Interview with Steve Dildarian – Creator of The Life & Times of Tim
If you’ve ever seen “The Life & Times of Time,” you know that the show deals with some pretty awkward situations. It’s really the source of the show’s greatness. Too often we’re all confronted with shit that’s just way too weird and way too uncomfortable. But so is life.
Awkward moments always make for good comedy. Whether you’re dealing with your buddy’s quirky behavior, stupid people at work, unwanted comments about your facial hair, or random encounters with actors or homeless people, there are plenty of situations in life where things can turn strange pretty fast.
One thing that’s super-strange is the fact that HBO decided to cancel “The Life & Times of Tim” this summer, and now the show’s looking for a new home. And it’s really a shame, cause the show’s pretty damn good. I had a chance to ask Steve Dildarian, the creator of “The Life and Times of Tim,” some questions about the show:
CS: Who’s the inspiration behind Tim? Is he a semi-autobiographical character?
SD: Tim vaugely resembles me in his hairstyle, build and wardrobe, but the similarities end there. I’ve never squeezed an old lady’s boobs at a wedding reception and I’ve never (knock on wood) been raped by a bum.
CS: Is it exhausting being the creator, writer, director, executive producer and lead voice of the show? How do you juggle all your different roles?
SD: The only exhausting part can be the recording sessions, because I’m directing the talent and also performing as an actor in 90% of the scenes. It’s a lot of fun though, so I usually don’t realize how drained I am until the end of the day, when suddenly it dawns on me that I’ve been talking non-stop since 9am.
CS: How much improvisation goes down in the voice over sessions? Do you ever mix up the script a bit with Nick Kroll?
SD: Improv is a big part of the show, but it’s more to create a general tone than anything. If you compared one of our scripts with the finished episode, all the words would be different, but the jokes would land in pretty much the same places. The structure and rhythm don’t change, just the specifics.
CS: What do you think it is about the quirky-awkwardness of the show that really resonates with people?
SD: I think what resonates is Tim’s point of view – how sometimes in life it can feel like everyone is crazy except you. The show is much more reality-based than most animation, so I think that works in our favor too. People aren’t expecting an animated show to feel quite so painfully real.
CS: The show is in syndication in a few different countries overseas. What’s been the international reaction so far?
SD: It translates very well, which I was surprised by. The show is playing everywhere from the UK to Italy, Greece, Ireland, etc. I guess the humor is relatable since it’s just a guy who has lots of problems in life. We don’t necessarily do “American” humor, or pop culture references, so that helps.
CS: Any updates on where the show will end up next? What can fans do to help the show find a new home?
SD: We’re in the middle of talks but hopefully we’ll have good news soon. For now, fans can keep going to the SAVE THE LIFE & TIMES OF TIM Facebook page, where we’ve posted lots of deleted scenes and never-before-seen short films.
If you haven’t seen this idiosyncratic cartoon-look at life’s awkward encounters yet, you need to start tuning in. If you like what you see, make sure to show your support for Steve and the show on Facebook.
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Print article | This entry was posted by Chris Stout on July 27, 2010 at 3:11 pm, and is filed under Entertainment. Follow any responses to this post through RSS 2.0. Both comments and pings are currently closed. |
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