The Dirty Dozen (filmmaking)
The Dirty Dozen is the nickname for a group of filmmaking students at the USC School of Cinematic Arts within the University of Southern California during the mid-late 1960s. The main group consisted of budding directors, screenwriters, producers, editors and cinematographers. Through innovative techniques and effects, they would go on to success in the Hollywood film industry.
Also known as the "USC Mafia", the group's name was a reference to the 1967 Robert Aldrich-directed war film The Dirty Dozen.[1]
The Core Group
- George Lucas - Academy Award-nominated director, writer, producer, creator of the Star Wars series and co-creator of Indiana Jones series
- John Milius - Screenwriter of Apocalypse Now and director of Conan the Barbarian
- Howard Kazanjian - Producer of such films as Raiders of the Lost Ark, The Empire Strikes Back, and Return of the Jedi.
- Walter Murch - Academy Award-winning film editor and sound editor of Apocalypse Now, The Conversation, The Godfather Part II, The English Patient, and Cold Mountain.
- Hal Barwood - Screenwriter
- Bob Gale - Screenwriter and producer of the Back to the Future trilogy.
- Matthew Robbins - Screenwriter
- Randal Kleiser - Director Grease, The Blue Lagoon, It's My Party
- Caleb Deschanel - Academy Award-nominated director of photography on The Right Stuff, The Natural, The Patriot, and The Passion of the Christ.
- Robert Dalva - Editor of films such as The Black Stallion, Jumanji, Jurassic Park III, and Hidalgo.
- Willard Huyck - Screenwriter
- Robert Zemeckis - Academy Award-winning director, screenwriter and producer of several successful films in the mid-1980s to 2000s; the Back to the Future trilogy, Who Framed Roger Rabbit, Forrest Gump, and Cast Away.
Other Affiliated Members
Group Projects
- THX 1138 - Having evolved from an experimental short film called Electronic Labyrinth: THX 1138 4EB, this was Lucas' first feature-length project as a director.[2] It was co-written by Murch and Robbins (who came up with the concept of the original short film) and released in March 1971.
- Apocalypse Now - Written by Milius and edited by Murch. Having established himself with the success of American Graffiti, George Lucas was originally set to direct the film in California as a low-budget, documentary-style feature.[4] However, the complicated production process of Star Wars caused him to drop out.[5]
References
- ^ Skywalking: The Life and Films of George Lucas, Dale Pollock, pp. 48
- ^ The Student Movie Makers, TIME Magazine, February 02, 1968
- ^ Baxter, pp. 70, 104, 148, 254
- ^ Cowie 2001, p. 3.
- ^ Cowie 2001, p. 6.