In a business where who you know is every bit as crucial as what you know, USC cinema-television grads leave school with much more than a piece of sheepskin. They leave with life membership in what’s jokingly referred to as the “USC Mafia” – a syndicate of alumni scattered across every echelon of the entertainment industry.
“It’s a breath-taking network,” says dean Elizabeth Daley, “although I’m certain we could find nicer words for it.”
Tom Hjelm MFA ’87 knows the value of the Trojan cosa nostra. After graduating from the production program, he worked at various odd jobs that ranged from appearing in a Japanese music video to editing class notes for USC Trojan Family Magazine. Then, in 1995, he went on vacation with a few friends, among them a USC classmate affiliated with NBC.
“It was over a beer, on a tropical island off the coast of Malaysia, that I began a discussion which led to my being hired by NBC Internet,” says Hjelm, now senior director and executive producer of NBC.com.
The USC network is no less important for Gregory McKnight MFA ’94, a graduate of the Peter Stark Producing program and a rising star in the William Morris Agency.
McKnight regularly reviews new USC talent, keeping abreast of the latest developments through Larry Auerbach, associate dean for student-industry relations.
“I really want to know the films and filmmakers coming out of the school,” McKnight says. “USC consistently produces some of the most interesting and best prepared talent, some of whom I am happy I am able to represent.”
Though Trojan spirit is a major source of the USC Mafia’s networking strength, practical considerations – such as a common technical grounding and discipline – also seem to fuel the dynamic.
“The industry knows what they’re getting when they get a USC grad, and they take it very seriously,” Daley says. “Our students get this enormous network of people who are ready to receive them and trust their training.”

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