The original Vehicle pass sign to enter Universal Studios as part of the USC Cinema program.
While I received my AA degree in Mass Communications from Black Hawk College and my BA degree in Mass Communications from St. Ambrose University, they didn't have any film classes. So I ended up taking my film classes at the University of Southern California in 1987. It was a great school (graduates include George Lucas, Robert Zemeckis, and John Carpenter among many others) and I had a wonderful time with my classmates. My instructors at USC were Don Zirpola, William Sabados, Christine Colgan, and teaching assistants Mark Williams and John Parsons.
The USC Cinema program is the best in the world. The USC instructors were fantastic. I can highly recommend the program. You simply won't find a better film school.
As part of the curriculum my time was divided up between attending film classes, making films, and participating in their internship (USC Universal Studios course) which gave the students access to Universal and Paramount Studios. Your classmates were your crew and cast. So we all helped each other on our various film projects doing time both behind the camera and in front of. It was total immersion into the filmmaking process where you lived, breath and slept films. When you made a film, each student would then screen it for the class. After showing the film, the film professor would call you up in front of the class where he would go over your film with you. You would also receive feedback from the other students. I'm happy to report I always received great comments. After I screened my first USC film, which I directed and shot, the USC film professor Don Zirpolo told me that I had great composition in all my camera shots and that I could go far with such strong camera work.
I credit watching a lot of John Carpenter films. I've always admired Carpenter's style in making films. By the way like George Lucas, John Carpenter was a USC film school graduate. I then started getting asked by a lot of my classmates to shoot their film which I was happy to do (they would direct). It was encouraged to get your classmates involved in various roles on your film that you would direct.
So I became the cinematographer for some of my classmates' films at USC. I also shot my own films which I directed. Some of which you will see below. The time spent as the USC film school was fantastic. I made some great friends during the time spent at USC and even got to meet Steven Spielberg completely by accident.
I get asked a lot about how I met Spielberg so here's what happend:
It was July 14, 1987, at lunch I was sitting outside the commissary at Universal and I happend to look up just as a bearded man in an Hawaiian shirt and shorts was walking past me. Much to my surprise I recognized him instantly so I said hello Mr. Spielberg and he said hello back. Another USC student sitting across from me looked up and said what did you say - That was Spielberg? After about ten minutes he came back out of the universal offices across from the commissary and I approached him and asked for his autograph which he happily provided and asked if I was working at the studio or interning. We chatted for a few minutes.
The autograph from the Spielberg meeting.
The man could not have been nicer. I told him it was too bad he wasn't filming anything at that time as my class would love to watch. He said to have my instructor call Amblin and maybe they could set something else up.
Well to make a long story short - my instructor did that and our class was invited to Amblin which is on the backlot of Universal. We were told by his producer, Frank Marshall, that Spielberg was busy editing Empire of the Sun and probably wouldn't get down to see us. But they took us in an Amblin screening room and showed us outtakes from Raiders Of the Lost Ark and Temple of Doom (like Barbara Striesand whipping Harrison Ford in the Temple don't you wish that would have made the dvd!), Fortunately I sat in the middle of the front row as after the screening Spielberg came in unannounced; sat down about five feet away - facing our seats (in the middle) for what was to be a 10 minute hello and ended up with him discussing his career/filmmaking/answering questions for a good 90 minutes with us.
This wasn't something he had to do as it certainly wasn't something that was being publicized. He took the time with some film students even though he was obviously very busy. All this from a chance meeting in front of the Universal Studios commissary. In fact this was the first time USC had Spielberg as a guest speaker for their students. I found him to be a very nice, generous and open person. He could have easily blown off the offer of coming to amblin made in front of the commissary but he made sure it happend.
That's the one thing that really struck me that despite any level of personal fame and success, he was genuinely happy to meet with some film students despite a busy schedule. After the meeting they took us on a tour of Amblin and ended up introducing the class to Robert Zemeckis who was there at the time. Somehow I get the impression that this wasn't the first time or last time he has done something nice for people without it being publicized. A real class act.
Later I also was able to get the following signed by Sid Sheinberg who was the President and Chief Operating Officer of Universal and was also the man responsible for signing Spielberg to his first contract - giving him his first break in the industry. Many people don't realize that Sheinberg released the top grossing film for each last three decades of the 20th century starting wtih Jaws in 1975, ET in 1982, and concluding with Jurassic Park in 1993.
Sid Sheinberg and his nice inscription " May all your involvements approach E.T'S
success! Sid Sheinberg"
Here are a few pics from my personal album from my time at USC and Universal Studios.
Here I am outside of the main complex, the One of the days spent at Paramount
George Lucas Instructional building, at USC Pictures I was able to walk around the
that contained some of the cinema newly built set of the Enterprise bridge
classrooms/theaters. for the upcoming Star Trek The Next
Generation tv series.
After I met Steven Spielberg by accident on Party Pic 1: A party on the backlot of
the backlot, my class was invited down to Universal Studios that I attended for USC
his office/production company, Amblin Cinema students.
Entertainment. Many people don't know
that Amblin is actually on the backlot of
Universal (a studio within a studio).
The trams that take the tourists on the
tours use to go right past it without
mentioning it. Here's a rare view of the
entrance to Amblin.
Party Pic 2: At the Universal Studios backlot Party Pic 3: From left my classmates -
Studio restaurant. Since this was after hours Joany Kane (who is a very talented writer),
and the studio restaurant is never open to Lynn Hockenbury, Jeff Carney, Jean
the public we had the place to ourselves. Noguchi, and Jana Stuparich.
The USC Cinema Class on the backlot of Universal studios.
Another USC class shot which I just received from Joany Kane.
(Thanks Joany)
Another one of Joany's photos that she took. While some of us
went to work behind the camera, others wanted to be in front of the
camera like Adam Goldberg (front row far left) - He's been acting in
movies (Saving Private Ryan) and on television (Friends).
Some friends who I spent a great deal of
time with at USC not only making films
but having fun in Los Angeles during our
time off - On the left is Ken Bergeron,
Jeff Carney, and Bob Ducatte (who played
the bad guy in my USC film "Lost and
Found." In the back is Ron Fuchs who played
the studio executive in my USC film "Won't
Anyone Look at my Film."
My first film made at USC - "LOST AND FOUND"
My second film made at USC - "WON'T ANYONE LOOK AT MY FILM"
Although it is missing most of it's soundtrack. When I get some time
I will have to dig out all the sound track elements one day.
This film is missing the original music that was in it.
"A KNIGHT IN LA" USC film made by Joany Kane.
I was the cinematographer on this as well as the bad guy in
the opening of the film. Joany is a talented filmmaker who
has gone on to write the popular Hallmark channel movie
"The Christmas Card" starring Ed Asner and the film
"Moonlight and Mistletoe." "A KNIGHT IN LA" appears here
with permission of and courtesy of Joany Kane.
