THE BUZZ GREAT EXPOSURE FOR USC FILM SCHOOL.

Byline: - Compiled by Valerie Kuklenski

``Old School'' star Will Ferrell is flashing back to his college days when he hosted the 75th anniversary gala of the School of Cinema-Television at USC.

Sunday's event opened with the screening of a short, silent project described as USC's first student film: black-and-white footage of Ferrell wearing nothing but the school's Trojan mascot headdress as he ran across campus. Ferrell got his bachelor's degree at USC in sports information. The film school's highly successful alums include directors Ron Howard, John Singleton, Robert Zemeckis and George Lucas, who were among the more than 1,200 guests.

Steven Spielberg said he was rejected by USC because an admissions officer told him his C average was unacceptable. ``I said, `Well, I understand you allow people in football and basketball to play here and they have C averages,' '' the Oscar winner recalled. ``He said, `If you can make a basket or throw a football, you can get in here, too.' ''

Autopsies R Us

Scratching your head over what to get that budding forensic scientist on your gift list? CBS Consumer Products has licensed a series of ``CSI: Crime Scene Investigation'' forensic activity kits, available through www.cbs.com and Toys R Us and aimed at customers ages 14 and up. The first in the line, in stores Friday, is the Facial Reconstruction Kit, which allows the investigator to deduce facial features from a victim's skull and identify the killer from a series of clues. Available later in the month are CSI: Forensics Lab, which includes a microscope and a fingerprinting kit, and CSI: DNA Laboratory, which includes, well, all you really would have needed to explain the O.J. Simpson case to a jury.

`Idol' no bargain

For a network, the only thing better than the cheap production budget of a reality show is a fabulous return on that low investment. A new survey by Ad Age magazine says Fox's ``American Idol'' has replaced NBC sitcom ``Friends'' as the new season's most expensive TV show in terms of the price of its commercials. The Wednesday edition of the show is No. 1 on the list with an average 30-second price of over $653,000, while Tuesday's show is slightly more affordable at $620,000. NBC drama ``ER'' came in third with an average price of $479,000.

Starlet search

Breaking into Hollywood never has been easy, and these days not too many actresses are being discovered at soda fountains. The WB is here to help. The network is holding an open casting call from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. today for its reality competition show ``The Next Hollywood Starlet.'' It's being held at the Warner Bros. Animation Building at Sherman Oaks Galleria, 15301 Ventura Blvd., Building E. All the particulars are at www.nextstarlet.com.

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no caption (``CSI: Crime Scene Investigation'' forensic activity kit)