  We present the first results from, and a complete description of, our ongoing
UBVI digital photometric survey of the Magellanic Clouds. In particular, we
discuss the photometric quality and automated reduction of a CCD survey
(magnitude limits, completeness, and astrometric accuracy) that covers the
central 8 by 8 degrees of the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC) and 4 by 4 degrees
of the Small Magellanic Cloud (SMC). We discuss photometry of over 1 million
stars from the initial survey observations (an area northwest of the LMC bar
covering 2 by 1.5 degrees) and present a deep stellar cluster catalog that
contains about 45% more clusters than previously identified within this region.
Of the 68 clusters found, only 12 are also identified as concentrations of
``old'', red clump stars. Furthermore, only three clusters are identified
solely on the basis of a concentration of red clump stars, rather than as a
concentration of luminous (V < 21) main sequence stars. Extrapolating from the
current data, we expect to obtain B and V photometry for 25 million stars, and
U and I photometry for 10 and 20 million stars, respectively, over the entire
survey area.
