From the Nominator

For Volare, our primary audience was the University of Southern California (USC) and USC Andrew and Erna Viterbi School of Engineering community. To celebrate the 20th anniversary of the naming of the Viterbi School, our goal was to create something unique, moving away from traditional talking-head videos. We aimed to produce a memorable film that deepened the community's understanding of Andrew and Erna Viterbi and to inspire pride in being part of an institution bearing their name. Thus, we chose to create Volare, the first engineering musical in USC’s history. Our marketing and communications team, experienced in writing and directing feature films, faced new challenges in producing a musical. Combining song, dance, and technical elements made the process complex. Barry Edelstein, the Erna Finci Viterbi Artistic Director of the Old Globe Theater, likened our task to opening a Manhattan restaurant in two months—difficult but not impossible. In just two months, we conducted research, wrote the script, recorded original songs, created budgets and schedules, assembled crew, auditioned cast, held rehearsals, and secured locations and extras. On Feb. 23, 2024, we began shooting Volare. Four days later, principal photography was completed. Six weeks later, post-production wrapped up, and Volare premiered in the fall of 2024 to a packed theater filled with incoming first-year students and their families. The film was very well received, with the current plan to screen the film for all future incoming Viterbi students.

From the Judges

This is an outstandingly creative project. Beyond the beautiful film, it served as a powerful community-building and stewardship opportunity, providing unique experiential learning for students and a truly exceptional "thank you" to the donor family. It's a brilliant example of reinforcing institutional values and culture in a deeply engaging way.