“Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige has given a “transformational gift” to the USC School of Cinematic Arts to launch the Kevin Feige Division of Film & Television Production. Feige, a USC alum who is also the chief creative officer at Marvel, graduated from the Division of Film & Television Production in 1995, which will now carry”, — write: www.hollywoodreporter.com
Feige, a USC alum who is also the chief creative officer at Marvel, graduated from the Division of Film & Television Production in 1995, which will now carry his name to give future film and TV creators a leg up on their way to Hollywood and the global entertainment business.
“USC’s School of Cinematic Arts is the original film school, a historic institution founded by cinema pioneers. It’s where everything began for me as a producer, following in the footsteps of my heroes and walking the same halls as the storied alumni who came before me,” said Feige in a statement. Overseeing the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Feige has franchise credits including Black Panther, The Avengers, X-Men and Spider-Man.
“That nearly 100-year legacy, and the community that defines USC, are why I’ve stayed so connected to the school and why I’m so passionate about supporting the next generation of filmmakers,” Feige added. The USC division trains students in film and TV and from directing and producing to cinematography, sound, and editing, while working with the latest media platforms, technologies and workflows.
USC School of Cinematic Arts Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images
Feige’s donation comes as USC and its students find themselves grappling with the realities of AI and emerging technologies amid unprecedented industry change. The veteran producer is part of a USC alumni network that includes Ryan Coogler, Steven Caple Jr., Alice Brooks, Jon M. Chu, Susan Downey, Shawn Levy, George Lucas, Tina Mabry, Jay Roach, Sean Wang and Robert Zemeckis.
“Kevin Feige is above all a remarkable storyteller who brings innovative and impactful cinema to our screens epitomizing the kind of film producer the School of Cinematic Arts strives to graduate,” USC Dean Elizabeth Daley said in a statement. Feige in 2017 gave an earlier gift to the school to establish the Kevin Feige Endowed Fund for Creative Producing.
“He has also been a steadfast supporter of the school and its students. In every way he is an inspiration, and we are delighted as the school nears its centennial that the Division of Film & Television Production will carry his name into its next century,” Daley added. Feige has close ties to USC as a member of its Board of Councilors and as a regular guest at Leonard Maltin’s Theatrical Film Symposium class.
And he regularly hires USC alums for Marvel projects like Black Panther writer and director Coogler, director Scott Derrickson, editor Jeff Ford, screenwriter Megan McDonnell, writer and producer Jac Schaeffer, and producers Mary Livanos and Brad Winderbaum.