaplan, B.S. ’90, Marshall School
Agent, William Morris Agency

Michael Lehmann, M.F.A. ’85, Cinema
Director (Heathers, The Comeback, The Larry Sanders Show)

Michelle Manning, B.A. ’81, Production
Producer, MM Productions

Andrew Marlowe, M.F.A. ’92, Writing
Writer/Producer (Air Force One, Hollow Man, End of Days, Manhunt)

Derek McLay, B.A. ’79, Marshall School/Cinema
Senior Vice President, Entertainment, IAG Research

Robert Osher, B.A. ’81, Cinema
Chief Operating Officer, Columbia Pictures Motion Picture Group

Santiago Pozo, M.F.A. ’86, Peter Stark Program
Chief Executive Officer, The Arenas Group

Shonda Rhimes, M.F.A. ’94, Writing
Creator/Writer/Executive Producer (Grey’s Anatomy)

Jay Roach, M.F.A. ’86, Production
Writer/Producer/Director (Meet the Parents series, Austin Powers series)

Bruce Rosenblum, B.S. ’79, Marshall School
President, Warner Bros. Television Group

Gary Rydstrom, B.A. ’81, Cinema
Sound Editor (Saving Private Ryan, Titanic, Jurassic Park) / Director, Pixar Animation Studios

Josh Schwartz, B.A. ’99, Writing
Creator/Writer/Executive Producer (The O.C.)

Peter Segal, B.A. ’84, English
Director (The Longest Yard, 50 First Dates, Anger Management)

Stacey Sher, M.F.A. ’85, Peter Stark Program
Producer (Erin Brockovich, Out of Sight, World Trade Center)

Jason Shuman, B.A. ’96, Production
Producer (Darkness Falls, Little Black Book, The Messengers)

John Singleton, B.A. ’91, Writing
Writer/Producer/Director (Boyz ‘N The Hood, Hustle & Flow, Four Brothers)

Scott Stone, B.A. ’79, Production
Producer (The Man Show, The Mole, The Ride: Seven Days to End AIDS)

About the USC School of Cinema-Television
Since 1929, the USC School of Cinema-Television has fueled and mirrored the growth of entertainment as an industry and an art form. The School offers comprehensive programs in directing, producing, writing, critical studies, animation and digital arts, production, and interactive media, all backed by a broad liberal arts education and taught by leading practitioners in each field. Its more than 8,000 graduates are among the world’s most distinguished animators, scholars, teachers, writers, directors, producers, cinematographers, editors, sound experts, and industry executives. Since 1973, not a year has passed without an alumnus or alumna being nominated for an Academy Award.

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Press contact: Danni Pearlberg, 818/506-7887