Elizabeth Daley [Dean of USC School of Cinematic Arts]

By: Julian Chavez | June 25, 2010 | Ten by Ten

Elizabeth Daley currently serves as dean of the USC School of Cinematic Arts. She was the executive founder of the Annenberg Center for Communication and holds the same position for the USC Institute for Multimedia Literacy. Using her work for humanitarian purposes, Daley has received the California Governor’s Award for programming she’s done for the disabled and presides on the Board of Governors for Operation Smile. She wears many hats in the media field, having also worked in the entertainment industry as a producer and media consultant.

What inspired you to work in the entertainment business?
I’ve loved storytelling for as early as I can remember. It’s my favorite thing.

In one or two sentences, how would you describe the current state of the industry?
It’s been in flux and there have been a lot of changes. And you know it’s a very dynamic industry right now, because of all of the things that are happening with new media. Because of this, we have to create some new business models. I have a great deal of faith in the industry, because it has always shown that it’s a growth industry.

In your opinion what constitutes great storytelling?
Basically, great stories are the ones that people resonate with, that somehow help us understand our condition as humans, and that help us understand the world we live in.  They will resonate with our own concerns, cares, loves, and desires.

What contemporary artists do you admire and why?
Oh my goodness, I wouldn’t dare give you a list, there are so many. I think we are very blessed with a great many wonderful artists, and my wish is artists in general were more valued in this country.

Please list your top five films of the decade and why?
No way would I try!  I see a lot of films, I probably see three to four films a week.  I just love films … I even love the bad ones!

What do you consider your greatest career achievement?
Again, these greatests and bests are always very hard to do. One of the things that I’m very, very proud of is what has happened at USC, especially in terms of faculty. We now have 46 percent women as our tenure faculty, which was a big change, and I’m very proud of that. I’m just very proud of how the school works and how much people seem to enjoy being there.

What do you consider your greatest career failure?
I can tell you what I still want to achieve, but I don’t think I wouldn’t classify it as a failure. I want to be sure that the USC School of Cinematic Arts is well endowed and very safe to survive for another hundred years.

What do you believe is the biggest problem currently facing the entertainment business?
I think creating successful new business models that will enable us to embrace and fully utilize new technology.

What new technology currently having an impact on your industry are you most excited about and why? What technology are you most afraid of and why?
I think just in general — visual media, especially when you’re talking about what it enables in films like A Christmas Carol and Avatar, or whether you’re talking about the way in which it’s enabling more and more people to be able to explore using the language of film.  One should never be afraid of technology.

What is the best career advice you’ve ever received, and who gave it to you?
Oh gosh, I have received so much advice over the years and I’ve had so many mentors. I think the best career advice I would give anybody is to keep your ears open and listen, because great advice will come from places you’d never expected.

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