Alex Anfanger and Dan Schimpf, two NYU alumni, are creators of Comedy Central’s first serialized comedy, “Big Time in Hollywood, FL.” The new show follows two wannabe filmmaking brothers, Jack and Ben, after their parents kick them out in hopes that the brothers will stop being financially dependent on them and get a job. WSN spoke with Anfanger and Schimpf to discuss how NYU has influenced their professional experiences and the forthcoming show. The Kanbar Event Series will be screening “Big Time in Hollywood, FL” and will be holding a Q&A with Anfanger and Schimpf on April 2.

WSN: Where did you two get the idea for the show?
DS: Just after we graduated from NYU, Alex and I sat down and wanted to write a show together. We were infatuated with these two main characters, with big aspirations and wanting to take the world by storm, but who didn’t have the means to do so. That wasn’t really much of a stretch for us, though we weren’t really psychopathic like the boys. Where Alex and I had a lot of doubt in our abilities, we replaced that in the boys with confidence and ignorance, which made for a funnier relationship. The boys are unaware of how far away they are from their goals, and their ignorance is bliss, as it allows them to propel the story along. We started with the characters and then we were really attracted to idea of building a real journey.
AA: These two characters are not particularly likeable, but it was exciting building these antiheroes who you can’t help rooting for. You enjoy watching these people with no talent but just blind confidence.

WSN: What were your professional journeys like leading up to the show’s creation?
DS: A huge part of it was NYU. We were paired as roommates freshmen year at Brittany, and we just started working together. We enjoyed making things while we were in college. Alex was in the acting program and I was in the film program. After college, we were a little bit lost in the real, professional world. During the first two to three years, we were writing this pilot but we were mostly just trying to stay afloat and relevant. In 2011, we decided we wanted to make something again and that’s really when “Lonny” was born.
AA: I wanted to create again and remember what I loved about this industry. I was doing sketch comedy that I liked a lot, but then I was also auditioning for roles that I really didn’t like as much. When I talked to Dan, we both decided that we needed to make something. “Lonny” was successful for a web series, especially because we had cracked.com distribute it. What we had were people within the industry who responded well, and specifically Ben Stiller saw it. He shared our sensibility and really liked it. We were insanely lucky to have Ben Stiller and his production company, Red Hour, take us under their wing.

WSN: What advice would you offer NYU students who are pursuing careers in the TV industry?
DS: Keep making things that you’re passionate about. Try to define who you are and what you want to say. It’s really easy to get discouraged, but keep pushing through that.
AA: Go with what feels right. If you’re happy and enjoying what you do, then you’re probably on the right path.

A version of this article appeared in the Tuesday, March 31 print edition. Email Anna Lee at [email protected]