The SCA Podcast Network

In celebration of the 90th Anniversary of the School of Cinematic Arts, SCA alumni will lead conversations on stage with fellow alumni whose work they admire or whose careers have inspired them. Kicking off the series on Tuesday, February 5, 2019, director Jon M. Chu (CRAZY RICH ASIANS, STEP UP 2 THE STREETS) and writer/director Rawson Marshall Thurber (DODGEBALL: A TRUE UNDERDOG STORY, SKYSCRAPER) engaged in a lively conversation with each other, swapping stories about their time as students and trading insights picked up throughout their careers. Presented here is their full unedited conversation.

Our expert panel returns to discuss the 2017 Oscars! With Professors Tyger Williams (Menace II Society) and David Isaacs (Cheers, MASH) of the Division of Writing for Screen and Television and film critic Katie Walsh, alum of the Bryan Singer Division of Cinema & Media Studies. Moderated by SCA writer/editor and Media Studies MA student Matt Meier.

Writer/director Fede Alvarez and actor Daniel Zovatto ("Money") join Alex Ago in this OUTSIDE THE BOX [OFFICE] post-screening Q&A for DON'T BREATHE. With a certified fresh 89% on Rotten Tomatoes, the acclaimed $9 millionbudget thriller has been top five in the box office for the past four weeks, grossing over $100 million worldwide to date.

Panel discussion with cast & crew of Roots, nominated for 7 Emmy's including Best Limited Series. Moderated by Leah Aldridge (PhD, Cinema & Media Studes), panelists include: Executive Producers Mark Wolper and LeVar Burton, cast members Malachi Kirby ("Kunta Kinte") and Derek Luke ("Silla Ba Dibba"), editor Marty Nicholson, writer Mark Rosenthal, director of photography Sharone Meir, and sound mixer Joseph Earle.

A panel of distinguished film & television editors offer their insights and anecdotes on how to break into the industry as a post-production professional. Moderated by alum Mitchell Danton, an Emmy Award-winning editor and author of Cutting It In Hollywood; with guests Nena Hsu Erb (Dancing with the Stars), Billy Fox (Straight Outta Compton), Paul Karasick (Supernatural), Ivan Ladizinsky (Survivor), Mary Jo Markey (Star Wars: The Force Awakens), and alum Ron Rosen (Friday Night Lights). Presented by the Editing Track of the SCA Production Division and organized by Editing Track Head and USC Professor Nancy Forner.

Alex Ago welcomes Pulitzer Prize-winning food critic Jonathan Gold and documentarian Laura Gabbert, director/producer of the documentary CITY OF GOLD, which follows Jonathan through a kaleidoscopic portrait of Los Angeles's eclectic food scene.

Writing Professor and Division Chair Jack Epps, Jr., award-winning screenwriter ("Top Gun," "Anaconda," "Dick Tracy") and author of "Screenwriting is Rewriting: The Art and Craft of Professional Revision," speaks with Senior Communications Writer Desa Philadelphia about his new book and the importance of rewriting to his own career as a successful studio writer.

A roundtable discussion of the upcoming 88th Annual Academy Awards featuring the USC School of Cinematic Arts' distinguished panel: Director of Programming Alex Ago, fellow SCA alum and film critic Katie Walsh (Indiewire, LA Times, Tribune News Service), screenwriter and Adjunct Professor Tyger Williams (Menace II Society), and esteemed TV writer and Professor David Isaacs (Cheers, M.A.S.H.). A recently initiated member of the Academy, Tyger offers an inside scoop on the voting process and how the Academy functions (1:41) before our experts debate the best and worst of this year's nominees (6:24), the biggest snubs (18:17), the impact of the Netflix model on the awards race and distribution (24:09), and the widely debated topic of diversity as it relates to both the Oscars and the industry at large (29:41). Then, after a quick break, we'll break down this year's notable performances (46:20), most impressive directing and technical achievements (56:37), screenwriting successes and why they worked (1:11:11), and everyone's final predictions for Sunday night's big winners (1:29:00).