Deschanel was born in
Philadelphia,
Pennsylvania, the son of Ann Ward (née Orr) and Paul Jules Deschanel. His father was
French, from
Oullins,
Rhône, and his mother was American. Deschanel was raised in his mother's
Quaker religion. He enrolled in
Severn School for his high school. He attended
Johns Hopkins University from 1962 to 1966, where he met
Walter Murch, with whom he staged "
happenings," including one in which Murch sat down and ate an apple for an audience. Murch graduated a year ahead of him and encouraged Deschanel to follow him to the
University of Southern California School of Cinematic Arts, where he graduated in 1968. During this time, Deschanel was a member of a band of film students called "
The Dirty Dozen;" this group attracted attention from the Hollywood system. Following his graduation, he attended the
American Film Institute (AFI) Conservatory and graduated in 1969 as a member of its first class. ==Personal life==