S2 - Episode 9

Dean Elizabeth Daley came to the USC School of Cinematic Arts as its interim director in 1991, intending to stay for only one year. She is now the longest serving dean of the nation’s most prestigious film school. During her tenure, Dean Daley has helped mentor the careers of young filmmakers that have gone on to great creative achievement including Black Panther director, Ryan Coogler, and Grey’s Anatomy’s creator, Shonda Rhimes. You may not know her name, but there is no one in Hollywood who doesn’t immediately take Elizabeth Daley’s call -- from Steven Spielberg to George Lucas, from Ron Howard to Robert Zemeckis - all of them USC alumni. In a fascinating behind-the-curtain conversation for this episode of The Thread, you will learn the secret of cultivating great storytellers and - spoiler alert - storytelling is the secret of life.