The John C. Hench Division of Animation and Digital Arts was born more than twenty years ago with several film graphics courses taught by Professor Gene Coe. In 1985, Dr. Richard Weinberg, an accomplished software developer, was brought on board as a joint appointment with the School of Engineering to create the USC computer animation laboratory.
Together, Weinberg and Coe designed the original MFA in Film, Video, and Computer Animation Program. Vibeke Sorensen, the founding director of the CalArts Computer Animation Lab, joined the Division in 1994 and became the first Chair of the division the following year. Professor Sorensen also redesigned the curriculum and MFA.
In the fall of 1997 and with help from Mr. John C. Hench, the school opened its newly remodeled Animation Studio and welcomed its newest faculty member and artist, Professor Christine Panushka, formerly of CalArts. In the fall of 1998, two time Academy Award nominee and animator Ishu Patel joined the faculty, as did then visiting artist and now current Chair Kathy Smith.
Today the John C. Hench Division offers a BA and MFA in Animation and Digital Arts as well as an undergraduate minor. The division continues to grow and flourish as alumni and current students contribute to this exciting and cutting edge program.
1929-- | USC President Rufus Von KleinSmid and Douglas Fairbanks Sr. discuss the possibilities of teaching film at the University of Southern California; "Introduction to the Photoplay," the first film course was created. |
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| Later, USC was to become the first University to have a degree granting program in film. Irving Thalberg, Ernst Lubitsch, John Huston, DW Griffith, Walt Disney became guest lecturers and presenters. |
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1942-- | Disney animator and large format cinema (Imax) pioneer Lester Novros teaches the first animation class "Principles & Mechanics of Animation". |
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1948-- | Slavko Vorkapitch (who created "The Life & Death of a Hollywood Extra" together with Robert Florey and Greg Toland in 1928) becomes the head of the film school, and he encourages students that would become the leaders of the avante garde film movement in Hollywood in the 50s (Gregory Markopolous & Curtis Harrington). |
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1961-- | Herb Kosower teaches animation and film graphics at the film program. George Lucas, John Milius, and Hal Barwood were among the few who were to study under him and create remarkable work. |
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1970s- | Gene Coe establishes the Film Graphics and Animation Program with the Film Department Chair, Bernie Cantor. He was to lead the program till 1993. |
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| There were numerous bright young filmmakers to study under him, including Gary Rydstrom (now head of Skywalker Sound), John Knoll (one of the Photoshop authors), Everett Lewis ( one of LA's current leading independent filmmakers), Stephanie Barish (creative director and designer of the Shoah Foundation Interactive Project). |
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1985-- | Dr.Richard Weinberg establishes the USC Computer Animation Laboratory. |
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1993-- | Elizabeth Daley, Dean of the School of CNTV, establishes the Master of Fine Arts Program in Film, Video, and Computer Animation together with Gene Coe, Dr. Richard Weinberg (one of the SIGGRAPH pioneers), and Mark Harris (academy award winning documentary film director). It was a two year graduate degree program. |
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1994-- | Digital artist, animator, and stereoscopic interactive moving image expert, Vibeke Sorensen, joins the MFA program. |
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1995-- | Vibeke Sorensen becomes Program Director, establishes the Division of Animation and Digital Arts, and becomes its Chairperson. |
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| Dr. Weinberg together with Ms. Norico Mukai establishes the USC-TBS internship which is a cultural, academic, & professional exchange program between the United States and Japan. |
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1996-- | The MFA program is expanded to 3 years. |
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1997-- | Leading Disney designer John C. Hench donates an entire animation drawing studio to the program. |
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1998-- | Internationally acclaimed independent animator, animation historian and educator, Christine Panushka joins the Program and the Division. |
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| National Film Board of Canada pioneer animator Ishu Patel, and Australian experimental film/installation artist Kathy Smith both join the faculty. |
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1999-- | Professor Christine Panushka becomes Chair. |
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| Division publishes first set of postcards and digital sound postcards funded by the USC Bookstore. |
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2000-- | Works from the Division of Animation and Digital Arts and the School of Cinema-Television are exhibited simlutaneously at the Sydney International Film Festival and at the 8th International Animation Festival in Hiroshima. |
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| DADA publication is produced to coincide with the exhibition and funded by the USC Bookstore. |
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2001-- | "Values" by Van Phan (MFA "00) is selected as "Best Animation" at the Electronic Theater, for LA SIGGRAPH 2001. |
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| "Indefinable Moods", by animation faculty member Kathy Smith, is also exhibited as part of the SIGGRAPH 2001 N-Space art gallery. |
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| Professor Ishu Patel resigns as tenured faculty to work on his independent feature in Canada. |
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2002-- | "Horses on Mar" by Eric Anderson and "Indefinable Moods" are selected for the Sundance Film Festival. |
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| A substantial number of DADA students begin to exhibit at major international animation festivals and win numerous awards. |
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| Production Supervisor and adjunct faculty Mar Elepano wins a Fulbright Fellowship to Malaysia. |
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| Kathy Smith is awarded a new position as Visiting Associate Professor. |
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2003-- | DADA exhibits for the first time as part of First Look Annual Screening at the DGA Cinema Complex. |
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| Kathy Smith is tenured as Associate Professor. |
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2004-- | Professor Christine Panushka takes her sabbatical, and Professor Vibeke Sorensen returns for one semester as Chair. |
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The Wrigley Institute for Environmental Studies and Hench-DADA form a research collaboration. |
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| Professor Vibeke Sorensen takes a position with Arizona State University, and Professor Kathy Smith becomes Chair. |
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| DADA and CNTV become part of the Partners by Design group with Adobe Systems, Inc., and Dr. Richard Weinberg is invited to be on the board. |
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2005-- | Division celebrates ten years of animation and digital art with anniversary DVD and screening at DADA-First Look screening DGA cinema complex. |
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| MFA and minor curriculum is updated and BA in animation and digital arts is created and approved. |
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Hench-DADA receives two 125th grants from the University. |
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| "Bike-In Movies" is curated and produced by Lisa Mann and Newtown Arts celebrating the work of DADA students and faculty. |
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2006-- | Hench Foundation endows the program in honor of John C. Hench. The Division is renamed "John C. Hench Division of Animation and Digital Arts". |
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| Several Hench-DADA students continue to have works exhibited in Hiroshima, Anima Mundi, Zahgreb, Annecy, and SIGGRAPH Electronic Theater. |
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New faculty member Sheila Sofian is recruited as Visiting Associate Professor. |
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| Everett Lewis is also awarded Visiting Associate Professor and becomes a joint hire with Hench-DADA and CNTV Production. |
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An exchange scholarship with the Yunlin University of Taiwan is established and a series of workshops are taught by Production Supervisor Mar Elepano in Taiwan and the first ever animation workshop in Amman Jordan by Professor Kathy Smith and Adjunct Faculty Kristy Kang. |
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George Lucas endows the school for 175 million including an entirely new state of the art building. The school is renamed to "School of Cinematic Arts." |
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