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 that has shaped 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 the 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:
University of California, Irvine
Ph.D. in Film and Media Studies (Emphasis in Visual Studies and Digital Media), Expected 2026
University of Southern California
M.A. in Cinema and Media Studies, 2020
University of Southern California
B.A. in Cinema and Media Studies, 2018
Recipient of the USC Discovery Scholar Prize (Top 10 university-wide for original research)
LinkedIn (link)
Full CV (link)
JCMS issues edited:
Volume 65, Issue 2, Winter 2026
Volume 65, Issue 5 (Special Issue: “Is It Media?” Part 2 - Open Access), Winter 2026
Volume 65, Issue 1 (Special Issue: “Is It Media?”, Part 1), 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
Volume 64, Issue 1, Fall 2024
Volume 63, Issue 5, 2023-2024 (Open Access)
Volume 63, Issue 4, Summer 2024
Volume 63, Issue 3, Spring 2024
Volume 63, Issue 2, Winter 2024
Volume 63, Issue 1, Fall 2023
Volume 62, Issue 4, Summer 2023