raphael rosalen is a brazilian award-winning polymath and fellow of the USC Sidney Harman Academy for Polymathic Study.

rosalen is a writer and scholar of digital media and celebrity culture, as well as a multimedia artist and producer. he holds a bachelor’s and master’s degree in cinema and media studies from the University of Southern California (USC). his professional experience includes work at the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, where he contributed to inclusive film research initiatives, as well as roles at the Museum of Modern Art’s film department and the Lucas Museum of Narrative Art.

his scholarly work has focused on YouTubers and other digital media celebrities, with particular attention to affect, authenticity, and the performance of intimacy online. he is currently pursuing a phd in film and media studies at UC Irvine, where his research examines the emergence of new forms of celebrity across digital platforms. his forthcoming dissertation historicizes early YouTube content as a formative artistic movement shaping today’s digital visual language and influencer economy.

he is the founder of Seventh Press, an independent imprint established to publish and support narrative-driven work across print and digital platforms.

as of november 2022, rosalen is the managing editor of JCMS: Journal of Cinema and Media Studies. see list of published issues below.

raphael's debut book, Monte Casanova, was published in the fall of 2025. it anchors a larger multimedia project that also includes a fictional podcast, a serialized TikTok series, and his debut album of the same name.

education:

Ph.D. in Film and Media Studies, University of California, Irvine, 2021 – present
(ABD as of Spring 2024)

M.A. in Cinema and Media Studies, University of Southern California, 2020

B.A. in Cinema and Media Studies, University of Southern California, 2018

linkedin (link)

full CV (link)

JCMS issues edited:

volume 65, issue 1 (special sssue: “Is It Media?”), fall 2025

volume 64, issue 5, 2024-2025 (open access)

volume 64, issue 4, summer 2025

volume 64, issue 3, spring 2025

volume 64, issue 2, winter 2025