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Stephen Rice received the Jim Morrison Award for best student film at UCLA Film School in 1978. This documentary featured the music of jazz composer/saxophonist John Handy. Thus began Rice's career in music oriented film and video projects. Rice was hired as an associate producer at KCET, the Public Television affiliate for greater Los Angeles. There he produced music performance shows with Al Jarreau, Lee Oskar (harmonica player for War), and Supersax, led by Med Flory, doing big band arrangements of Charlie Parker's improvised solos.
In 1982, Rice moved to New York City to produce and co-write "Music in Monk Time", a retrospective tribute to Thelonious Monk. Rice's writing partner was vocalist Jon Hendricks, and the movie featured Dizzy Gillespie, Carmen McRae, Milt Jackson, Monk's quartet members and big band performances, featuring Terence Blanchard and Monk's son, T.S. on drums. Hendricks was both narrator and performer with his group, Hendricks and Company. The movie won Bronze Medal, All Categories and Best Biographical Film at the 1984 Film Festival of New York and finalist, Best Performance Film category at the Swiss, Golden Rose (Rose d'Or) of Montreux Festival, in 1985.
After two years in New York, Rice moved to San Francisco for the start of the local music video industry. Rice worked with pioneering music video company, Video Caroline, as well as his own company, Songfilms. Rice produced and directed projects with Huey Lewis and the News (MTV Awards: Best Group Video) , The Call, Hoodoo Rhythm Devils (MTV Basement Tapes winner), Jerry Garcia, Dr. John, Taj Mahal, and Maria Muldaur.
As the industry began to move south to Los Angeles, so did Rice. He art directed the movie "Less Than Zero". This was the film debut of the Red Hot Chili Peppers, with Rick Rubin producing the soundtrack. Rice also art directed the soundtrack single, the Bangles' version of Paul Simon's "Hazy Shade of Winter".
Rice production designed several movies, including two contemporary musicals for West German, Ascot Films, choreographed by Paula Abdul and starring German actress, Silvia Seidel. His commercial work included a Super Bowl spot for Taco Bell and the CLIO Award winning, Cup of Noodles, "Cave Family" for Nissin/Densu, Tokyo.
However, Rice's main interest remained the medium of music videos. Artists he art directed videos for include Prince (two), Rickie Lee Jones, Neville Brothers, Los Lobos, Dwight Yoakam, John Fogerty, Cheap Trick, Crosby, Stills & Nash, Olivia Newton-John/David Foster, Bonham, David Hasselhoff, P.M. Dawn, Gerald Levert and Patrice Rushen.
As the millennium turned, Rice moved back to the San Francisco Bay Area to teach, with an emphasis on Language Arts in the diverse community of East Palo Alto. In an effort to meaningfully engage an under served student population, Rice invited professional men and women of color, from both the arts and business communities, into his class. It was a way to bring the positive, productive world into the classroom. The faces of the successful guests reflected the faces of the students.
In retirement, Rice created music for apps with members of the Bay Area jazz community. He also worked with SF Jazz to restore and digitize his movie, "Music in Monk Time" as part of their 2021 Summer Online Festival. "Music in Monk Time" will soon be available on Quincy Jones' music steaming service, QWest.TV,
