Draft:Howard Suber

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Howard Suber
Born (1938-07-21) July 21, 1938 (age 85)
Owosso, Mich.
Occupation(s)Professor, Author, Expert Witness
Spouse(s)(1958—present)
Roberta (Soffin) Suber
Children2

Howard Suber, Ph.D. is an American author and educator who has taught generations of screenwriters, directors, producers, and film scholars during his 53 years on the faculty of the UCLA School of Theater, Film and Television.

Suber helped establish and also chaired UCLA's Critical Studies and Ph.D. film programs, the UCLA Film and Television Archive, and the School of TFT Producers Program[1]. He is a former UCLA TFT associate dean.

More recently, Suber created, wrote, and narrated a 6-part television series, "The Power of Film,"[2] which premiered on Turner Classic Movies (TCM) on January 4, 2024 and began streaming on Max's TCM hub April 1, 2024[3]. The series distills his decades-long analysis of the inner workings of the most popular and memorable American films, intercut with powerful excerpts of those films.

Early life[edit]

Suber was born on July 21, 1938, and raised in Owosso, MI. After receiving his B.A. from Harvard University in 1959, he moved west and received both an M.A. (1966) and a Ph.D. (1968) from UCLA’s burgeoning film school, at the time named “Theater History, Motion Pictures and Television.” He married Roberta Soffin in 1958, and they have two daughters and two grandchildren.

Academic Career[edit]

  • Professor Emeritus, UCLA,1994–Present[4]. Recalled to active teaching service after voluntary early retirement.
  • Faculty Member, UCLA – 1965-1994. Taught more than 60 different courses in film and television.
  • Founding Chair, Film and Television Producers Program – 1987-1994. Built and chaired the program within the Department of Film and Television to expose students to the realities of entering the film and television industry. Nearly all courses were taught by distinguished producers; studio, marketing, and distribution heads; and industry attorneys.
  • Associate Dean, Newly-formed School of Theater, Film and Television - 1989-1990.
  • Founding Director of the UCLA Program for the Study of Humor - 1986-1987.
  • A Founding Director, UCLA Film and Television Archive - 1970-1975: Built the collection from 30 to more than 3,000 prints, the largest collection outside the Library of Congress.
  • A Founding Chair, program in film history, theory, and criticism - 1970-1978. Designed and wrote the Ph.D. program in film and television and chaired the program in film history, theory, and criticism.
  • Various administrative and Academic Senate appointments - including elected member-at-large of the Executive Committee, UCLA Academic Senate; member of the Senate Committee on Charges (1976; re-appointed in 1986); and Department Representative to the Legislative Assembly.

Author[edit]

  • The Power of Film[5], 2006, Michael Wiese Books. The principles of popular film and the structures, psychology and philosophies underlying them.
  • Letters to Young Filmmakers: Creativity and Getting Your Films Made[6], 2012, Michael Wiese Books. Analysis and advice on common problems faced by professionals in film and television.
  • Creativity and Copyright: Legal Essentials for Screenwriters and Creative Artists[7], with John Geiger, LLD., 2019, University of California Press. A guide for writers, directors and producers to the principles that link creativity and copyright.

Other Work[edit]

  • 2024: Creator, writer, and narrator of the 6-part series, "The Power of Film,"[8] exploring the art of storytelling through the defining principles and inner workings of the most popular and memorable American films. The series was executive produced by two of Suber's former students and teaching assistants, filmmakers Doug Pray [9]and Laura Gabbert[10].
  • 1976 - 2014: Consultant and expert witness for major Hollywood studios and plaintiffs engaged in legal actions against them on various matters relating to copyright, creative control, film production, writing, and fair use.[11]

Honors and Awards[edit]

  • 2015: Several hundred current and former students stage a campus “Celebration of Howard Suber’s First 50 Years of Teaching at UCLA,” and a scholarship in his name is established through student donations[12].
  • 2014: Awarded the Dickson Emeritus Professorship Award, the highest honor bestowed upon a retired faculty member by UCLA[13].
  • 2007: “Life Achievement Award” from the Kansas City Film Jubilee[14] for his contributions to independent film.
  • 2003: “Lifetime Achievement Award” for contributions to film education and film making by the Temecula Valley Film and Music Festival in California.
  • 1987: UCLA Academic Senate “Distinguished Teaching Award[15].”

References[edit]

  1. ^ "Producers Program". UCLA School of TFT Producers Program.
  2. ^ "The Power of Film". TCM.com.
  3. ^ "The Power of Film". imdb.com.
  4. ^ "UCLA Faculty". UCLA TFT.
  5. ^ Suber, Howard (2006). The Power of Film. Michael Wiese Productions. ISBN 1932907173.
  6. ^ Suber, Howard (2012). Letters to Young Filmmakers: Creativity and Getting Your Films Made. Michael Wiese Productions. ISBN 978-1615930630.
  7. ^ Suber, Howard; Geiger, John L. (2019). Creativity and Copyright Legal Essentials for Screenwriters and Creative Artists. University of California Press. ISBN 978-0520303539.
  8. ^ "The Power of Film". thepoweroffilm.com.
  9. ^ "Doug Pray Films".
  10. ^ "Laura Gabbert Films".
  11. ^ "Media Guide to UCLA Experts". UCLA Newsroom.
  12. ^ "UCLA Honors Legendary Film Professor Howard Suber for 50 Years of Teaching". Variety.com. 30 September 2015.
  13. ^ "ARTS + CULTURE Teacher, mentor and master of making things happen". newsroom.ucla.edu.
  14. ^ "Kansas City Film Fest". KC Film Fest.
  15. ^ "Howard Suber, M.A. '66, Ph.D. '68, Associate Professor of Theater, Film and Television". alumni.ucla.edu.
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