Author: Tina Tsang
While lesser-known than their USC and UCLA counterparts, the small but growing film and theater departments at Occidental have produced several successful film and theater industry professionals. Although some have established themselves in the business, others are up-and-coming stars who are building impressive bodies of work.
Terry Gilliam ’62, who majored in political science, has directed, produced, acted in and written several films. The graduate joined Monty Python in 1969 as an animator and the comedy troupe’s only American member. During his time at Oxy, he lived in Swan Residence Hall before it was converted and was a member of the Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity.
Gilliam’s peers at Oxy could not have been too surprised by Gilliam’s choice to join a satiric, surrealistic comedy group. As a student, Gilliam made his largest mark as a contributor and editor of a humor magazine called Fang.
“We turned [Fang] into a sort of satirical, outrageous, offensive magazine wherever possible, trying to shock and wake up the student body,” Gilliam said in an interview with The Telegraph.
However nutty and edgy the magazine may have been, it catalyzed Gilliam’s highly successful career. He sent copies of Fang to Mad Magazine editor Harvey Kurtzman, who introduced Gilliam to English actor John Cleese. Cleese and Gilliam soon partnered with three more British actors to found the comedy troupe Monty Python, according to an article titled “Tilting at Gilliam” in the Occidental Magazine.
“‘Monty Python’ was a success in Britain before it came to the United States. My generation loved ‘Monty Python,’ and it was the predecessor for ‘Saturday Night Live.’ The comedy skits were something the public was unfamiliar with, and yet intriguing enough to watch at the same time,” Film and Media Studies professor Katherine Mills said.
The popular show was just the start of an intriguing career in film-making for the Oxy alumnus. Gilliam has directed numerous movies, including “Time Bandits,” “Brazil,” “Fisher King,” “Twelve Monkeys” and “Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas.” Perhaps even more illustrative of his stature are some of the movies that he didn’t direct. The sought-after director turned down movies such as “Enemy Mine,” “Forest Gump” and “Alien: Resurrection,” according to Internet Movie Database.
Gilliam was actually J.K. Rowling’s first choice to direct “Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone,” but eventually Warner Brothers Studios chose Chris Columbus, considering Columbus more “kid-friendly,” according to Internet Movie Database.
Occidental’s role in Gilliam’s success can be directly linked to the liberal arts philosophy that gave him a background in art, film and theatre, in addition to his political science major. Similarly, Oxy’s administration was flexible enough to give Fang, and thus Gilliam, a chance to grow, despite the magazines’ politically incorrect material.
Gilliam indirectly paved the way for future Occidental graduates trying to make a living in the film world. His ability to think outside the box with Fang and “Monty Python” is similar to how newer, up-and-coming Occidental alums are establishing themselves in writing and filmmaking professions.
Maurissa Tancharoen ’97 graduated from Oxy with a determined career goal of writing for the screen, and Oxy was where she got her industry bearings. Tancharoen is currently the story editor of Lifetime’s hit show “Drop Dead Diva,” and has numerous producing and writing credits to her name. She co-wrote “Dr. Horrible’s Sing-a-long Blog” with Joss Whedon, Zack Whedon and her now-husband Jed Whedon. She was a writer for the sci-fi drama “Dollhouse” and had a small acting role in the show as well.
Despite her extensive film and television accomplishments, Tancharoen was not actually involved in the film department. In fact, Tancharoen was an English major, a Theater minor and a budding playwright.
“I was heavily involved in Theater and Dance at Oxy. I spent a vast amount of my time up at Keck Theater in classes, or in rehearsals, or just plain hanging out with people who are still some of my closest, dearest friends today,” said Tancharoen in an e-mail interview.
With encouragement from Theater professor Alan Freeman, Tancharoen wrote her first one-act play as a junior. “For me, [writing the play] was a feat in itself, but then to see it actually produced […] Watching thoughts that only existed in my insecure brain suddenly coming alive and moving about on stage […] I was addicted […] Which is why I’m a film/television writer today,” said Tancharoen.
Tancharoen lists Freeman as a significant influence, and he remembers her as well.
“Maurissa was a richly talented Oxy theater student. She was bright, funny and blessed with a positive outlook on life that was, and still is, undeniably infectious […] Whether acting or dancing, her presence on the Keck Theater stage was a luminous event, charged with humanity,” Freeman said in an e-mail interview.
Professor Freeman also influenced another Oxy graduate who broke into the film scene. Mesh Flinders ’03 lists Freeman as one of the key influences on his educational experience.
Flinders is currently a digital strategist for brands and advertising agencies in New York City, but four years ago, he was a screenwriter, director and editor behind one of YouTube’s most viral series, lonelygirl15. For those who are not especially attuned to YouTube trends, lonelygirl15 is the username of a fictional teen videoblogger named Bree. The teenager provided viewers with a wondrous narrative on her life – a narrative constructed by Flinders.
Flinders knew he was going to dabble in the world of film before he even came to onto campus. As one of the creators and writers of this Web sensation, he wrote captivating scripts that tricked viewers into accepting Bree’s story as reality. Reaping in more than 110 million views in just two years, the series quickly gained worldwide media attention. Fans eagerly awaited lonelygirl15 updates, even after the series was revealed to be fictional
Flinders helped produce over 200 Web episodes of lonelygirl15 between June 2006 and September 2008, which propelled him to broader experiences. He currently discusses new media at forums and film schools across the country and recently completed an independent short film.
Flinders’ creative energy existed long before the creation of lonelygirl15. He was engaged in the film department throughout his Oxy career, finding that the campus and its proximity to L.A. made his experience a fantastic and productive one.
“It was the best four years of my life, no question,” Flinders said, listing studying abroad in Italy and playing for the tennis team as pivotal opportunities. Even while participating in these various activities, Flinders still had time for film. He had steady devotion to the film department and Oxy professors Alan Freeman, Dana Plays and Dennis Phillips. He won the 2003 Occidental College student Film Award with his first short film “In the Time of My Undoing.” Outside the classroom, Flinders also found cinematic motivation in the Mary Clapp Library.
“My favorite place on campus was the library, I loved going into the old wing and finding some obscure desk to sit down at. I also loved their film collection; they had old, hard to find titles you could take out, like ‘Magnificent Ambersons’,” he said.
With such a strong interest in filmmaking as an undergraduate, it seems surprising that California-native Flinders chose to attend Oxy instead of a university with a more established film program like USC or UCLA.
“Oxy provided me with a rich and nuanced film education. I don’t think that I would have gotten so much exposure to experimental and foreign films had I studied at one of the larger institutions in Los Angeles,” Flinders said. “I loved Oxy because it was small enough that I knew everyone I saw everyday, but it was in one of the most dynamic and exciting cities on the planet,” Flinder
s added.
Flinders left a considerable impression on the viral world, with lonelygirl15 spin-offs popping up worldwide. This experience has allowed him to excel, both as a digital strategist and as a filmmaker. He has made numerous short films and is currently promoting his film “Further Lane” at festivals around the country.
Whether fulfilling core requirements, engaging in extracurriculars or studying abroad, Oxy stresses the importance of a well-rounded, liberal arts education, almost to a fault. Looking at the varied experiences of Gilliam, Tancharoen and Flinders alone, the liberal arts tradition appears to have great worth in future success.
“I can wholeheartedly say that my experience at Oxy has had a direct influence on what my life has become,” Tancharoen said.
Additional reporting by Tara Daley and Ryan Strong.
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