In 2014, Critical Thinking Media identified a challenge. Unlike most accredited film schools, the USC School of Cinematic Arts retains copyright control over films created by its students. This became an issue when graduates tried to promote their work on platforms like Vimeo, only to receive takedown notices from USC for copyright violations.

At the time, USC sponsored an annual, on-campus film festival showcasing student’s work.  The First Look festival represented the only opportunity students had to present their films within a USC Film School environment to the outside world.  There was no sanctioned streaming platform for students to exhibit their work

Critical Thinking Media approached USC School of Cinematic Arts faculty and proposed an expansion of the First Look Film festival online, via a branded, white-labeled streaming platform specifically designed to securly showcase student-produced films and provide them with professional networking capabilities.

With approval from USC, Critical Thinking Media partnered with the New York-based content delivery network Advection to develop the platform, which launched in 2014 to coincide with the First Look Film Festival.

USC students are now able to create film pages within a USC-branded presentation framework, and filmmakers (and cast/crew) are able to include professional links for industry networking.